Verbatim - Pocket Drive USB 2.0 review
tiny USB-powered 250GB hard drive (05/01/2010)
How external hard drives have changed. Only a couple of years ago our dictionary-sized, mains powered Western Digital MyBook was state of the art for home backups and we were delighted with both its utility (250GB!) and relative portability (only two and a half pounds!). Now of course it comes over as a monstrous porker, especially when set against such a tiny alternative as the Verbatim Pocket Drive.
Looking like a little iPhone, the 250GB Pocket Drive weighs only 85 grams and fits in a shirt pocket (actually you could probably fit two in there). It's USB-powered and comes pre-formatted as FAT32 so it'll work on a PC or Mac straight out of the box (or in the Pocket Drive's case, the little velvety drawstring bag); and although it's USB 2.0, it'll go about its business happily (though more slowly) on older machines with USB 1.1.
You get a couple of useful programs pre-installed too. First, there's Dmailer Backup which works with Windows PCs and Macs and offers continuous backup (along with the more traditional timed backups) while elsewhere Windows users get VerbatimSync, a program that lets you carry around important personal files together with Outlook, Outlook Express and Windows Mail e-mails, browser settings and bookmarks (even desktop wallpaper) so you can work on any PC. Then, when you get back to your desk, you just plug in the drive and all the files are automatically synchronised. It's a bonus that Mac users will miss.
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In use the Pocket Drive is virtually silent and extremely pocketable (this makes it highly nickable: you have been warned). It's also fast enough for general use, though the relatively small capacity means that it's less useful as a Time Machine backup device than it could be, and even those who just want to store data files will fill it up sooner rather than later. There's also a premium to pay for that portability and, gigabyte for gigabyte, this is around twice as expensive as other larger and more capacious alternatives.
Despite USB's ubiquity and convenience, it's important to remember to follow your operating system's instructions for safely removing devices (it's amazing how many people still just yank them out) but that aside it's hard to imagine an external drive that's easier to use than this. And don't underestimate the benefits of portability either. At a time when continuous on-the-fly backup is in vogue, portable, USB-powered drives like this are more likely to get used than anything else because they're so convenient.
Verbatim - Pocket Drive USB 2.0 features - Verdict
Good looks and convenience come at a price, but if you don't mind paying it, the Verbatim Pocket Drive is an excellent, highly portable, USB-powered external disk drive that comes with some useful backup and synchronising software (especially for Windows users). However, the relatively small size of 250GB may count against it for those users who prefer to back-up their entire system.
Verbatim - Pocket Drive USB 2.0 price
Buy Verbatim Pocket Drive USB 2.0 securely online at a bargain price
£99.99 inc. VAT
Verbatim: 01784 439 781
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from : www.itreviews.co.uk
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