Portable External Hard Drives Review

The Iomega Prestige is a sleek, well-built external hard drive that comes in several colors such as charcoal (black) to white. It comes with a software suite, an instruction manual, and a 2.0 USB cable. It is bus powered so you don't need an AC adaptor to charge it and use it, which is neat. It has a perforated panel that allows good ventilation. It comes with a 2-year manufacturer's guarantee.

The quality of the build is fantastic; I mean it feels absolutely smooooth. Like really smooth. The aluminum finish on it really shows. Its modest design also boasts simplicity, as there aren't a ton of buttons needed, there is a power LED on it though.

The Good:
-Comes in various memory versions, for all your memory needs
-Probably the best design in a hard drive we have seen yet
-Nice and compact, easily Portable
-Excellent customer service form Iomega in case of malfunctions (they replaced a busted drive I got from Newegg once, even though Newegg refused to since I opened the box and waited too long)
-Doesn't need an AC adaptor! Makes it easier to charge than other external hard drives

The Bad:
-If you are running low on power and don't have access to a power outlet to charge your laptop, then it'll drain your computer faster (a little faster than normal use)
-Runs a little warmer than the other brands I will list
-More expensive than other brands at 500GB - 1.5TB. If you buy the 2TB model it is about a $110 on amazon, which is the cheapest I've found it to be so far (100$ for 2TB isn't bad at all though..)

Verdict: A unique external hard drive that boasts simplicity and functionality. It's actually quite rare foe it's design and ability to just work. Here's an in-depth Iomega Prestige Review. Also check out the other external hard drives!

The Western Digital WD Element External Hard drive is a small, compact, and quiet USB 2.0 external hard drive designed to work for both MACs and PCs. It comes with a USB 2.0 cable for transferring files, an AC adaptor for charging, and an instruction manual as well as a standard 1 year manufacturer's warranty. This drive comes in a few colors such as white, grey, and black as shown in the photo. This hard drive comes in fingerprint resistant plastic. LEDS are located on the back, as well as the power supply and the USB 2.0 ports. It may or may not come with a software suite, as this hard drive is truly designed and meant to be a "plug'n play" hard drive.

The Western Digital WD Elements hard drive is the PERFECT drive for those who wish to exchange performance for silence and stability without the need for too much space (although there is the 2TB version that costs a little more, about 20$ more). It isn't the fastest drive on the market but its Green Drive technology makes it one of the quietest external hard drives on the market. It is also energy star compliant.

The Good:
-Running at a 5400RPM (revolutions per minute) as compared to normal 7200RPM 2.0 USB drives; this drive boasts performance, and silence a rare trait in external hard drives
-Plug'n Play doesn't do this drive enough justice. You can literally connect the USB into your notebook/laptop/MacBook and it'll work right away!
-Energy Star Compliant it will save you tons of money on electricity costs and also perform longer than almost all other drives (that's what it was designed for!)

The Bad:
-Not the fastest drive on the market. Simply put if you looking for speed look somewhere else!
-Sits horizontally, flat. Some people have complained about this and the lack of rubber adhesives so the drive doesn't touch any surfaces too much. Some simple modifications can change its position.
-Standard manufacturer's warranty. Nothing special and customer service form Western Digital isn't the greatest but it's still fine.
-Design isn't the greatest. Easy to smudge with fingerprints.

The Verdict: Simply one of the best drives for quiet and cool energy-saving performance. Can't beat the WD elements' sweet silence. Still, it's not the fastest drive in the market but it doesn't mean it's anywhere near slow! It does get rather dirty over time though.

The GoFlex External Hard Drive by Seagate is a hard drive series that boasts high performance over all else in external hard drives. It is modular, and easily upgradable. This hard drive's sizes range from 1TB to a whopping 3TB which is the current maximum of external hard drives in today's market. It comes with an instruction manual, standard manufacturer's warranty, and a standard usb 2.0 cable for the data transfers. It comes with a software suite for installation. It is smaller than the other two drives, at 2.5 inches which makes it incredibly easy to carry with you at all times (the portable version only).

The Good:
-Modular means it is an upgradeable external hard drive. You can upgrade from a simple USB 2.0 connection to a FireWire connection to an eSATA connection and finally to the fastest 3.0 USB connection. This means you'll get fastest performance of all drives, great for transferring tons of large files.
-Pro version allows easy faster connection speeds for you speed junkies out there
-Software suite allows for easy installation and the manual is well-detailed

The Bad:
-Glossy cover makes it hard to maintain cleanliness. Frequent cleaning is required if it is touched on a regular basis.
-Doesn't come with the faster cables, you'll have to purchase them separately
-software suite's ads are a tad annoying

The Verdict: An amazingly fast drive, I have used both an eSATA connection and USB 3.0 expansion on it. It's truly easy to transfer huge files and Blu-ray videos. It gets rather hot at times though, and I hate cleaning it but it's worth it, at least for the speed.

Choosing between external hard drives can be daunting if you don't know what you are looking for in an external hard drive. If you aren't specifically looking for anything in particular in an external hard drive, then I highly suggest going with the Western Digital WD Elements since it's the cheapest of these drives, and most brands. Plus they are really quiet! If you want a heavy-duty, well constructed external drive with good security go for the Iomega Prestige. If you really want to have a fast and upgradeable drive and don't mind spending a bit more for accessories, then go with any of Seagate's FreeAgent GoFlex drives. And to conclude, there are other good drives out there. But these are pretty great drives in my opinion, and other brands simply can not compete these with guys.