What? The Maxtor OneTouch is a back-up and storage hard drive that is designed to carry digital information when travelling.
Why do I need one? If you've ever experienced the horror of losing all your computer information you'll appreciate the benefit of backing up onto a separate hard drive. If you travel often, or need to work in different locations, a portable hard drive offers easy access to your digital data without your having to carry a laptop computer.
What's so good about it? A back-up drive small enough to slip into a pocket, robust enough to withstand travelling but sleek enough to impress colleagues is worth its weight (205 grams) in gold. Measuring 13.3cm x 9cm x 2cm, the Maxtor OneTouch III Mini Edition is available in 60 gigabyte or 100GB versions.
Tell me more: the hard drive has a titanium metallic finish and black rubber side panels that act as a non-skid feature and provide added vibration protection. It also comes loaded with software to manage your computer's information. Two levels of security (Maxtor DriveLock and encryption) guard against unauthorised use of your files. The drive can retrieve past versions of backed-up files (useful after a virus attack) and is USB bus powered, so does not need power cables.
How does it work? The set-up is simple because the software is already in the drive. Plug it into your personal computer and an installation window will open automatically. Follow the set-up wizard instructions and reboot your PC.
What's the downside? A padded carrying case would be useful. The Mini Edition is incompatible with a Mac.