Buffalo 320GB MiniStation Turbo USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive - HD-PS320U2

Came a bit late than expected, but the extra USB power code helps you to connect the disk to old Laptops where the power from single USB port is not sufficient to drive. This is so far a good product
 
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This is the second Mini Station I have owned, the first being a 120 GB which was purchased approx. 6 months ago. I am a traveling network engineer, so I needed a small portable drive that was durable and would not take up a lot of space in my backpack, which is basically my office. I need to be as mobile and versatile as possible, carrying what I require for the job. The drive come with back up software, which is fine, but I use the drive more so to back up and transfer files from one machine to another, often mirroring the entire drive onto the Mini Station, then back to a new drive. Both drives perform this task efficently. They use a Western Digital drive, which I prefer, so that was a plus. Before I purchase my first unit, I compared the drive to Western Digital's own, along with several others. This drive seemed to be designed for the tougher enviroment / transporting that I subject them to. I also saw a lot of refurbished units of other brands being offered, which made me question their sturdiness. Any of the current designs I looked at use small connectors to attach the USB cable, so they are all subject to damage, but if treated as a normal piece of equipment and used accordingly, should last well. I read a couple reviews that commented on the small cable, but if unless someone is misusing and dragging the unit around by the USB cable, I do not see where you should have any problems with it. I use these almost every day, and have had no issues with them. They are compact enough to be kept in a storage pocket in my backpack, along with the included 2nd USB cable, should it be used on an older machine that can not provide enough power through the main USB cable. I have only had to use this a couple times. Most machines are able to run the drive using only the main cable. I also like the main cable design that wraps aroung the unit and stays in place. This keeps me from wondering where that cable might have wondered off to. Probably, the only negative I can see, is that their current offerings are not like the pretty eye candy that other companies are producing. I required a tool to get my work finished that would be efficient and durable. I believe that if this drive were red or blue, none of my customers would have cared or commented, they just wanted their machines repaired. Buffalo designed this drive with shock-absorbing material that appears to protect the drive well through normal usage. A choice of multiple colored cases does me no good if the unit fails 2 months after buying it. Both drives I own are running well. Plug them in and start transferring data. That's what they were designed to do, and they do it well. That's all a person can ask. The reason I purchased the second drive was to give me more storage capacity for the larger drives that I am running into. If you want practicality and durability, look at these drives. Another thought for users, those bright colored, fancy drives just scream "take me", if left unattended around schools, etc.
 
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I mis-stated in my previous review the size as 360gb, it is 320gb.
 
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I concur with Bryan's review. This Buffalo MiniStation is a winner. The drive needed no special installation and was immediately recognized by my XP/SP2 computer. I also like the wraparound cord storage feature. The extra DC power port and included usb cable for it is a plus but the single usb connection has been all that was needed to date. I was not impressed with the included Secure Lock Ware encryption software. I use a freeware encryption software that is very versatile. But can you really complain about something that is free. Overall, this is a solid little unit that makes carrying 360gb's in your pocket a pleasure.
 
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This is one of the best hard drives out there. It is easy to use: just plug it in via USB and start dragging files into it. It does not require any electrical outlet, which is great, and the USB cord that comes with the unit wraps around itself for ease of storage or transporting. It fits comfortably in a jacket's pocket, or even in a small purse.
 
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Hands down best 2.5" portal HD I have ever owned (and I have gone through many different brands). The enclosure is very solid and tough. Cushions the drive inside better than any one I have seen. You have to install a separare utility to take advantage of the turbo usb feature but it's worth it as it is definitely faster. If you are using it on someone else's computer it works just fine anyway. Being a SATA drive it's also alot faster than the IDE drives in many of the portal drives. I like the wrap around cord, although the part you clip it onto kind of sticks out too much (if I had to say anything negative about this drive that would be it). But honestly this drive is worth the extra $10-20 over the cheapo working and feeling WD drive enclosures and some others I have used. For the money right now this is definitely the way to go for a high capacity drive that needs to be small and USB powered. The 500GB one is looking nice too of course but the price is deterring. I am sure once they get to 750GB and 1TB 2.5" drives the price will drop and I'll be picking one of those up.
 
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