SimpleTech SimpleDrive External Hard Drive 1 TB

The fourth drive in this roundup is SimpleTech's External Hard Drive at 1 TB, also referred to as the SimpleDrive. It supports Firewire 1394a and USB 2.0, and also is a one-click backup device. It differs from the Maxtor and Seagate in that it comes with a physical hardware power switch, though like Maxtor and Seagate, the backup software is preinstalled on the medium and not available on the CD. The disc only carries the manual in PDF format.

Despite being designed by Pininfarina, who also created cars for Peugeot and Alfa Romeo along with many other items, it is made of simple plastic and hence doesn't feel as good as it looks. The entire area inside the blue circle on the top is the backup button, which can trigger the backup software to start a new backup set. But the blue circle isn't just a style element; it also serves as a capacity meter. If it is lit up completely, the hard drive is full.

Due to the non-standard design, this device cannot be operated standing, but must lay horizontally. The front part is thin, the back panel holds the interfaces, DC power connector and the power switch, and the dorsal panel with the button and capacity meter is rounded. The only flat parts are the bottom and the sides. SimpleTech includes a disc containing the user guide, a quick installation manual, a Firewire cable and a USB cable. There isn't a power supply, but a plug-in AC adapter, which saves some space, but might not fit into your remaining AC plugs.