$100 - 199 Hard Drives

The Bottom Line: LaCie clearly spent a lot of time designing the look and feel of the Starck Mobile Hard Drive, but it trips up on the basic essentials like weight, ease of use, cost per gigabyte, and transfer speed. Hard-core design geeks will get a kick out of its funky case, but everyone else should check out the Fujitsu HandyDrive, which offers more storage space for less.

Specs: 500 GB, External

The Bottom Line: The Hitachi SimpleTough is by far the most indestructible external hard drive we've tested, capable of surviving drops of up to 10 feet and up to one ton of pressure. With a built-in USB cable, two-tiered data security package, and an impressive three-year warranty, we have no issue recommending this external hard drive to shoppers looking for space and security.

Specs: 500 GB, External

The Bottom Line: A sexy, slim design and backup software set make a compelling argument for the Seagate BlackArmor PS 110 external hard drive. We like the unique Try and Decide feature preloaded on the drive, and the throughput speed scores stomp the competition. Shoppers on a strict budget should look into the Fujitsu Handydrive for the best cost per gigabyte, but the BlackArmor PS 110 offers many extra features for just a few more dollars more.

Specs: 500 GB, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5", 5400 rpm

The Bottom Line: Mac and PC users alike will appreciate the Iomega eGo Portable's triple interface connectivity that lets you choose from USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800. Combined with a rugged enclosure, free data protection software, and a robust three-year warranty, this drive is a great example of well-rounded hardware. We thoroughly recommend it both for average consumer as well as data-hounds on a budget.

Specs: 500 GB, IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800) / IEEE1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB

The Bottom Line: While Seagate's Replica will seem silly and restricting to those looking for a flexible external storage option, others will welcome the singularity of its mission to back up your entire Windows PC.

Specs: 500 GB, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5", 5400 rpm

The Bottom Line: The Iomega Home Media Network Drive, a single-volume NAS server, is easy to set up and use for even the most novice user; however, its lack of advanced features might lessen its appeal to savvy users.

Specs: Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive NAS server, 1 TB, PC, Mac, RJ-45, Standard, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet

The Bottom Line: The Iomega Home Media Network Drive, a single-volume NAS server, is easy to set up and use for even the most novice user; however, its lack of advanced features might lessen its appeal to savvy users.

Specs: Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive NAS server, 500 GB, PC, Mac, RJ-45, Standard, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet

The Bottom Line: The Western Digital My Book World Edition is a fast, plug and play simple-to-use NAS server that unfortunately lacks many features and has subpar remote access performance.

Specs: 1 TB

The Bottom Line: While other external hard drives offer built-in backup software, automatic data encryption, or rugged casing protection, the Transcend StoreJet 25F only promises, and delivers, the fastest data transfers at the lowest price. The missing FireWire prevents us from giving this Transcend an Editors' Choice award, but we still highly recommend this drive to storage hounds who don't mind USB 2.0.

Specs: 500 GB, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5"

The Bottom Line: Small business and personal users with large amounts of data will appreciate the Clickfree's painless backup drive that practically automates all the work through the embedded software. People running older Windows operating systems are out of luck, but the lightning-fast transfer speeds and excellent performance scores secure the Clickfree a solid recommendation for up-to-date Windows and Mac users.

Specs: 320 GB, Hi-Speed USB, External, 2.5", 8 MB, 5400 rpm