3. 120 GB Via USB: Maxtor 3000LE (X01USB2120)

Maxtor 3000LE, 120 GB for USB

This 120 GB drive from Maxtor is connected via USB port, and it supports the latest 2.0 standard as well as USB 1.1 for flexibility. All you need to do is install a small driver under Windows, and the drive appears on the desktop as a new drive as soon as it is attached to an available USB port. The procedure thereafter is similar to that of built-in hard drives: with the help of the Disk Management utility (located in System Administration/ Computer Management), you create partitions and format them - and then you're done.

The Maxtor 3000LE houses a Maxtor D540X with 120 GB (4G120J6). The rotation speed of 5400 rpm runs with a pleasantly low noise level; an external drive reveals no disadvantages either, since the maximum performance of the hard drive can never be attained - the bandwidth of USB 2.0 would have been reached long before that, anyway.

Included in the package: a USB cable, a power supply and a driver CD. The User Guide is a bit sparse.

The package is bulky, but it contains only the important stuff.

Users will just have to do without extra goodies such as backup software.

The 3000LE can also be used with Macs, but you need at least a G3 with the Mac OS 9. Anything newer than that will support USB.

Rear view: USB and network ports.

The 3000LE certainly does not come in a modest design - after all, not everybody has such a disk drive on their desks. The modern look with upbeat colors contributes to its pleasing appearance.