Technophile: All of your data on one pocket-size hard drive

Portable 1TB hard drives provide wide open digital spaces in tiny packages.

My Passport Essential SE 1TB

The box Most portable hard drives are simple, small boxes, and the sleek Passport Essential SE is no exception. It weighs in at less than 200 grams, and is less than 2 centimetres tall and 11cm wide. Like most portable hard drives, it can hold a lifetime of data, but don't count on it to hold down even a few pieces of paper if you have a window open. It comes with a single micro-USB connector.

The data A 1TB portable hard drive is a digital pack rat's dream come true; for most, it's the equivalent of storing a stamp collection in an aeroplane hangar. How much storage is a terabyte? A1TB hard drive can store more than 400 DVD-quality movies, more than 200,000 photos or 220 million pages of text (that's almost 150,000 copies of War and Peace - and most people only have a few thousand digital copies of that book tops, right?).

The call The Passport Essential SE comes with encryption and back-up software, and is a solid choice for any storage or back-up needs.

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FreeAgent GoFlex 1TB

The box The GoFlex weighs in at just over 280 grams, is 2.25cm tall and just under 12cm wide. Like most portable drives, it takes its power from your computer's USB port.

The data The GoFlex can work with Mac and PCs without any reformatting necessary and, like most portable drives, is small enough for the digital storer on the go.

The call The GoFlex slim is aptly named because it can connect to your computer via USB 2.0, or the faster standards of USB 3.0, or a special eSATA connector for people who need to read and write data at mach speeds.

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Verbatim Acclaim 1TB

The box The Verbatim Acclaim is one of the thinnest portable drives (1.27cm tall) around. It is 11.4cm wide and weighs just 140 grams. It also comes in a variety of colours.

The data Though not the sleekest of the sleek portable hard drives, the Acclaim transfers data at speeds that rival its more expensive competitors.

The call The Acclaim offers an impressive seven-year warranty. Its software package includes a trial version of an online back-up solution from Norton. All in all, the Acclaim provides the most redundancy/backup/storage bang for the buck.

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