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Iomega eGo Portable Series 500 GB
| Caractéristiques | |||
| Capacity | 500 GB | ||
| Format | 2.5 inches | ||
| Interface | USB 2.0 | ||
| Rotation Speed | 5400 rpm | ||
| Cache | N.C. | ||
 Show all specifications
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| Write Speed | NC |
| Read Speed | NC |
 Hide specifications | |
Pierre-Jean Alzieu
Test date: December 9, 2009
Test date: December 9, 2009
Retrospect Expres
Iomega includes backup software with the eGo, allowing you to keep a copy of all of the files on your computer in case it goes wrong. Saving your files is one thing, but you need to keep them up to date, too. That's why Retrospect Express provides for making programmable backups every hour or every day. And in case your external hard drive is lost or stolen, you can also encrypt the files on it using a password. Although it's a relatively rich offering, but other manufacturers provide tools that synchronise your e-mails and Internet favourites.
Iomega has contented to expand its eGo range of 2.5'' external hard drives. This new version is available as either 320 GB or 500 GB and come in either blue, grey or red. The case is made of a mixture of aluminium and glossy plastic, which looks classy but is easily marred by glossy fingerprints.
Just like the earlier versions of the eGo, this drive is bigger than much of the competition. While Samsung, LG and others are racing to make slimmer drives, Iomega has decided to go for a more solid device by including its 'Iomega Drop Guard' technology. This system on the inside of the case protects the drive from falls from a height of up to 1.3 metres.
Average speeds
 Iomega eGo 500 GB Samsung S2 Portable 500 GB |
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Speeds over USB (MB/s)
Given the size of this drive, you might be tempted to think it would be faster than the competition, but that's unfortunately not the case. The eGo instead makes do with perfectly average speeds: the 500 GB model we tested reached 23.7 MB/s for reading data and 31.1 MB/s for writing. That means you'll need around seven minutes to copy 10 GB of files on to the drive and around five minutes to write the same files back.
Pluses
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Solid case
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Good looks
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Anti-shock system
Minuses
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Too large to fit in a pocket
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Heavy: 182 g
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Seek time: 20.9 ms
The Iomega eGo is the perfect external hard drive if you're clumsy: it's anti-shock system protects it from a fall of up to 1.3 metres. If, on the other hand, you treat your gadgets with more care, then you can look elsewhere: there are faster, smaller drives out there.
