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Samsung S1 Mini 120 GB
| Caractéristiques | |||
| Capacity | 120 GB | ||
| Format | 1.8 inches | ||
| Interface | USB 2.0 | ||
| Rotation Speed | 4200 rpm | ||
| Cache | N.C. | ||
 Show all specifications
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| Write Speed | NC |
| Read Speed | NC |
 Hide specifications | |
Pierre-Jean Alzieu
Test date: October 26, 2009
Test date: October 26, 2009
Backup Software: already on board
Like most external hard drives, the S1 Mini comes with software that's stored on the drive itself.
Once you've installed it, you can program backups of your files, even choosing which file types and that you want to keep copies of. The suite also includes a tool to protect your files with a password and another to encrypt them.
No CD is included as Samsung's tools are on the drive itself when you buy it, so if you want to format it, then you'll either have to take a copy first or download them again from the manufacturer's website.
Once you've installed it, you can program backups of your files, even choosing which file types and that you want to keep copies of. The suite also includes a tool to protect your files with a password and another to encrypt them.
No CD is included as Samsung's tools are on the drive itself when you buy it, so if you want to format it, then you'll either have to take a copy first or download them again from the manufacturer's website.
In keeping with its name, the S1 Mini is a tiny hard drive in the 1.8'' format. Small and light, this is a mobile accessory that allows you to slide 120 GB (the version we tested) or 160 GB into your pocket. Like its big brother the S2 Portable, the S1 Mini has clean lines and comes in a range of colours.
The main problem with both of these lines of external hard drives is that the Korean manufacturer hasn't included a non-slip surface underneath its hard drives. Although the black plastic underside sits easily on your desktop, it's not as good as rubber. If you're not careful and it ends up taking a knock, there's not enough friction to keep the drive in place and it could end up falling off the side of your desk.
Slow speeds
 Iomega eGo FW400/USB 250 GB Samsung S1 Mini 120 GB |
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Speeds over USB (MB/s)
As you might expect, the speeds we measured were less impressive than those you'd find on a 2.5'' drive, and even further behind a 3.5'' drive. For writing data, the S1 Mini 120 GB reached 20.7 MB/s compared to the 27.8 MB/s of the fastest 2.5'' drives. Things were slightly better when reading from the drive, but still well below average. Samsung's little baby peaks at 27.9 MB/s, while Transcend's StoreJet 25 C 320 GB climbs to 33.6 MB/s.
Pluses
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Compact form
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Design and looks
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Feature-rich software
Minuses
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Slow file transfer speeds
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Seek time: 20.2 ms
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Only USB 2.0
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No anti-slip covering underneath
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Expensive price per GB
The S1 Mini is a perfect portable hard drive, as long as you're not worried by its slow data speeds. If you are though, look elsewhere.
