Get a FREE fully-working copy of Steganos Security Suite 7 (worth £49.99) when you sign up to the Practical PC Newsletter. Review: Pockey USB 2.0 External Disk Drive
Don Bradbury considers what miniaturisation can do for disk drives
| Product | 40GB Pockey HDD |
|---|---|
| Company | Flotec Engineering Inc |
| Web | www.pockeyeurope.com |
| Price | £279 + VAT for 40GB |
| We like | Pocketable, fast, simple to install |
| We don't like | Possible need for PS/2 power, rather expensive |
| Rating | 8/10 |
| Requirements |
Until recently, external USB disk drives were relatively large, and they required their own power supply unit since the data transfer interface could not deliver sufficient current. USB, for instance, provides up to 500mA, and that, generally, is insufficient to power a disk drive.
Now Think Distribution are marketing the Pockey range of external drives, based on Fujitsu, IBM, or Hitachi 2.5 inch drive technology, with various capacities but all interfacing with the new USB 2.0 connectivity medium (backwards compatible with USB 1.1, though without the speed advantages of course).
We looked at the 40GB variant. Smart in silver and black, capable of running under versions 98/98SE/ME/2000/XP of Windows (only the first two requiring access to the driver CD), or on Macs. Small enough to be pocketable, very quiet, hot-swappable - but demount for safety - and in general very convenient since there's no need for a PSU.
A mere 7.5% of the volume, and requiring only 30% of the desktop acreage of the same-capacity Maxtor 3000LE external drive we reviewed recently, and simply attached through the USB cable, the Pockey drive was eminently usable. It would be found especially so by notebook users on the road who need the pocketability and quick preparation.
Installation
On our trial notebook the Pockey Drive installed and ran by simply plugging it into a spare USB 2.0 hub port. On our trial desktop PC, however, plugging in and switching the Pockey drive on rebooted the PC. That port was clearly incapable of meeting the peak current-draw demands of the drive.
For such eventualities, the Pockey piggy-backs the USB lead with a PS/2 attachment, your mouse or whatever, that may run from the same port, still functioning normally when you plug that in the back.
That might constitute a minor irritation, especially for those who want to attach and remove the drive on a frequent basis from such a machine, but it's still better than having to lug a PSU around. Some PCs will provide the required current via USB while others will not. That's when you must use the PS/2 attachment.
Throw the switch
When all is set up and you throw the switch on the rear of the unit, the drive automatically assumes the next available drive letter on the PC, and away you go. Use it for whatever purpose you have in mind; whole drive or partition Ghosting, file or folder backup, storing MP3 files, digital pictures, video files, DVD movies or games, business presentations (in PowerPoint perhaps), or simply system expansion.
Copying 20GB of data files from the aforementioned Maxtor disk, with both drives connected via USB 2.0, took place at a rate of 5.7MB/sec; nowhere near the theoretical maximum for USB 2.0, but far faster than could be achieved via USB 1.1. As we've pointed out before, several factors are involved in the rate of data transfer, not just the theoretical speed of the port.
The Pockey's power LED also functions as the read/write activation LED, flashing green/red, and that's around the rear of the drive. Most will not bother about that; for those who do, you can just have the unit facing away from you. There's nothing fixed about this unit's orientation.
Totally enclosed in it's silver Aluminium housing, with no apparent ventilation for the disk or electronics, the unit ran just mildly warm on top of a monitor shelf.
In conclusion
Complete with a smart black carrying case, and just the USB lead in tow, the Pockey drives are very suitable for anyone who needs portable storage expansion for PC systems. Just plug in and switch it on.
Perhaps a tad expensive if mobility is not your main requirement, the 20-60GB capacities in the Pockey range are bound to appeal to many who need that portability factor, and some who don't but want small, light, but capacious system expansion.
A dual interface USB 2.0 and Firewire version is understood to be in the pipeline; some may choose to wait for that, in the meantime saving up for the extra it will surely cost.
