Maxtor Personal Storage Onetouch 120Gb 2Mb 7200Rpm USB2

I have a 3GB harddrive, most of which has been taken over by Windows98SE. I upgraded my ram from 32MB to 96MB about six months ago, so I could get my new printer to print of all the digital pictures I have been taking. As my picture library grew, I removed more and more of redundant games and other applications. Then I hit breaking point, I either needed a new harddrive or a new computer.

After much research I choose to buy Maxtor One Touch 120GB. I was a little concerned, since I only realised I had a two USB ports six months ago (hence new printer). Could it be this easy to upgrade my storage space? I need not have worried, I followed the instructions carefully and after ten minutes I was coping files to the new drive at about 38Mbps (possibly the same speed as my existing drive!!!).

All together this drive has caused me no problems - apparently after ten restarts of the computer, the drive actually writes faster ! - I have read others concerns about the HD actually showing 111GB of space but the manual explains this has something to do with the Windows system display the wrong information. Besides, if you are like me 111GB is better than 3GB ??? Go and buy it.

Why do people not buy a backup device when they buy a computer? Maybe it's because it's a rather unexciting product. It doesn't do anything -- until the day of disaster arrives. Then the backup device is the most wonderful invention known to man. 

If you do not back up your computer, I hope I have shaken your complacency. To regain your peace of mind you need to get adequate backup. Your hard disk could fail at any moment; it might be next week, it might be next year, it could happen while you are reading this review and have just determined to buy a backup device (wouldn't that be a pain!)

I use the Maxtor OneTouch External Hard Disk 120GB to back up my internal hard disk from my Windows XP Home Edition based computer. Installation of the hard disk was simple and straightforward and went without a glitch. I would recommend this product without hesitation.

A backup hard disk drive is useless unless it has adequate backup software. The Maxtor OneTouch external hard disk uses the highly respected Dantz Retrospect Express backup software. It is easy to use and does the job quickly and well.As my internal hard disk is 'only' 40GB the Maxtor's 120GB is more than adequate for my current and future needs. Less capacity would have been adequate, but the industry has moved on. I found smaller external hard disks difficult to locate and ran into an out of stock problem when I ordered the 80GB version.
 
You do not want to wait when you need a backup solution. As the 120 GB version was only slightly more expensive, I re-ordered and it arrived the next day.

The main selling point of OneTouch disks from Maxtor is, supposedly, that backups can be made by simply pressing the button on the disk. I found this worked perfectly, but prefer the 'no touch' automatic backup feature. This allows you to set the computer to make an automatic backup at the same time each day.

Installing the hard disk is as easy as plugging in a phone if, as most people do, you have a spare external USB port on your computer. The disk can use USB 2 or USB 1. The former is faster and allows you to run applications from the Maxtor external hard disk. If like me, you only have USB 1, then this is adequate for backup purposes. 

With only USB 1 available, the first complete backup can take several hours. But you can still use your computer while the backup is taking place. There is a noticeable slow-down for memory intensive applications -- though simple word processing or mail reading is no problem. Subsequent backups are much faster as only new and altered files are backed up. 

All in all, this Maxtor external hard disk makes trivial extra demands on yourself or your computer. This is a small price to pay for making sure you are insured against an internal hard disk failure.

The 120GB Maxtor One Touch external hard dive is compatible with Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 and XP, as well as Macintosh OS X and 9. It has a comprehensive user's guide. On following the installation instructions, the drive was recognized without any problems by my computer, which is running Windows XP Home Edition.
 
The disk comes in a robust case which means it can be carried from site to site without much fear of damage. It has significant advantages over lugging a portable computer around. 
It's the size of an average hard back book, and lighter than any portable computer. This makes it suitable for taking work between home and office. Because you can make different 'backup sets' you could back up your home and work computers on the same disk.

The disk solves the problem of protecting against the most likely cause of you losing your life's work -- an internal hard disk failure. Alone, it does not provide protection against fire or theft. But it is small enough to fit into most fire safes, and it comes with details of how to add security attachments.

The disk is very quiet, takes up little space, and even looks good. It is inexpensive compared to disks from other companies. Maxtor Personal Storage OneTouch 120Gb External Hard Disk is a great solution to the backup problems of the home or small business computer user.