Desktop Computer Review: Buffalo DriveStation 160 GB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive HD-HB160U2 Review

First and foremost, this drive does exactly what it is intended to do and represents a great value vs. most competitive products.Sorry, Amazon, but this time I bought locally because with rebates I only paid $80 for this 160g drive! Impossible to pass that up!

Notes, pro and con:
*As noted, it simply works!Pull it out of the box, hook up the power cable then the USB cable and turn on the power. In seconds WinXP has 'accepted' the drive and you are ready to run.No software necessary, although some basic software is supplied that you can use if desired.
*Data transfer is quick, just as it should be!Be aware, though, that this drive uses only a 2MB cache vs. the 8MB that other manufacturers like Maxtor and WD use.Having used it to copy and access files, including playing videos, I do not find this to be a problem, but if your plan is to use this for applications that demand a lot of read/write activity (e.g. video rendering, etc.) you might find this small cache to limit the performance vs. the higher cache products out there.But for those of us who simply need more space to store and access files, there doesn't seem to be any noticeable difference.
*The drive comes with a CD of basic (and I do mean BASIC) software.But even though the applications are not graphically sophisticated, they seem to work just fine.There is a disk formatting utility, a back up utility and a power management utility where you can set the drive to sleep after a defined period of inactivity.Each application is independent, not an integrated package, and each is, shall I repeat, BASIC!But again, they work, so who cares if your use is simply for basic storage and retrieval.As an example, while very simplistic, I launched the back-up utility, set up a schedule for back-ups and pressed a button to run a back-up immediately and within a minute I had a clean back up of my selected files!I don't need any more sophistication for my use!(In fact, it is probably all my other oversized, graphically sophisticated programs and files that forced me to buy an extra drive in the first place!!)
*One thing that seemed odd to me, although again it is nothing critical for the type of use I intend, is that the drive and software only support FAT formats and not NTFS.The drive comes preformatted FAT32 but I assumed (incorrectly!) that I could use the formatting utility to upgrade to NTFS.FAT32 it is!Again, for basic uses, who cares.But some of you may have more critical reasons to need NTFS and nowhere on the box or in the manuals is there anything about this.

In summary, I love the drive.It was incredibly cheap, runs perfectly (and quietly) and is pretty good looking, too!Why only 4 stars?Well, the software is not up to competitive levels (although, again, it works fine) and I have a bit of a gripe with the lack of information on the box or manuals.Nowhere on either is the 2MB cache noted nor the limitation to FAT formatting.While this is not a limitation for my use, it might be for others and should be `disclosed', IMHO.Hence, 4 stars.But if your needs are like mine, buy it confidently.It works!

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Product Description:
Buffalo's Drive Station external hard drives allow users to keep backups of files, digital images, documents that will not take up the room on your PC's main drive. The DriveStation connected to your PC automatically turns on once you power your PC. Installation is easy with Auto Setup feature; no need to install a driver (except for Win98/98SE). You can schedule automatic backup of your files in seconds using DriveStation backup software. The DriveStation runs at 7200 rpm and is available in 160 GB capacity. Fanless design allows the DriveStations to operate silently while the Heat Sink Chassis keeps the internal components cool during operation. The unique chassis design offers flexibility for vertical or horizontal placement. Auto installation and easy operation makes the DriveStation a true plug and play storage solution for anybody.