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Freecom USB Memory 120GB review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £80
inc VAT

Freecom's USB Memory is very slim and small, but you pay a high price for its compactness.

Freecom’s simply titled USB Memory is the first portable USB hard disk we’ve seen in some time that uses a 1.8in hard disk.

This external hard drive is the same size as the one used in Apple’s iPod classic, rather than the usual 2?in disk found in most laptops. It’s roughly the width and depth of a credit card, thanks to its thin rubber casing. However, it doesn’t feel as sturdy as we would have liked.

Previous 1.8in disks we’ve seen have had a spindle speed of 3,600rpm or 4,200rpm, resulting in poor file transfer speeds. The USB Memory has a 5,400rpm spindle speed, though, so it was only a little slower than 2?in 5,400rpm USB disks such as Iomega’s eGo. Unfortunately, backup software is not included.

At 67p per gigabyte, Freecom’s USB Memory 120GB is very expensive compared to Iomega’s similarly priced eGo, which has four times the storage. Most people will be better off with the eGo, but if you really need lots of pocket-sized storage, this is better value than a 128GB USB flash drive, which can easily cost twice as much.

Basic Specifications

Rating ****

Storage

Hard disk Toshiba MK1229GSG
Capacity 120GB
Formatted capacity 111GB
Price per gigabyte £0.67
Disk size 1.8in
Interface USB
Power connector USB from host
Spindle speed 5,400rpm
Cache 8MB
Seek time 15.0ms
Weight 74g
Size 82x58x9
Power consumption idle N/A
Power consumption active N/A

Buying Information

Backup software included none
Price £80
Warranty one year RTB
Supplier http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop
Details www.freecom.com

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