Sometimes you just can't protect valuable files enough. Whether you use the primary drive of the Western Digital My Book Mirror Edition (and rely on RAID 1 to make a second copy on the hidden secondary drive) or use the included backup software to make an additional copy of files on your system's built-in hard drive (using RAID 0) or two copies (with RAID 1 enabled), the quiet, fast and easy-to-set-up Western Digital My Book Mirror Edition gives you the best and simplest data protection in a user-friendly drive we've seen.

The LaCie Rugged All-Terrain Hard Drive isn’t built to withstand a nuclear holocaust, but it provides better protection than standard portable hard drives. We were impressed with the read/write times and the fact that it can provide 500GB of hard drive space powered by USB.

It's quiet, it's energy efficient and it’s 2TB of space in an easily connectible box. The Western Digital My Book Studio Edition II may not be the fastest kid on the block, but it isn’t a slow coach and it is customisable enough to suit most situations.

There's nothing particularly wrong with the LaCie Sam Hecht Little Disk: it's attractively designed, lightweight and won't look out of place in a minimalist office, but it's not as robust or as well protected as some other contenders.

Overall, we were underwhelmed by the Memorex TravelDrive Portable; a solid but less than stellar external hard drive

A solid, decent but uninspiring backup drive, the Verbatim Portable Hard Drive will make a good purchase for those who back up regularly.

While it isn't the cheapest option, Western Digital's My Passport Elite is definitely a great way to fit a large amount of data into a small footprint.

Despite limited interface options, the Office Edition range offers business users an inexpensive way to access large amounts of data both locally and remotely.

The LaCie Hard Disk Design by Neil Poulton (1TB) is an enticing piece of hardware; whether you know who Neil Poulton is or not. Artfully sculptured and bursting with memory, it will satisfy every type of user, from PC plebs to computer connoisseurs.

Although there's little to this device it's quite versatile, offering three connection options, including e-SATA. It's compact, tidy looking and quiet, which are all great traits of a desktop hard drive.

This is a basic drive with plenty of storage space at a competitive price. It's suitable for anyone who wants to expand their computer's capacity, without going under the hood.

A low-cost product that will look good on your desk while taking up minimum space. The LaCie Hard Disk 500GB design by Neil Poulton is not bursting with features, but it's all you need from an entry-level product. The LaCie Hard Disk 500GB design by Neil Poulton is USB only.