BIOS: Technology Means Business

Demand for portable storage is strong and consumers are requiring not just higher capacities, but stylish looks and more practical chassis protection.

Plextor, best known for its excellent optical drives, has launched its first shock-proof portable hard disk drives (HDD) created for the rough and tumble of modern life.

Available in 80- (£100) and 120GB (£155) capacities, the silver lightweight PX-SP08U/PX-SP12U drives are designed to withstand the inevitable knocks and bumps of normal use that can seriously affect more fragile units. They even come with a silicon skin to protect the chassis from scratches and a handy carrying pouch.

In addition, Plextor is adding a 160GB capacity drive to its popular professional Network-Attached Storage (NAS) unit. The PX-EH16L (£155) has all the useful features of its 250/400GB brothers, but is more affordable for small businesses and professional home users.

Plextor’s new unit ticks all these boxes. With its high speed USB 2.0 bus-powered connectivity, matt silver chassis and compact size (12.5mm high and 170g) it is very desirable. Add in the removable silicon skin, black carrying pouch and password protection (via PlexTools Professional HDD software) it becomes even more practical.

Plextor has overcome the problem of small business networks requiring extra storage and back up: a convenient 160GB NAS device that comes equipped with extra features. Importantly, the fan-less drive operates silently for minimum intrusion in an office environment. The noise reduction is achieved by the heat-release aluminum case and the convection cooling design which needs no fan installed.

As well as providing instant shared storage across the network, the PX-EH16L includes a print server that can share a printer over the network when connected to it via USB and an automated backup scheduler from the NAS to a USB-connected external HDD of the same capacity.

Additionally, the Professional Network HDD is both secure and flexible: it includes a high security feature so that the administrator can limit access to certain folders and it can be configured as a dedicated FTP server.

[Best Storage Pricing UK]
[Best Storage Pricing US]

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