BIOS: Technology Means Business

Amacom's Flip2disk is an extremely portable and robust external hard disk that will suit frequent business travellers. Not only is the drive pocket-size and attractive in terms of design, it's also relatively light and sturdy and has a disk protection mechanism mounted internally on a rubber skeleton called a Shoc Bloc. This technology, along with additional rubber bumpers on two sides of the unit, helps to stop the hard disk mechanism from being damaged by everyday bumps and bangs, which should help to minimise data loss as a result of physical damage. Flip2disk also provides a fully-bootable means of disaster recovery when used in conjunction with the supplied FlipBack software, and comes with a choice of self-powered connection options. However, you can only get a FireWire or USB cable as standard, so you'll have to further budget if you want to connect the drive to a Type II Card slot or parallel port. Nevertheless, it's great to have the flexibility on the move - as long as you don't forget to pack the wrong cable. We've encountered many hard disk failures over the years, mainly from transporting data from one office to another. With the Flip2disk, our confidence is a little restored knowing that our data is pretty much as safe as it can be from physical damage. It's a real shame Amacom hasn't bundled any data privacy and encryption tools, because the Flip2disk would then be a complete solution. Nevertheless, it's still an excellent drive that comes highly recommended - regardless of the I/O connection or capacity you choose.

Pros: Shock protection; self powered; I/O options; backup software
Cons: No data privacy tools; only supplied with a USB or FireWire cable

The pocket-sized Flip2disk is a relatively high-capacity data storage device that provides an easy-to-use and relatively cost effective way to backup your system and files, archive data, as well as backup and recover from system failures. In fact, it's one of only a few portable hard disks that provides a full, bootable means of disaster recovery (when used in conjunction with the supplied FlipBack software) on either a desktop PC or a laptop.

This attractive product is both light and robust (90x127x29mm, 210g) and offers multiple connectivity options - a feature rarely seen in this type of device. For instance, out of the box you can connect the hard disk to any system that has a USB 2.0 port. However, optional cables lets you connect the drive using either FireWire or parallel port, or even a Type II PC Card interface. Another neat feature of the Flip2disk is that it draws power directly from the USB 2.0 port, FireWire or PC Card interface, so you don't have the hassle and inconvenience of carrying around an external AC adapter - the bane of all IT professionals.

However, it is worth noting that some laptops are unable to supply sufficient power through these interfaces. In the case of FireWire, most laptops don't implement the 6-pin connection and cannot even supply power through the interface at all. In these circumstances, in addition to the interface cable, the Amacom Keyboard Power Cable or external power supply may have to be purchased. The former connects between the external keyboard port of your computer and the power input socket of the Flip2disk. If you do not have an external keyboard port on your laptop, or if you system is unable to supply sufficient power through this interface, you'll have to buy an AC adapter.

It's also worth noting that different interfaces offer different performance. For example, a USB 2.0 connection should provide sustained data transfer rates of around 40MB/s, whereas FireWire will provide around 45MB/s. A 32-bit PC Card should perform at around 12MB/s, and a parallel interface is the slowest at a frustrating 1.2MB/s. Regardless of the interface cable you initially opt for, it's great to know that you can always purchase an optional cable at a later date in case your computing needs change. Based on a non-removable 2.5in. hard disk, each Flip2disk hard disk offers a claimed track-to-track read time of 3ms and an average seek time of 13ms, which is reasonable for this type of product.

The Flip2disk we reviewed had a capacity of 80GB, although you can also purchase it with a capacity of either 20- (£139 ex. VAT), 40- (£175 ex. VAT), 60- (£220 ex. VAT), or even 100GB (£299 ex. VAT) depending on your needs and budget. It is plug-and-play compatible, so those running the latest versions of Windows or Mac OS won't have to install any drivers, and it's also hot swappable so you can connect or disconnect it from your system without having to reboot it. This is a real benefit if you intend to use the drive frequently to exchange data between colleagues or different systems throughout the day.

As well as the ability to boot from the drive, another key selling point of the Flip2disk is that its housed in a robust shock resistant case, or Shoc Bloc, which can withstand drops of around two meters (or greater if in the supplied carrying case). This is an impressive feature and will be greatly appreciate by anyone, including those at BIOS, who have suffered data loss as a result of dropping an external hard disk whilst travelling. Amacom also bundles a padded soft carrying case, which although adds to the bulk of the product, offers even greater piece of mind that your data will be safe when you're on the move.

The Flip2disk is supplied with Amacom's proprietary backup software FlipBack, which comprises a suite of utilities that allow you to perform a mirror image backup of all the contents of your computer's internal hard disk, including the boot sector, system files, personal and network settings. A DataSync utility on subsequent insertions lets you synchronise data on both your computer's hard disk and Flip2disk, helping to ensure that data on both disks are identical. There's also a HotSync utility, which automatically launches DataSync each time Flip2disk is attached to your computer. The software is a very welcome addition and adds great value to the product, especially in the event of computer's hard disk failure because it allows you to boot and recover using the Flip2disk - without expensive data retrieval costs and downtime.

An optional extra is DiskStation, a removable caddy which fits into a desktop computer's spare 5.25in. drive bay. Connection is made using the computer's standard IDE and power connectors in the same way that a CD-ROM or hard disk. Using the supplied HotSwap software, you can remove and add the Flip2disk to your system without shutting it down. The DiskStation is a neat option because it allows you to store the Flip2disk in a 'hidden' location, instead of leaving it lying around on your desk in the office.