Introduction and design
Whether it be for internal or external use, hard drives are everywhere and everyone always needs one for something. There are so many on the market and seemingly all function well to some extent in terms of speed and portability. So what makes a hard drive good?
Well, it all depends on you. If you want something really small, that can be transported without issue, check out the Samsung Portable T1. If you want something with more capacity designed for a small-to-midsize business, then the Western Digital DL4100 is perfect for your outfit.
But, if you are someone who needs a portable, high-speed hard drive, that suits your rugged lifestyle, then the Sony PSZ-HB2T 2TB ($189, £121.26, AU $256.22 for 1TB) drive is just for you.
Design
What makes the Sony PSZ-HB2T a great option is that it has a silicon casing that protects the hard drive if it falls. If you work in a factory or out in a field, you never have to worry about your hard drive getting smashed and losing all of your work.
The silicon casing, which can be removed, has two plugs to cover both Thunderbolt and USB ports. The casing is built to provide a layer protection if you were to drop the Sony PSZ-HB2T. The casing can protect the drive from a drop of about 2 meters (6.56 ft).
The PSZ-HB2T is 7 x 8 x 2 in. (17.78 x 20.32 x 5.08 cm WxDXH) in size and weighs 1.32 lbs (.6 kg). This is incredibly tiny for a hard drive and you won't even feel the weight in your backpack.
What's also cool about the PSZ-HB2T is that it has two ports (one for USB and another for Thunderbolt). This provides compatibility for multiple devices (Mac and PC), and it gets transfer speeds of up to speeds of 122MB/s.
Specs
Sony created two models for for this hard drive unit, the PSZ-HB1T and the PSZ-HB2T. The difference? 1TB and read/write speeds. The model given to TechRadar was PSZ-HB2T - full 2TB glory.
The 2TB model of the hard drive can record up to 300min of 4K XAVC footage, which equals about 60p at 600Mbps, which is pretty fast, although not record-breaking.
Along with the hard drive, Sony provides two different connectors, the USB and the Thunderbolt cable. This is a nice touch, as you don't have to go and purchase something else after you buy the PSZ-HB2T.
In addition to drop protection, the PSZ-HB2T is also IP5X dust-resistant standard and IPX4 splash-resistant standard, when covered by the silicon and hard case.
Performance
Overall, the PSZ-HB2T performs exactly as one would expect and want from a portable 2TB drive. I use a Mac for work and I have a Windows machine at home for gaming. I do a lot of switching between the two and I always have different flash drives and what not to work on. But, with the Sony PSZ-HB2T, it is nice to be able to have two different connections built in. With the Sony hard drive, I was able to easily switch between USB and Thunderbolt, depending on what I want to use, and it's simple.
Performance
Sony claims that the PSZ-HB2T can, on USB 3.0, can hit transfer speeds of 122mb/s.
Doing a Read/Write test using ATTO Disk Benchmark did confirm that this statement is true. And, I tested it on two Windows computers and a Macbook Pro using an application called Blackmagicdesign Disk Speed Test (free on the App Store).
The results are as follows:
- ATTO Disk Benchmark: 122 mb/s Read and 130 mb/s Write on Windows.
- Blackmagicdesign Disk Speed Test: 124 mb/s Read and 125.3 mb/s Write on Mac OS X.
Well done, Sony. Not only did the disk meet Sony's advertised speed, it actually performed better on Mac OS, which is pretty impressive.
I spent the week using the Sony PSZ-HB2T and I was very happy with its performance. The silicon casing is a bit annoying if you are a daily traveler looking for something to use to go to and from work. But, since the silicon casing is removable, it is a temporary annoyance at worst.
Since the PSZ-HB2T comes formatted in exFAT, it provides an easy way to swap between Windows and Mac OS X Operating systems as both OSes can read and write to an exFAT formatted disk. The switchover was easy and intuitive without any additional steps needed on my end.
Verdict
There typically isn't much to say about a hard drive. Does it hold a lot of data? Does it transfer data quickly? Does it weigh you down? Will it crack if you drop it?
The Sony PSZ-HB2T does a great job addressing these needs.
We liked
Overall, the Sony PSZ-HB2T provides an amazing combination of flexibility and durability. This 2TB drive can survive a two meter drop and write at up to 122/MBs. It comes with a USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt port, which gives you the option of switching between different operating systems without going through any trouble.
It's a hard drive, but it's elegant, simple, sturdy and fast.
We disliked
Although there isn't much to like about this hard drive, it might be worth waiting a few months to see if the price comes down. Unless you're paranoid about breaking your hard drive, there are comparable devices on the market that can be had for half the price that Sony is asking.
Final verdict
If you don't care about transfer speeds or durability, then you don't need this hard drive. It's way too expensive to just purchase on a whim. But if you're a power user who needs something that will withstand the harsh realities of a rugged work environment, while also providing decent transfer speeds and port options, then the Sony PSZ-HB2T is right for you.
from TechRadar: Technology reviews http://ift.tt/1KTLSm0
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