Thread: Iomega ultramax

The Iomega Ultramax resembles a shrunken Mac Pro. Packed in an aluminum casing with a meshed front bezel, this external drive is one goodlooker. Going by the specifications, this drive had to win because it has an array of connectivity options. In addition to the standard USB 2.0 connectivity, you can also hook it up to an Apple Macintosh using the FireWire 800 interface. The eSATA interface will give you the fastest transfer speeds but your motherboard should have an eSATA port. Iomega has provided high-quality cables for all the interfaces so you won't have to go hunting for eSATA or FireWire 800 cables which are expensive and difficult to find. The build quality of the drive is excellent and so is the the bundled vertical stand which holds the drive steady. The base and inner portions of the stand are lined with rubber pads so that the drive doesn't slip. We used the eSATA interface to allow the drive to perform at its best and the results were astounding. A whopping 90 MB/s write speed-three times faster than with the conventional USB 2.0 interface. Also, the drive doesn't heat up due to its metal shell.

VERDICT: If you need style and performance, this one deserves serious consideration.

FOR: Good design, aluminium casing, all cables provided.

AGAINST: The backup software has to be downloaded.