Review: Buffalo Microstation Portable Silicon Disk storage device

Portable hard disks are nothing new, but this one is different because it contains no moving parts.

Instead of a spinning disk it uses the same memory technology found in USB memory keys and camera memory cards.

That means it's more durable and less susceptible to shocks and drops – crucial in a portable storage device – but it also draws less power, which is good for notebook users who need to conserve their batteries.

It comes with its own USB cable which wraps around the case, and it's definitely small and light enough to be slipped into a pocket to take away.

Transfer speeds were good in our tests, and it comes with Buffalo's TurboUSB software to boost them further. There's also backup and encryption software to protect the files you load onto the disk.

Our problem with the product is its price: the 32GB version we looked at has an RRP of £116. Although it's available for only £80 online, that's still considerably more than you'll pay for the equivalent USB memory key, and portable hard disks for the same price have ten times the storage capacity. If small and light is what you need, this is the one to get, but most people will be better off waiting for prices to drop.