Buffalo DriveStation Duo HD-WL2TSU2R1-EU (2TB)

The Buffalo Drivestation Duo is a large external hard disk in both senses – the unit we reviewed had 2TB of storage space, and it measures 9x13x21cm.

But the price is also large: it is possible to buy a 2TB hard disk for £100 less.

The main advantages are that it has an eSata socket for faster copying than over USB (it also has a USB connection) and that it uses Raid technology to increase performance or security.

Setting it up was simple enough: attach the power and USB or eSata cables and turn it on. A supplied software disc, however, was poorly designed with spelling mistakes and hard-to-understand technical information.

At 2kg it's not exactly portable, but the front panel can be easily removed to access the two hard disks inside which can be taken out and replaced if necessary.

In our tests it took just over two minutes to copy 8GB of files using the supplied eSata cable while over USB the same files took eight minutes.

There's lots of storage here, but eSata is a relatively out-dated connection and few PCs have it: a USB3 connection would have made more sense. Given the poor software included we reckon the Drivestation Duo's price is too high – unless you have a need for an eSata disk a cheaper model is a better idea.