There are several reasons for carrying large amounts of data around. Those that work or play with digital video, photos or music will soon find that a flash drive or USB key won't do the business.

A portable hard disk, which works on the same plug-and-go principle, offers masses more room and can still be pocket-able.

The snappily named PX-SP08U from Plextor is even rugged - according to the manufacturer - and can withstand the occasional fall.

The PX-SP08U is a 2.5in hard disk in a light alloy case. It comes with a silicon rubber jacket that can be snapped onto it when it’s being carried.

There’s also a leather-like pouch to keep the whole thing in. A separate power supply isn't needed as it draws all it needs from a USB 2 socket.

We timed some typical read and write operations, using a mixed ‘basket’ of files which totalled 1Gb. The Plextor drive read the lot in 68 seconds and we wrote them back in 67 seconds.

The PX-SP08U isn’t blazingly fast, but is quick enough to play back video or music without lag or jitter.

It’s extremely simple to use; just plug it in to a USB 2 port and Windows XP identifies it as an additional hard disk, allowing you to copy files to and from it. The PX-SP08U can be used for backup too, though disappointingly no application software is supplied.

The PX-SP08U claims to withstand a drop from 80cm, the height of most tables and desks. We dropped it onto carpet from this height, with no ill effects. The hard disk continued to work faultlessly. We hadn’t the heart to repeat the test on a hard floor, but it’s obviously pretty robust.

If 80Gb isn’t enough space, Plextor also offers a larger PX-SP12U model with 120Gb of storage.