Review: ATMT Ultra-portable HD160 hard drive

In response to the demand for higher capacity portable storage, upcoming technology player ATMT has released its deceptively named HD160.

This 20GB (not 160GB) ultra-portable hard drive is aimed at those who need to carry around a relatively large amount of data.

The ATMT drive certainly scores some points on the style front; it’s slim enough to sit neatly in the palm of your hand and, thanks to the tuck-away USB2 cable, there are no unsightly wires to carry around.

As you’d expect, this hot-swappable drive is instantly recognised by XP as an additional hard drive for you to simply drag-and-drop files across. You’re given a draw-string carry pouch to help keep it scratch free, but aside from this it’s simply a drive that does what it says on the tin.

There aren’t a lot of rivals in this specific field at the moment, possibly because 20GB of storage isn’t exactly ground-breaking for a hard drive, portable or not. But with the abundance of reasonably priced 20GB or higher mp3 players, you might find investing in a portable audio player a more versatile option.

With a list price of £100, the HD160 isn’t overpriced for a portable drive of its size, but bear in mind that you could pick up a 2.5in Enermax Vanguard or similar enclosure and a 100GB drive to go in it for around the same price. If you’ll use the audio features, there are a range of mp3 players with similar capacities for a little more.

If portability is important, you’ll find that the HD160 is slim and sleek enough to satisfy, but consider the other options and your exact requirements before you buy.

Also consider:
Maxtor Onetouch III Mini Edition
Easy to set up and good for anyone who needs a portable backup drive

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