Editors' note: The final rating of this review has been updated to reflect a discrepancy in calculation. None of the individual scores have changed.
The Apple MacBook Air laptop is popular for its sleek design and portability, but the small hard-drive capacities are limiting for digital packrats. The 320GB Iomega eGo Helium external hard drive offers MacBook Air users additional storage space in an equally attractive case. Iomega also keeps the Mac love flowing by formatting the drive with Apple's HFS+ file system. At $143, it's easy to recommend the Iomega eGo Helium for its low cost per gigabyte and impressive transfer speeds.
Design and features
| Drive type | External USB Flash Hard Drive |
| Connector options | USB 2.0 |
| Available capacities | 320GB |
| Drive speed | 5,400rpm |
| Product dimensions (LWH) | 0.63x3.45x4.75 inches |
| Capacity of test unit | 320GB |
| OSes supported | Microsoft Windows Vista, 2000, 2000 Professional, XP Home, XP Professional, Mac OS X, version 10.1.5 or higher |
| Software included | EMC Retrospect and MozyHome Online backup software |
The exterior of the eGo Helium is an almost identical match to the MacBook Air. From the rounded edges to the brushed silver finish, the drive makes a perfect complement to the Air or any other Apple laptop. It's also easy to slip into your jacket pocket or a bag thanks to its slim profile. The drive is entirely unmarked except for the top side that houses a single USB 2.0 port and a small light that glows when the drive is in use. The drive is powered by the USB bus, but unlike previous eGo iterations, it doesn't have an extra power port. In addition, the USB cord that comes with the drive is single pronged--the Camo and Brown Leather versions have two USB connectors attached to the cord in case your laptop needs double the power to run the drive.
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