Why You Can Trust CNET Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive (250GB review: Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive (250GB
Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive (250GB
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 Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
The 250GB brown leather is a classy refresh of their eGo external hard drives. Last year, we reviewed the 160GB Cherry Red version for $130. This new eGo gets an aesthetic upgrade and 110 more gigabytes of space for just $20 more. If you like the look and feel of the leather casing and are willing to sacrifice a little data transfer time (our speed tests produced average results), the brown leather Iomega eGo is definitely worth a look.
| Drive type | External Hard Drive |
| Connector options | USB 2.0 |
| Available capacities | 250GB |
| Capacity of test unit | 250GB |
| Drive size | 2.5-inch |
| Drive speed | 5400rpm |
| Cache | 8MB |
| Dimensions (LWH) | 0.90x3.35x5.93 inches |
| Supported operating systems | Windows Vista, Windows 2000, Windows XP (including 64-bit) |
| Software included | EMC Retrospect Express HD software (Windows only) |
Design and Features
This particular eGo is an external hard drive for fashionistas and business professionals alike. It's wrapped in genuine brown leather with chrome caps on either end that add to the professional appeal of the drive. Combined, the curved shape and leather casing make the eGo look very similar to a classic flask, which may appeal to some and dissuade others. In either case, there's no denying the sleek design--it blends well with any leather-clad office decor.
The eGo is powered completely through USB 2.0, but in the small chance that your laptop needs an extra push, Iomega includes a cable with two USB connectors for auxiliary power. There's also a five-volt AC power port for extreme cases, but a power cable isn't included in the package. Iomega sells the brick as a $20 accessory on their Web site.
The silver end caps do double duty--they add to the high-end aesthetic and protect the drive from damage. Iomega calls it their "DropGuard" technology and claim that it can survive a drop of up to 51 inches. We put it to the test and dropped our test unit several times from four feet and the drive is still going strong. We can't speak to the consequences of repeated drops over a long period of time, but we feel confident that the eGo will withstand the normal wear and tear of everyday use.
Cost per gigabyte
For $0.60 per gigabyte, the eGo leather edition is about average price for an external hard drive and a much better deal than last year's 160GB model. The best deal we've seen so far is Western Digital's My Passport Studio for $0.58 per gig, but the Iomega eGo comes in a close second.
Performance
Even though the Iomega eGo Leather isn't dead last in our CNET Labs speed test comparison study (that award goes to the Maxtor Black Armor), its read and write speeds aren't exactly impressive. It barely stands ahead of the Maxtor Black Armor in terms of write speed and reads data at a very average 148.8 megabits per second; certainly not slow, but it's not setting any standards for speed either.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
 | Read (Mb/s) | | Write (Mb/s) |
Service and Support
Iomega backs the entire eGo hard drive series with a one-year limited warranty that covers defective products and damage at the manufacturer's discretion. Iomega will also replace your hard drive or refund you the full retail price if they're unable to fix the problem. Additional troubleshooting and support items including the Iomega User-to-User Support Forums are available on the Iomega Web site.