HP Simplesave Portable

HP (Hewlett-Packard) Simplesave Portable 320GB

This plug-and-play backup drive is convenient but not glitch-free. Models in HP's SimpleSave Portable series are external 2.5-inch hard drives (320GB for $120, 500GB for $150, as of August 31, 2009). Nonportable (3.5-inch) desktop models in the SimpleSave series come in 1TB and 2TB capacities. The lightweight SimpleSave Portables use built-in software that is streamlined, straightforward, and easy to navigate. Like the software in Storage Appliance's Clickfree products--the Clickfree Traveler (16GB) and the Clickfree Backup Drive 1TB--the SimpleSave's software helps automate the backup process, achieving mostly positive results. The drives themselves are simple, angular, and pocket-size; the only notable feature on the dark gray case is the HP logo. I tested the USB 2.0, bus-powered 320GB model. After you plug the drive in, its software will prompt you to specify whether you want to use the drive directly or want to perform a backup. Choose the backup option, and--if you have Windows Auto-play enabled--the drive will automatically scan your hard drive for files (photos, documents, music, and so on) in need of backing up.