Toshiba HDDR640E04XR

Toshiba 650GB External Hard Drive (HDDR640E04XR)

The line between portable and desktop external hard drive is becoming increasingly slim. The new Toshiba 650GB External Hard Drive (HDDR640E04XR) ($159.99 list) is pocket-sized and possesses the software package and storage capacity of most desktop external drives. At first glance it looks just like any old external drive that you might use to backup your files. Don't be fooled: This device means business. The HDDR640E04XR weighs a scant 0.3 pounds, and at 3.2 by 5 by 0.65 inches (HWD), it's smaller than Toshiba's previous hard drive, the Toshiba HDDR320E03X ($199.99 list, ). The only other design difference is the new paint job. The basic black color scheme with swirling white accents is gone, replaced by a glossy "Rocket Red" and black chassis surrounding the 2.5-inch 5,400rpm hard drive. At first, I thought the red was bit bold and ostentatious, but then I realized that the color might be the only way to differentiate this drive from any other 2.5-inch external drive on the market. Like its predecessor, the HDDR640E04XR needs only one USB 2.0 port, rather than a needing to use two ports (via a dual-headed USB cable) for power like some older external drives like the Seagate ST9160821U2 ($290.00 Street, ).