Verbatim 2.5-inch 500GB External Hard Disk Drive Review

As for Nero BackItUp 4 Essentials, as its name implies, it allows users to regularly backup their most important files. We haven't tested it but you can have a look at the full version here.

Moving files to and from the hard disk drive did not cause the latter to heat up unlike some of its competitors. It did go warm but we suspect that the fact that the drive is encased in plastic rather than metal could be a factor why it feels cooler to the touch.

We tested the drive on three separate operating systems (Vista, XP and Windows 7) and the device performed flawlessly.

There are only three real reasons why prospective customers might look elsewhere for the Verbatim 2.5'' Portable 500GB USB Hard Drive.

The drive doesn't come with a second USB port which might be an issue if your machine's USB ports cannot provide with enough juice; that is the case for Apple iBook users.

Furthermore, the drive is not as widely available as the rest of the competition. We could only find the storage device online in two little known shops and one big e-tailer (Misco).

This brings us to our last disadvantage, price. Discworld has the drive for £79.34. Sounds great until you compare it with the one of its main rivals which costs around £20 less when you factor shipping costs; in other words, the Verbatim is 25 percent more expensive than the competition.

So while the drive by itself is an excellent performer and one which perfectly fulfills its duties, it doesn't offer enough of an impetus to justify a price premium of 25 percent.