Labs

Buffalo claims that the 500GB DriveStation Combo's TurboUSB mode is up to 30 per cent faster than USB. In TurboUSB mode, it wrote small files at 10.12MB/s, compared with 10.03MB/s in USB Hi-Speed mode. TurboUSB seemed to hold it back when reading small files, and its large-file read and write speeds were below average in the group.

However, the DriveStation was one of the fastest FireWire 400 disks in the group, and its file copy speeds were considerably faster than over USB. Unlike the other FireWire disks, the DriveStation has only one six-pin FireWire 400 port, so it will have to be the last device in the chain if you connect multiple FireWire peripherals to your PC.

Its TurboUSB mode was disappointing, but the DriveStation performs well when connected using FireWire and is good value at 20p per gigabyte. It's a Best Buy.