Iomega eGo Alpine White review

This Iomega drive immediately stands out among the variety of sensibly shaped offerings this month. Instead of a design that can be easily stacked or stood vertically, Iomega has crafted a gently curving chassis book-ended by smart, chrome-effect panels.

It may look very good, but the unusual shape does come with a few disadvantages. As well as lacking versatility, it's the heaviest and largest drive we've seen this month. You'll need a capacious pocket to carry this around with you comfortably.

The usual mini-USB port is complemented by a FireWire socket, which is an unusual addition: no other portable drive here is equipped in this way. You also get a drive activity light, but its use is limited as it's tucked away at the back of the device and, consequently, difficult to see.

In our file-transfer tests the flashy eGo managed to perform well, transferring the demanding collection of 1,000 files to and from the drive in eight seconds and under each way. FireWire performance lagged slightly behind USB speeds, as expected, but it wasn't far behind the scores achieved by the desktop drives equipped with this interface.

Performance may be good, then, but its Achilles heel is its high price. A 250GB drive can be had for less cash elsewhere if you're not overly concerned with looks. The Freecom drive, for instance, is £15 cheaper and quicker than the eGo, too.

If you're willing to pay a design premium, the Iomega will undoubtedly look better on your desk than any of the other portable drives this month. Be aware, though, that it doesn't come cheap, and that every other drive in this group is smaller, lighter and more practical.

Author: Mike Jennings