Derrick
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If you want a no-frills portable drive but are bewildered by all the other makes and models that feature one-touch backup functionality and other gimmicks, then the Packard Bell Store & Save 3400 is for you.
A few years ago, an 80GB or 120GB external hard drive was considered adequate. However, with the advent of high-definition media, torrents and the like, more storage capacity is necessary. DVDs may still be the favourite medium for storing large volumes of data, but optical media are susceptible to scratches, which, if severe enough, can render an entire backup set useless.
The Packard Bell Sprint external drive is an excellent and safe alternative for storing digital media, featuring a Seagate 500GB 3Gb/sec hard drive (465GB when formatted). We put the drive through a series of read and write tests, and the Sprint read large files at a respectable 30MB/ sec, while write speeds varied from 29MB/sec to 34MB/sec.
While these numbers are impressive for a USB 2.0 drive, it is important to note that when reading or writing hundreds of smaller files, the speeds decline dramatically. So, if you’re going to back up large amounts of data consisting of many sub-20MB files, it may be best to put them all in an archive and move that across to the drive.
The Sprint is a basic external storage device that doesn’t feature any of the bells and whistles of Packard Bell’s other models (such as the Store & Play series). The package consists of a 12V power supply unit, a USB 2.0 data cable and the drive itself. It’s not much of a package, but most people who would be interested in such a device know exactly what to do without needing a manual or some form of installation disk.
There’s not much to be said about the aesthetics of the device, as it is housed in a metal-grey casing with fins on the side that serve to dissipate heat.
There really isn’t anything major to fault the Sprint on. It does what it claims to with no gimmicks or marketing hype. It’s a solid 500GB external hard drive for those who need large volumes of data on the move.
A few years ago, an 80GB or 120GB external hard drive was considered adequate. However, with the advent of high-definition media, torrents and the like, more storage capacity is necessary. DVDs may still be the favourite medium for storing large volumes of data, but optical media are susceptible to scratches, which, if severe enough, can render an entire backup set useless.
The Packard Bell Sprint external drive is an excellent and safe alternative for storing digital media, featuring a Seagate 500GB 3Gb/sec hard drive (465GB when formatted). We put the drive through a series of read and write tests, and the Sprint read large files at a respectable 30MB/ sec, while write speeds varied from 29MB/sec to 34MB/sec.
While these numbers are impressive for a USB 2.0 drive, it is important to note that when reading or writing hundreds of smaller files, the speeds decline dramatically. So, if you’re going to back up large amounts of data consisting of many sub-20MB files, it may be best to put them all in an archive and move that across to the drive.
The Sprint is a basic external storage device that doesn’t feature any of the bells and whistles of Packard Bell’s other models (such as the Store & Play series). The package consists of a 12V power supply unit, a USB 2.0 data cable and the drive itself. It’s not much of a package, but most people who would be interested in such a device know exactly what to do without needing a manual or some form of installation disk.
There’s not much to be said about the aesthetics of the device, as it is housed in a metal-grey casing with fins on the side that serve to dissipate heat.
There really isn’t anything major to fault the Sprint on. It does what it claims to with no gimmicks or marketing hype. It’s a solid 500GB external hard drive for those who need large volumes of data on the move.