The Cheapskate

You'll have to deal with a pair of rebates to get this 1TB drive for $80. But so what?

(Credit: Fantom Drives)

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new low! OnSale.com has the Fantom GreenDrive 1 terabyte external hard drive for $79.99. UPS Ground shipping will run you a very reasonable $4.99.

OK, you knew there had to be a catch, right? Actually, there's a pair: rebate No. 1 (PDF) and rebate No. 2 (PDF). They're $20 apiece.

I don't have a problem with rebates, but I know that some people hold them in the same regard as AIG bonuses. (Surely, they aren't that bad.)

As for the drive itself, it features USB 2.0 and eSATA interfaces, Mac and Windows compatibility, and a two-year warranty. Fantom bundles no backup software to speak of, but there are plenty of great freeware backup utilities out there.

And what puts the "green" in GreenDrive? "The latest advances in power-saving technology and ROHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive)-compliant materials and process." OK, then.

CNET hasn't reviewed the drive, but several dozen OnSale buyers rated it an average of 4.5 stars out of 5. If you don't mind waiting a couple months on those 40 rebate dollars, this is the best deal yet on a 1TB external hard drive. Act fast!

Your chance to score 1TB of storage for a cool $100.

(Credit: Buy.com)

It's been awhile, but once again you can pick up a 1-terabyte external hard drive for under $100.

Specifically, Buy.com has the Fantom 1TB G-Force USB/eSATA hard drive for $99.99 shipped. That's an awful lotta storage for the money. And no rebates!

Though fairly industrial in design and not likely to win any beauty contests, the Fantom's got it where it counts: a 7,200-rpm drive, an 8.5-millisecond seek time, and your choice of USB or eSATA interfaces. It's compatible with most versions of Windows and the Mac OS.

A drive like this is perfect for keeping your system backed up, but Fantom supplies no software for the job. Fortunately, there are plenty of third-party freebies; here's a list of three free back-up utilities for Windows. (Anybody know of any good programs for Mac users? List 'em in the Comments.)

I'd rather see a three-year warranty on this drive, but Fantom's coverage expires after just one year. That's the only negative I can see on this deal, and it's a minor one. The drive earned a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 from more than 200 Buy.com customers, so you can bet it's a winner.

(Credit: Buy.com)

I said it would happen, and here it is: a 1TB external hard drive for less than $100. Specifically, Buy.com has the 1-terabyte Cavalry CAXE3701T0 dual-interface drive for $89.99 shipped (after a $50 mail-in rebate). Yowza.

Because it's preformatted with NTFS, it's plug-and-play ready for Windows users. (Mac and Linux folks could easily reformat it, I'm sure.) The drive includes both USB and eSATA interfaces, and even comes with a SATA bridge cable so you can connect it to an internal SATA port (handy for those systems that lack an external one). Why bother? Oh, maybe because SATA transfer speeds are about six times faster than USB 2.0.

This is a new drive, of course, with a one-year warranty. The rebate offer [PDF] expires today, so don't wait too long. This is the first time I've seen a 1TB drive for under $100. (Remember when these babies sold for $400-plus?)

(Credit: Vox Products)

I'm eagerly anticipating the day when I can show you a 1-terabyte hard drive for under $100. (Be patient, it'll happen.)

In the meantime, eCost has the 500GB Vox V1 external USB/eSata drive for just $55. There's a rebate, yes, and shipping will run you about 10 bucks. But, lordy, that's a lotta storage for notta lotta cash.

Drives like this are ideal for making full-system backups, storing massive video libraries, and just expanding your available storage in general. CNET loved the V1's ease of setup and speedy performance, but wasn't wild about the bundled backup software. Of course, you can always switch to another utility if you prefer. (Check out Paragon Software's Drive Backup 9.0 Express, which offers full-system backup and doesn't cost a penny.)

The V1's specs include USB and eSata interfaces (plus cables for both), a 7,200-rpm drive, Windows and Mac compatibility, and a one-year warranty.

Except for having to wait on the $40 rebate (PDF), it's a pretty killer deal.

(Credit: Vox Products)

Wow, I thought the 500GB Cavalry drive for $79.99 was a good deal, but now comes the Vox V1 750GB external eSATA/USB drive for $99. That's an after-rebate price that doesn't include shipping (about $11), but it's still an amazing deal.

The Vox V1 can connect to either an external SATA or USB 2.0 port. CNET reviewed it with the latter and called it "the fastest USB 2.0 external hard drive we've ever tested." If your machine happens to have an eSATA port, the 7,200-rpm drive has the potential for even faster throughput. (Indeed, it would be about on par with your internal SATA drive.)

CNET didn't like the bundled backup utility, though obviously you can use the drive without it. (I recommend the freeware Comodo Backup if you just want to archive your data.) The drive itself is new, not a refurb, so you get the full one-year manufacturer's warranty. The $35 mail-in rebate offer expires May 23.

(Credit: Buy.com)

Whether you need extra space to store all that digital video you've been shooting or you're finally planning to start making regular backups (it's about time!), nothing beats an external hard drive. Just plug it in and you're good to go.

So, good news and bad news about the Vox 250GB drive: It's a 7,200-rpm screamer with USB 2.0 and eSATA interfaces and a price tag of just $39.99, shipping included; but that price is after two mail-in rebates, and the deal is available today only. That means you better snag this puppy now, and be prepared to shell out $109.99 up front.

What's your feeling on rebate deals like this one? Too much hassle, or too good to pass up? Hit the Comments page and let me know what you think!