Tasteful external drives will trigger your sweet tooth

SimpleTech's Mini Signature Black Cherry external hard drive, like the others in the series, boasts a tasteful design.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)

The moment I opened the package for SimpleTech's Mini Signature Black Cherry hard drive, I thought I must have a secret admirer.

Alas, I was wrong.

You wouldn't think I was the wishful-thinking type, though, if you opened the package yourself. The drive comes in a very nice gift-style package that looks just like fancy chocolate. It looks so good that when I realized it was a non-edible item, I didn't know if I should be excited or disappointed.

The Mini Black Cherry has chocolate-like packaging.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)

Well, in the end, I was excited. The Mini Signature series boasts probably one of the most tasteful (pun mostly intended) designs for external hard drives.

They come in seven flavors (colors that is) and four storage sizes: 320GB (Black Cherry); 250GB (Kiwi, Marshmallow, Cool Mint, and Bubblegum); 160GB (Blueberry); and 120GB (Espresso). All of these drives bear the same physical shape and size, with prices ranging from $229 for the 320GB version to $120 for the 120GB version. They're not tiny (as the name Mini might suggest) but small enough to fit in your palm and definitely very light. Though sleek looking, the Black Cherry also felt very sturdy and easy to grip.

The Mini Signature drive comes with only a very small welcome booklet and a mini USB cord. That's all you need. The drives are bus-powered, and the rest of the software is bundled within the drives themselves.

SimpleTech offers Fabrik Local Backup as the backup solution for its Mini Signature series. The drives also come with the Fabrik Ultimate Backup online service that offers 2GB for free or unlimited for $4.95 per month. The devices come with free technical support and a three-year warranty.

[cant_get_enough_tech]

Have the 320 GB version. Amazing, it is.

[uhnnais]

do you have a mac? if so, was the installation a problem, or was it more a plug it in and go sort of thing?

[thatasianguy]

I bought this at costco a few months ago for about $90. They also had some mammoth 500GB and 1TB towers too.