I have been looking for an external USB backup for my main computer system. I have been using Seagate hard disks for the past couple of years since Seagate started to offer a five-year warranty on its drives. I also investigated other USB external drives from other manufacturers, but in the end chose a Seagate system. I purchased a 200GB drive from Tiger Direct for $145, which included all necessary cables and software.

The installation process was a no-brainer and went smoothly on my Windows XP Pro w/ SP2 system. XP immediately recognized the external hard disk and the included software installed without incident. Seagate uses a software titled Bounce Back Express which is user friendly and effortless to use. It was intuitive with a limited learning curve. I was able to make my first backup immediately after installation.

The system itself provides:

• Backup with the touch of a button.
• On/off button eliminates concerns that your hard drive hasn’t been shut down safely.
• Built-in self-monitoring technology continuously checks your hard drive for data safety and drive performance.
• Advanced software lets you quickly retrieve files.

Seagate also offers external drives with FireWire support. Drive capacity ranges from 200GB up to a whopping 750 GB in size.

This is a great way to back up your video, music, and picture files in case of a system crash.

Tags: seagate, external, hard disk, backup, software, easy installation