Buffalo MiniStation Mac and PC

Other than the inclusion of encryption software, the DataVault is very similar to the Buffalo MiniStation. It comes in an updated version of the MiniStation case: a 3.3-by-5-by-0.9-inch slab with a mini-USB port and an auxiliary power jack on one end. The DataVault has a different (and more attractive) faceplate or top cover than the earlier model, but physically they're essentially the same drive. The DataVault also has the same wrap-around USB cable as the MiniStation. The case is a bit bigger than those of rivals like the Western Digital My Passport series and the Toshiba USB 2.0 drive, but that larger case holds a slew of anti-shock bumpers and enough float space to protect the drive from a significant fall. This is a drive to get if you're particularly harsh on your equipment.

The DataVault is fully encrypted with a 128-bit AES cipher, so it's safe from all but the most determined datajackers. The drive has an open partition that launches itself like a CD: The auto-run app asks you for your password and gives you the chance to change the default password on the drive. If you enter the wrong password, the drive denies access to the data. This will happen even if you pull the drive mechanism from the enclosure and plug it into a laptop. Once you enter the correct password, the secure partition opens up, and you can use it like any other external hard drive. There are drives out there with stronger 256-bit AES encryption like the ABS-Secure Encrypted Backup Solution (stay tuned for our review on this device), but that drive requires that the Microsoft .NET 2.0 Framework be pre-installed on the computer you're using before you use the drive. That's a step that may not be possible on a shared computer like one in an Internet café, the sort of situation where you'd really want to use a secure portable drive.

The Windows unlocking program is an auto-run program pre-installed on the drive. On a computer running Mac OS X 10.4 or higher, you'll have to install a Secure Lock Ware program from the unlocked utility partition on the drive; it opens up like an auto-loading CD. At least it's a one-time-run, and the password works on both Macs and Windows PCs, so you can use the drive with both operating systems. Once you run the security software, you can use the drive on a Mac just like any other external drive. (It can be used as a data drive or as a Time Machine backup drive.)