Back Up Your Digital Life With OneTouch From Maxtor

With the advent of digital camera, camcorders and music, data back up has become even more important. The new Maxtor OneTouch external storage device will help you back up your digital life, and let small businesses do a bit more besides.

Maxtor’s OneTouch 4 Plus brings more than just back up storage to the table – it also has other programs like encryption, synchronisation, and a system recovery function to make it an all-round storage device.

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As we save our photos, videos, documents and other files unto our hard disk drives, we are at the risk of losing them all should our hard drive fail. Luckily for us, there are a lot of companies out there that offer external hard drives with backup softwares to store and safeguard files. Maxtor’s OneTouch 4 Plus is one of those external drives that can store music, photos, videos, and games and comes with a OneTouch button that backs up important data.

The OneTouch 4 Plus comes with a USB and FireWire cable, an AC power adaptor, and the OneTouch Plus device. The device is lightweight because of its hard plastic construction, while its black and aluminium finish gives it a ‘tough’ look. The OneTouch button is cleverly placed at the front of the unit and emits a light as soon as it is plugged, letting users know that the unit is functional.

Performance:

Hooking up the OneTouch to the PC for the first time will install the Maxtor Manager software, an application that has various programs like My Drives, Backup, Sync, and SafetyDrill (for Windows only) to maximise the OneTouch 4 Plus.

Under My Drives, one may be able to customise the OneTouch button to back up (which is the default), Synchronise, or open any executable program in the PC. Power settings can also be adjusted, putting the OneTouch drive into power-saving mode after being inactive for a set number of minutes. There is also a function called Test My Drive that does a quick test to make sure that the device is working properly, as well as a Check for Software Update function that checks for new versions of the Maxtor Software.

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The OneTouch 4 Plus OneTouch button

By default, pressing the OneTouch button will launch the Backup software that does a simple backup for the “My Documents” folder at a set time. In addition, advanced options like manually setting the folders (e.g. Backing up the “My Documents” folder, a music folder located in the main drive, as well as other folders from a slave drive), file extensions, and the day and exact time when the unit will do a backup is also available, giving users with a lot of customisation options.

The OneTouch can also keep the latest files in sync between two computers with its Sync function. The Simple Sync automatically syncs the “My Documents” folder, while the Custom Sync provides the option to select different folders that will be synchronised. After synchronising your folders from the first computer, the only thing a user has to do is to connect the OneTouch to the other computer to complete the synchronisation.

The Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus also has a DrivePass function that protects your drive with the help of a password, as well as an encrypted folder to protect your office files and documents from unauthorised access. Passwords are required for both functions so users must always remember their passwords to avoid data loss.

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Maxtor Manager’s SafetyDrill Program

What’s great about the OneTouch 4 Plus is its SafetyDrill program: a function that mirrors your hard drive to the OneTouch, allowing anyone to restore the whole system in an event of a system crash. By creating a SafetyDrill copy, users only have to boot up the Maxtor SafetyDrill Recovery CD (with the Maxtor OneTouch connected), select the SafetyDrill copy that will be restored, and click the Restore button. Do take note that the SafetyDrill function only works with Windows and is not compatible with the Mac OS.

Conclusion:

If you need a simple backup and storage solution for your home or small business, then the Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus is definitely a product worth looking at. It has an easy-to-use backup and sync software, has an encryption and password functions that will protect your confidential files, and can fully restore your system with ease thanks to its SafetyDrill feature.

Product Specifications:

Requirements:

PC
– Pentium III, 500Mhz equivalent processor or higher
– Microsoft Windows Vista or XP
– 256MB RAM or more
– Internet connection for software updates
– CD ROM drive from SafetyDrill Disc

Mac
– Max OS X 10.4.7-10.4.9
– 256MB RAM or more
– Internet connection for software updates

Performance Specs:
– USB 2.0 and FireWire 400/1394a compliant
– Spindle speed 7200 RPM
– AES 256-bit software encryption

Package Contents:
– External hard drive with pre-loaded installation software
– Quick start guide
– Power adaptor
– USB 2.0 cable
– FireWire 400/1394a cable
– Maxtor SafetyDrill Recovery CD

Product Dimensions: 63.5 x 152.4 x 171.45mm
Weight: 1.11 kg

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Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus (750GB) | $449 |  | www.maxtorsolutions.com

For: USB and FireWire connectivity; Ease of use; Sync, Backup, Encyption, and SafetyDrill functions; Warranty
Against: No Ethernet connection
Conclusion: A simple to use product but is packed with features to keep all your files safe.