Samsung G2 Portable HX-MU050DC 500GB

The good: Inexpensive, low power consumption; small footprint; bedazzled case design; three-year warranty.

The bad: Included backup and password protection software doesn't support Mac OS.

The bottom line: With its embossed cover and rainbow of colorful designs, the Samsung G2 Portable hard drive is a consumer-focused external hard drive that offers the most basic plug-and-play storage functionality. You don't get many extras, but impressive benchmark scores, a competitive cost-per-gigabyte, and a generous three-year warranty demonstrate its core competency and earn this drive our CNET recommendation.

Design: 8.0
Features: 7.0
Performance: 8.0