G-Drive slim 500GB USB Drive – Review

This drive holds a mammoth amount of memory for such a modest size – 500GB to be exact. This only makes it more attractive to design-minded modern consumers, as do its aesthetic qualities – the aluminium-grade case is a mere 9.9mm (0.4”) thick. 82mm width by 128.5mm length means it just about fits in your pocket, and is easily portable at around five ounces in weight. It’s easy to see how it utterly complements its intended host – the MacBook Air/Pro, or perhaps even iPad users (in possession of an Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit).

The drive is also programmed for accessibility, which will again please Apple product users who need to just plug in and get downloading with their files. You can plug and play instantly on Mac OS X and sync directly to Time Machine. It’s also very capable of quick data transfer, with its 2.0 USB connection and Hitachi 5400 RPM hard drive. A 1GB file uploaded in around five seconds, and a copied file in just a few seconds more.
One glaring omission is FireWire connectability. Competitors such as the Iomega eGo Mac Edition 500GB do have this, and many will appreciate it as a faster means of transferring data, working your hard drive less. Another possible issue could be the Hitachi 5400 RPM hard drive itself – likely prone to overheating after extended use, due to the lack of a fan and expected generation of heat.

However, at 16p per gigabyte, the G-Drive slim matches performance with price and isn’t that bad a deal in comparison with rival devices – again, such as the Iomega eGo Mac Edition 500GB, which can’t match its modish design and costs more in UK sterling (and in US dollars depending on the supplier). As promised, the G-Drive slim keeps its promise of being a design-savvy, media-conscious and highly mobile device.