It is not a Porsche or Lamborghini; instead, it is a Ferrari. Pinifarina, the designers of Ferrari, helped SimpleTech with their design for the Signature Minis. With this help, SimpleTech very well may have released the prettiest external drive on the market. The Signature Mini (320GB, red) is encased in a velvety curvy exterior, making the unit easy to grip and maneuver. Not only does the unit look pretty, it is also functional for backing up your data.



The compact design, of the Signature Mini (320GB, red), only measures 4.9 x 3.1 x 0.7 inches, in diameter, and weights 5.7 ounces. The compactness, of this device, is mind boggling on its own. Add in the cherry red velvety exterior, along with luxurious curves, and you have a sport modeled external drive. This unit is decently prices, like many other external drives, at $199.99. Overall performance, of the Signature Mini, is average in comparison with other drives on the market (with the exception of drives that offer FireWire connectivity).

A USB 2.0 "Y" cable is all that this unit needs for power - on most computers. You can typically use one of the USB connectors, for sufficient power; however, both cables could be needed at different times (all dependent on the PC and the amount of data being transferred).

With this device, you not only have access to local backups, but online backups as well (with 128-bit SSL encryption). The online service allows for up 2GB of storage, free, with an option to purchase additional storage space. The local backups run effortlessly, behind the scenes, if you take advantage of the automated processes that can be set up. The Signature Mini (320GB, red) external drive also allows users to burn backup files, audio, and video to CD, DVD, or Blu-Ray disc. Additionally, this unit offers content management software called Joggle? - making sharing and organization as easy as a couple of clicks.

This drive is compatible with both Windows and MAC computers. Out-of-the-box, the unit is ready to use with Windows only. Users will need to reformat the drive in order for it to work properly with MAC PCs.

SimpleTech ships only a USB 2.0 "Y" cable with the unit, as they assume that users will not need an AC adapter. However, if you are using an old computer (one that has USB 1.1 or older) you will need to purchase an adapter, as the USB port will not be able to provide enough power to the unit. In addition, some laptops do not offer enough power for this device to work; you will need to purchase AC in this case as well.

There are many new file types, available today, which are not automatically accepted, on this drive. Rather than changing the existing file types, users will have to add ones that are missing. (For example, .doc is a standard file type whereas .docx is not.)

The overall design and build - of this unit - offers users with an unobtrusive drive that is easy to travel with. The online backup service, Joggle, and the ability to burn CD's, DVD's, and Blu-Ray discs, are excellent functionalities for an external drive. However, the lack of encryption, locally, may make this unit insufficient for local backups of your data.