Data storage devices such as portable hard drives get subjected to more punishment than your typical PC peripheral. That makes Plextor's new line of shockproof portable hard drives, such as the PX-SP08U, appealing for users who want to keep their data safe.

These portable hard drives have monster capacities, available in 80GB and 120GB (PX-SP12U) models. We took the 80GB, 5,400 RPM PX-SP08U for a spin, including a 3-foot tumble to a hard floor, and it came out the other side no worse for the wear.

The PX-SP08U is about the size of two decks of cards sitting side by side and weighs less than half a pound, so it's easy to tuck into a laptop bag. There's a silicon bumper that surrounds the drive for added protection. You can remove the bumper, but you don't need to, as a flap opens to allow you to plug in the included USB 2.0 cable for data transfers.

With USB 2.0 support, moving files onto and off of the PX-SP08U was a relatively quick process. We were able to move 12GB of fairly small files to the shockproof drive in about 15 minutes. Transferring larger files progressed even more rapidly, averaging about 1GB per minute.

There's no software included with the PX-SP08U, but you don't need it. If you're running a current version of Windows or the Mac OS, just plug in the USB cable and connect the other end to the data storage device, and the operating system recognizes the device and installs the correct driver.

There's also no power cable as this portable hard drive gets all the juice it needs from the USB connection. A power/access light glows green when the device is plugged in, and it flashes yellow when it's busy reading or writing data.

Plextor offers a healthy 2-year warranty on the PX-SP08U that also includes unlimited toll-free technical support if you run into any problems.

At $169, the price-per-gigabyte ratio isn't the best you can find, but it isn't bad either. If you're looking for a data storage device that affords physical protection for your sensitive data, the 80GB Plextor PX-SP08U shockproof portable hard drive is a solid option.

Pros:  Protective bumper, large capacity
Cons:  No additional software

Warranty
2 years, limited