Imation Apollo Portable Hard Drive 500GB review

Imation’s Apollo is the first 2.5in external drive we’ve seen to offer a huge 500GB capacity. Outwardly, though, it’s modest, hiding away in a stylish brushed black cover. Its only interface is a single mini-USB connector for both power and data transfer and a blue access LED.

The Apollo isn’t a super-fast drive: it took 31 seconds to write 100MB of small files. In our last Labs, drives such as the Freecom Mobile XXS and the Iomega eGo managed the same feat in under ten seconds. The Apollo read the files back in 5.5 seconds – which is absolutely standard for a USB drive, though eSATA-equipped drives can go much faster.

High-capacity drives often cost a premium, but the 500GB Apollo works out at a reasonable 23.3p/GB (for comparison, our A-Listed Plextor drive comes in at 21.5p/GB), and there’s a copy of ArcSoft TotalMedia Backup thrown in. It all adds up to a simple, attractive package. The usual caveats apply though: unless you need this much storage in a portable case you can save money by choosing a 3.5in drive with a smaller capacity.