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Benchmarks:
The benchmarks below were done with a USB 2.0 connection to a Windows 7 workstation. We attempted to remove the Seagate hardware and connect it directly to the workstation to pull benchmark speeds prior to the benchmarks below, but the drive already had an encrypted partition established and we were unsuccessful in removing it. The speeds were as expected for a USB 2.0 connection. The option for dual FireWire would be the fastest option. The largest drive that comes with mini-Q is 750GB which at USB 2.0 speeds would take some time to copy (all 750GB), but it is likely one would only be updating or adding only fractions of data to the drive most of the time. Personally, we would be looking for USB 3.0 as an option, but presently there isn’t a lot of PCs in the work place today that support USB 3.0 anyway. There is an option to purchase the mini-Q without hard drives, so you can purchase a larger one if you so desire, but keep in mind your connection speeds options are USB 2.0, dual FireWire or eSATA.
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| SiSoft Sandra Physical Disk benchmark | SiSoft Sandra Removable disk benchmark |
Conclusion:
The mini-Q is a very handy portable drive that helps solve a security issue that has plagued portable drives from the beginning. The use of a dongle to control who has access to the data is quite inventive and a first for this reviewer. The mini-Q by Wiebbetech is ideal for a business setting where data may be shipped via postal means and then connected at the destination for retrieval and be secure while in transit. The price for the mini-Q is a (at time of review) $120 without a hard drive or $285 for a 750GB drive to be included. This may be a little pricey for the home users, but as long as the dongle isn’t kept with the drive, it is the most secure portable drive storage next to using Windows 7’s bit locker we have come across on the market today. The mini-Q comes in two support OS versions, Windows or Mac, so this is not just for PCs.
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Lots of places won’t allow portable drives of any sort (including cell phones) on the premises, especially encrypted ones, and the dongle will freak out the security people who will believe it is another portable device. Of course, people who work at these institutions (such as military facilities and government contractors) already know these devices can get them fired and their security clearance revoked.
Doug,
Good point, so it would be in the consumer’s best interest to check with their employer if such a device is allowed. This is not an answer to every company’s problems, but it can be used in some places. Likely this type of device would be approved by the owner of a company to manage their off-site backups. Another idea would be the data security group at company may use the mini-Q to transport their data. Since it would be the “freaked out” security group who owns the device, there shouldn’t be security issues there.