Pros & Cons
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- Very speedy.
- Permanently attached USB cord with built-in cord storage.
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- Pricey per GB.
- Bulky chassis.
- No included or downloadable utility software.
The Apricorn Aegis Portable 3.0 ($399 list) is a speedy USB 3.0 portable external solid-state drive (SSD) for users who need to transfer or work on active files right now. You will pay a pretty penny for the drive, but there are very few options out there that combine the ruggedness and vibration resistance of an SSD with a large 256GB capacity. It's a good choice for that niche of well-heeled power users that never thinks that anything they use is fast enough.
Design and Features
The Aegis Portable 3.0 comes in a utilitarian chassis, looking very much like a mirror image of the Apricorn Aegis Bio 3.0. The Aegis Portable 3.0 has a silver front panel with a black swoosh line and logo, while on the Aegis Bio the colors are reversed. The drive chassis measures about 0.75 by 3.25 by 4.75 inches (HWD) and weighs about 0.25 pounds, making it one of the lightest pocket-sized external drives out there.
View All The USB 3.0 cord is permanently attached, which saves you from having to remember to bring the cord wherever you go. The drive chassis has a channel molded into the side, so you can keep the cord out of the way while you're transporting it in your commuter bag. Apricorn included a Y-shaped extension cord in the box along with a quick start guide. The Aegis Portable 3.0 comes with a carrying case as well, so you can keep your drive protected.
The SSD comes formatted for NTFS, so it's ready to go for most Windows systems. You can reformate the drive for HFS+ or exFAT, so you can use it with a Mac. The drive doesn't come with any included software, unlike our current Editors' Choice for portable hard drives, the Seagate Backup Plus. It can be argued that the potential user of such a speedy drive will be using the drive as a scratch disk or sneakernet drive, but it's still a concern for some users.
