Vantec's NexStar 3 is a very stylish case for 2.5" HDD. Not requiring any software installation, you can very easily use it to backup or transfer your data between systems. Available in three colors, black, blue and red, they cater to everybody's taste.

Concerning the performance of the NexStar 3, this is very dependent on the Hard Disk Drive you install. In order to put the device through its paces, we installed an 80GB HD from Fujitsu. The overall performance was satisfactory but maybe with a slightly better controller chipset, it could be even better. The most important thing is that it doesn't leave a lot of room for complaints...

The retail price on the e-market for the Vantec NexStar 3 is around US$30. The price is very reasonable and if you already have a HD from an old laptop for example, you have a complete backup device for a rather low price. If you don't have a HDD, then you can get a 10GB or a 60GB HDD for US$45 and US$90 respectively. Note that a similar, ready to go 60GB storage solution from most manufacturers costs around $130.