first looks BUsiNEss
Lenovo ThinkPad USB PorTaBLe SecUre drive
Lockable, Portable Hard Drive Drive security is getting to be a hot-button issue; witness the recent story about a lost MP3 player with military data on it being resold in a pawn shop. The problem with so-called “secure” hard drives has traditionally been that they have too many limitations. This Lenovo external drive transcends those limitations by internalizing its security—it looks just like a plain old hard drive to Windows or Mac OS X. It’s hardware-encrypted (with 128-bit AES) and easy to use—what more could you ask for? At first glance, the 0.5-by-3.5-by-4.5-inch (HWD), 320GB Secure Drive looks like a USB numeric keypad. An LED indicator tells you the drive’s status, and the casing is clad in the same rubberized coating that gives Lenovo’s ThinkPad notebooks their distinctive and sturdy feel. You can add up to ten users (in addition to the administrator), each with a unique access code. That way, the drive can be passed from person to person while remaining secure, with each user having access to all the data on it. In testing, the Secure Drive scored very well on PCMark05, turning in 3,126—exceptional for an external storage drive. It was also fast in simple dragand-drop copying, taking only 52 seconds to transfer our 1.2GB test folder. To be sure, FireWire and
Lenovo ThinkPad USB Portable Secure Drive (320GB) $319 list Llllh
eSATA drives have the potential to be faster, but the Secure Drive pays no performance penalties for its security. At about $0.68/GB, the drive is a bit pricey. You can get a nonprotected 500GB drive for the same total price as the Secure Drive (about $0.44/ GB). But for its target audience, the extra security is worth the money. If you’re a businessperson who needs to pass sensitive data physically from one computer to another, or if you want to back up your files with another layer of security, the Secure Drive is a perfect choice.—Joel Santo Domingo
Pros deadsimple security. Supports up to ten users. no software install needed. Mac compatible. nice keypad feel. Permanently attached USB cable. intelligently designed carrying pouch. Cons Pricey on a dollarper-GB basis. no software included. needs included USB auxiliary power cable for heavy write sessions. Some security experts may consider its numerical code system too simplistic. Click here for more.
eiZo coLoredGe cG222W
A 22-inch Display for Imaging Pros The CG222W is not your typical 22-inch desktop monitor, nor does it claim to be. Instead, this display is aimed at photographers, graphics artists, and designers who demand consistent and accurate performance and are willing to pay a premium for it. The CG222W uses a 22-inch, wide-gamut S-PVA (Super Patterned Vertical Alignment) panel with a maximum resolution of 1,680-by-1,050 and a 16millisecond pixel response rate (black-to-white). In testing, the display delivered as promised. Color swatches from our DisplayMate tests were vivid and bright and appeared uniform across the color scale. Unfortunately, this monitor does not offer HDMI connectivity, but you do get dual DVI-I ports, as well as three USB ports. I was also very impressed with the CG222W’s viewing-angle prowess. Images remained clear and bright from all sides (horizontally and vertically) out to around 175 degrees. The main difference between the CG222W and mainstream displays has to do with color calibra-
EIZO ColorEdge CG222W $1,499 list lllhm
tion. This monitor uses the more accurate (and more costly) ColorEdge technology, which calibrates by programming the monitor’s internal circuitry to change the way colors are reproduced on the screen. To take advantage of this, however, you’ll need EIZO’s proprietary Color Navigator software and a colorimeter. Although expensive, the CG222W is a boon to imaging professionals.—John R. Delaney
Pros very good color quality. Great light grayscale reproduction. color calibration capabilities. Fully adjustable stand. Cons Lacks hdMi input. expensive. does not support auto-rotation. dark grayscale performance could be better. Click here for more.
aPriL 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 19
