It’s nice when you get something new and it’s exactly what you wanted it to be. And not trying to sound too corny or clichéd, but that’s exactly the feeling I got when I opened the iStorage diskAshur² portable hard drive. In fact, if anything, the iStorage diskAshur exceeded my expectations, but that’s really not saying much because I wasn’t expecting a lot from an external hard drive. I expected it to work, and its 500GB of space is massive so I expected to use it a lot, but that’s really where my expectations ended.
Let’s start with the way the iStorage diskAshur looks. I got mine in black; I’m assured it comes in other colours, but why do that to yourself? In black, it’s a sleek and stylish device, but unlike other external hard drives it feels solid and secure and, at around 20mm thick, retains a kind of impressive heft.
The device itself encrypts all data copied to it and can only be unlocked by entering a seven-to-15 digit PIN. To service its encryption feature, the hard drive has telephone-style keys on its front, which really adds to its look. I’ve read some criticisms that the finish can become marked with use, but that’s like saying my iPhone is at risk of getting scratched or my new trainers becoming worn through use. It may happen, but when your iStorage diskAshur, iPhone or new trainers begin life looking this good, who cares?
Setting up the iStorage diskAshur is so simple I’m not really going to dwell on it here, but basically get it out the box, plug it in, reset password/code and you’re done. Beyond that there are a number of optional features to take care of later, such as the ability to make the hard drive ‘self-destruct’ (not literally) whereby entering a passcode will reset all encryption and delete all data should this be necessary. Additionally, a Brute Force Destruct Feature is included in the device, which overrides the encryption key and locks the device if the passcode is entered incorrectly 15 consecutive times.
For anyone dealing with confidential data, the iStorage diskAshur is a product I’d really recommend. I got the 500GB version, which retails at £159.00 For the amount of space it has there are much cheaper models on the market, but they won’t come with encryption and may not be as sturdy, so it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth it. The range goes up to a 2TB version, so there’s plenty more space available if needed.
In all honesty, the iStorage diskAshur is probably better suited to a professional setting, but for anyone looking for a solid external hard drive that keeps all your personal files secure, then you’d do well to find any hard drive that does it better or more attractively than this.
Factor’s verdict:
