Apricorn Aegis Vault 500 GB hardware encrypted portable hard drive

Cool Yule Rating: 2 stars

Price: $99 (120GB) up to $319 (for 500GB)

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Cool Yule Rating: 2 stars

Price: $99 (120GB) up to $319 (for 500GB)

Product Web site

Description: If you travel a lot and carry sensitive data (which could be anything from corporate secrets to personal secrets), you probably worry about having a backup of your data available just in case. You should also worry about making sure your data is secure if your notebook or external drive is lost or stolen. That's the whole idea behind the Aegis Vault from Apricorn: it's a pocket-sized 500 GB external drive with password protection and 128-bit AES encryption.

This is a great idea, but, as is so often the case, the software is clunky and counterintuitive to use. It was frustrating to get this drive up and running, even after reading the minimal documentation included. With just a little more emphasis on ease-of-use, this could be a dandy gift – the concept is sound, the need is there, but the implementation in this product is incomplete.

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