Data to go   |  July 13, 2004  

By Peter Wolchak

IBM’s 40GB Portable Hard Drive, 256MB
USB 2.0 Memory Key and 4GB Microdrive
Work PCs occasionally fail out from under you. That’s the reality. This portable drive — used with IBM’s Rescue and Recovery software — will help your tech staff return the computer to working order.

To carry smaller amounts of data, say between your office and home office, a 256MB Memory Key will easily hold a day’s work. And as that shiny new PDA starts to fill up, you’ll need more on-board storage. The roomiest Compact Flash drives on the market are 4GB, so this Microdrive adds plenty of room to the handheld.

The IBM Portable Hard Drive retails for $429, the Memory Keys costs $179 and the 4GB Microdrive will set you back $674.