Iomega eGo USB Hard Drives Get Rugged Upgrade

Iomega updated its range of eGo USB portable hard drives. The new generation of Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drives is powered by USB 2.0 and features rugged styling. To help protect data stored on the drive, the eGo comes with a suite of bundled data protection software including the new Iomega Protection Suite. The Iomega Protection Suite includes a free six-month subscription to McAfee VirusScan Plus, Iomega QuikProtect backup software, EMC Retrospect Express or Express HD to back up software settings and applications, and 2GB of online backup storage through MozyHome Online Backup (unlimited storage is available for $4.95/month).

The new eGo drive sports a compact, sleek aluminum enclosure in four eye-catching colors. The Ruby Red model is available in 250GB, 320GB, and 500GB capacities. The Silver model comes as a 320GB model. The deep Midnight Blue model is available in 320GB as well. Color and capacity combinations vary in international markets. All three of the aforementioned drives are available today.

The drives measure just over a half-inch thick and weigh less than 7 ounces. These 2.5-inch portable hard drives use Iomega's Drop Guard feature to help protect data on the drive from drops of up to 51 inches.

A black model with 500GB capacity called the Iomega eGo BlackBelt Portable Hard Drive USB 2.0 will be available in June. This drive comes with a black eGo Power Grip Belt and Iomega's Drop Guard Xtreme to help protect the drive from drops up to 7 feet.

All of the new drives are backed with a three-year limited warranty. The new Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive comes with a Y cable to give users the flexibility to use two USB ports to power the drive if needed. The new Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive USB 2.0 models are compatible with Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Mac OS X 10.4 or above. Iomega plans to announce additional new eGo Portable Hard Drive models with multiple interface combinations in June.

The 250GB Ruby Red eGo model is priced at $84.99; the 320GB Ruby Red, Midnight Blue, and Silver eGo models cost $94.99; the 500GB Ruby Red model runs $134.99; and the 500GB BlackBelt eGo is priced at $139.99.