Today for review I’ve got the new Verbatim CL?N 320GB portable hard drive. It’s a 2.5” drive encased in a black plastic shell, it’s one of the smallest I’ve had the please of reviewing and one of the fastest as well. Included on the drive is Nero BackItUp 4 so you can easily, quickly and even automatically perform your backups. I’ve put it up against two other portable hard drives I’ve got on hand for comparison, and I found that the Verbatim CL?N drive is the fastest of the bunch, and also the smallest, so read on to learn more..

The Verbatim CL?N drive comes in two boxes actually, the outside box has the information printed on it, and the inside box houses the drive and the USB cable along with the user manual.

The Verbatim CL?N is all black with the Verbatim name at the top, the USB port on the side and four rubber feet on the bottom

Specifications:

Verbatim CL?N 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive

The ultimate in ease, style and portability — Verbatim CL?N hard drive is mega capacity and speed in a size just a bit bigger than a smart phone.  The black, scuff resistant surface travels well and slips easily into your pocket or briefcase.   Available in 250GB, 320GB and 500GB, CL?N stores everything from vital business data to tunes to photos.  CL?N is powered by a USB cable and features a data transfer rate of 480Mb/s.  For extra security Nero BackItUp software can be scheduled to perform automatic backups and for maximum security password protection is available.  The CL?N portable hard drive is made by Verbatim, the company that for 40 years has defined quality and reliability.  CL?N – when you can’t compromise on convenience, confidence, speed and style.

Features:
* Pocket-sized for ultimate portability, about the size of a smart phone
* Scuff resistant casing reduces fingerprints & scratches
* Shock-resistant technology protects valuable data on the go
* Easily copy & protect valuable memories and work – including music, videos and photos
* USB powered for quick convenience
* Additional data security with Nero BackItUp auto backup software included for peace of mind
* Legendary 40-year Verbatim quality and reliability, backed by a 3 Year Limited Warranty

Specs:
-Rotational Speed – 5400 RPM
-External Power – USB bus-powered
-Interface – One USB Mini-B port
-Data Transfer Rate – USB 2.0 High-Speed: 480 Mb/s (max), USB 1.1 Full Speed: 12 Mb/s
-Unit Dimensions –  4.54 in. X 2.99 in. X 0.59 in.
-Unit Weight –  4.87 oz

The Clon drive is all black except when you power it on, there’s a small blue LED in the top corner to indicate power.

Of course I had to pop it open and see what was in it, a Toshiba hard drive.

So for comparison I put it up against two other 2.5” hard drives I’ve got on hand, the Seagate BlackArmor PS110 and the Transcend Storejet, both of which are 500gb drives. I don’t have any other 320gb drives actually, so I’m using what I’ve got on hand.

Here’s some comparison shots of the Verbatim and Seagate drives to show you the size difference, I thought the BlackArmor was small, but the Verbatim is much smaller overall.

For testing I started out with ATTO Diskbenchmark and found the Verbatim drive is rather fast.

Next up I ran SiSoft Sandra 2009 SP4a Removable Storage Benchmark, and here again we see the Verbatim drive just smokes the others…

So we know it’s a fast drive, but not only is it fast but it comes with some software for you as well, Nero BackItUp 4 to help you use the Verbatim Clon drive to back up your stuff. Accessing the drive we find one folder, then opening that one allows you to install the software to use.

Installing is simple, just follow the prompts, it fills in the key for you, so it is a licensed version of the software.

Nero BackItUp 4 is actually half of the real program called BackItUp and Burn from Nero.

Here’s a bit of information about what the program can do for you:

-Perform tasks quickly and intuitively in just a few steps
-Back up data to hard drive, CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, FTP, memory card, and online storage
-Rely on automatic backups to local hard drives and online storage
-Schedule backup jobs with flexibility and convenient e-mail confirmation
-Sync all your files and folders for easy access to the latest versions

As far as pricing is concerned, I check over at Amazon and found this drive sells for about $70, so that’s not too bad considering it’s a fast, small drive that comes with back up software for you.

The case is plastic, but when I was inside I saw silicone strips to help protect the drive, there’s no kind of ventilation on the casing though so I wouldn’t want this thing running for long periods of time I think.

As far as noise is concerned, I could hear the drive accessing at times, but it’s very low, barely audible really.

it would also be nice if it came with a carrying case as well, but it’s required.

Conclusion:

The Verbatim CL?N drive is a great choice if you’re looking for a very small portable hard drive. The fact that it comes with the back up software is a nice bonus that I’m sure many people will appreciate. The CL?N is fast as you can see by the tests I ran, the fastest one I’ve yet to get my hands on actually.

The only real issue I have with the CL?N is that it’s a plastic housing with no ventilation and won’t dissipate heat very well. It should be fine for limited use, but I might worry about the drive overheating over long periods of extended use.

Pros:
+Fast
+Small and portable
+Includes full license back up software

Cons:
-No Ventilation

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance