14 DAY TRIAL // Over the past few months, quite a number of portable hard drives have been launched, each trying to stand out through some particular design or performance advantage. Few of them, however, can boast of having the complete performance, endurance, versatility and array of features that Silicon Power attributes to its Armor 70. With storage capacities that are surpassed by only a handful of other storage units, even non-portable ones, the new HDD is not only mobile, but it has an abuse resistance that will give even the most determined of tamperers a hard time.
In the company's own words, the Armor 70, nicknamed the Tough Marine Warrior, is compliant with the US military grade MIL-STD-810F 516.5 procedure IV (Transit drop test), which evaluates a storage unit's shock and vibration resistance. This, of course, is a feature no different from those of other devices in the Armor line, however, the Tough Warrior has an extra advantage, namely its success when performing the IEC529 IPX7 waterproof tests.
For those unacquainted with the procedure, this test involves submerging the product under water and keeping it there for 30 minutes. Needless to say, the device's makers were quite proud of it when it surfaced and was still fully operational. Not only that, but the Armor 70 is also capable of withstanding high pressures and dusty environments.
If this high-grade endurance is not enough to enthrall all consumers, the news that it comes with no impact on performance, aesthetic value or capacity might take care of this loose end. While measuring 139.45 x 85.7 x 18.1 mm and weighing about 250 grams, the red- or black-coated drive sports an LED indicator light and can have a storage capacity of up to 640GB. In fact, the only thing that could have made this drive even more capable would have been USB 3.0 support. As it stands, however, Silicon Power's rock-solid storage unit operates on the USB 2.0/1.1 connection.
The Armor 70 is compatible with the Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 operating systems, as well as Mac 10.3.X and above and Linux 2.6.X or above. It is accompanied by a two-year warranty and should start selling in April. Unfortunately, the company has decided to not reveal the price at this time.