Wait! I know what you're thinking from the photo, that this is yet another 3.5" hard drive fitted in some boxy enclosure. Well, to that extent you'd be right, but what of the bundled real-time backup system, low drive acoustics and trouble-free SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connection? Do I have you attention now? Good. Walk with me in my in-depth review as I explore everything the Samsung STORY Station 3.0 external hard drive has to offer, after the jump.

The Verdict:
Samsung's first foray into USB 3.0 hard drives is fast, quiet and stable - just the way I like it. The bundled backup utility with its real-time monitoring and unlimited file revisioning only serves to sweeten the deal.

The Good:
+ Average read/write speeds above 85MB/s
+ Backwards compatible with USB 2.0
+ Passive cooling; eco drive saves energy and runs silent
+ Down-firing LED with adjustable intensity
+ Drive stays off when it's told to
+ Easy to use backup software included
+ Backups can be set as scheduled or real-time with file revisioning
+ Backups optionally can compress/encrypt data

The Bad:
- Security software is incompatible with Windows 7 x64
- Not as fast as a 7,200 RPM drive might be
- LED angrily flashes during data transfer
- Sleep timeout isn't adjustable
- No Mac software is included