Iomega Ego portable Hard drive: Capable of surviving 7 feet drops?

Amazon.com: Iomega 1TB eGo Portable Hard Drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.0/USB 2.0 Midnight Blue - 35326: Electronics

What drives are inside these?

 

Yeah I'd like to test that out. I am very clumsy

 

I think it's mostly about the case being able to keep the drive inside from an extreme shock (and from falling apart). WD's Scorpio Blues, for example, are rated for up to 900-1000 Gs over 2 ms while non-operating, and 350 Gs over the same 2 ms while operating. Scorpio Blacks are 900 non-operating, and 275 operating. I would guess that most other hard drives have roughly similar specifications.

 

Even if it's read/writing something, it can survive? Literally 2 days ago a guy was moving his hard drive as he was backing up data and his hard drive made the click o' death sound shortly afterward.

Many notebooks these days have the hard drive protection software but usually requiring OS intervention.

 

You have to consider the size of the drive, too. 3.5" drives typically have much lower tolerances than 2.5". For example, continuing to use WD because they're the ones I listed above, the 3.5" Caviar Black only has G tolerances of 30 G reading, 65 G read/write, and 250-300 G non-operating. A desktop Caviar Blue raises the non-operating to 300-350 G, while a Caviar Green generally matches the Black. Hm. Let's look at some quick, really rough, back of the envelope math.

250 Gs at 32 ft/sec-sec (for 1 G) is 8000 ft/sec-sec. Multiplied by 2 ms (.002) means that the object was traveling at 16 ft/sec when it was stopped, or not quite 11 mph. So as you can see, it doesn't really take a whole lot to get up to 250 Gs. The Iomega case probably works mainly by spreading out the impact over a longer period of time (due to the rubbery nature of the power grip Band, and probably some design elements of the casing itself), which reduces the overall felt G force, since what's more likely to damage a system like a hard drive is a short sharp shock as opposed to a longer but weaker sustained shock. Another quick back of the envelope calculation has an object dropped from 7 ft, ignoring air resistance, as moving at about 20 ft/sec. So if the casing can reduce the "apparent" G-force by about 25%, then that will probably bring it within the tolerance of a 2.5" drive. Probably.

 

Looks like the enclosure is just wrapped in shock absorbing material to absorb the energy from drops.

The drive itself doesnt seem to have a free fall sensor instead it has 'internal cushioning'. The 7 feet is only tested on industrial carpet according to the data sheets.

 

According to their website, there is also some internal cushioning inside the case.
The industrial carpet thing bugs me, it should have been tested on concrete.

How doe it compare to Welcome to Transcend Website - StoreJet 25M
?
I am not fond of the hard plastic plate on one face of the transcend storejet, if the HDD falls on that, there is no outside cushioning

The Iomega design is clever, the case is metal so good heat dissipation, with rubber placed strategically to take out shocks.
http://download.iomega.com/net/partner/hdd/ego_portable_sell_sheet.pdf

 

Just FYI I have done numbers in the past. It's 100% guaranteed that any drop above 5~ feet will go WAY pass manufacturer specs on a bare hard drive.

Even though to be honest they are measuring "shock absorption" wrong by using G forces.

My answer is no it won't take a 7 foot drop when operational, regardless of shock absorption used on the case. The G forces witnessed from deceleration on a concrete floor would far exceed the manufacturer specs.

The test is obviously done on a softer surface, and when the hard drive is off.

 

How would one achieve a 7ft drop when using the drive anyway, unless holding it above your head or something, even the highest table/bar is only about 4 feet, and depending on how long the USB cable is and height location of the USB port on the computer the cable could become disconnected prior to the end of the 7ft drop and therefore it would no longer be in use
I think a 3-4 ft drop on a harder surface would be of more "real world." But bigger numbers help marketing.

 

My Buffalo Ministation apparently has the same thing (no case, just shock absorbers inside). I've only dropped it twice tho from probably 3 feet and it still works like new.

 

A one foot bare drop is enough to kill a non-operational HDD.

No, I disagree, the shock absorbtion of the case is critical.
But yeah, these tests are for when the HDD is off.

I would like tests done on concrete hard surfaces.

 

No, I disagree, the shock absorbtion of the case is critical.
But yeah, these tests are for when the HDD is off.

I would like tests done on concrete hard surfaces.[/QUOTE]

Shock absorption of the case is irrelevant at 7 feet unto concrete floor. At least that particular case on that external hard drive the OP linked. You'[d end up with a dead hard drive if it's operational during the drop.

 

Hello
My WD 1.5tb 3.5"" external fell from about 40cm height off the top of a tower pc onto the thick carpeted floor while turning my widescreen LCD around
It died. Appears to start but goes quiet after ten seconds. I was 3weeks away from getting another as a backup, luckily 99% of my DVDs still work

Its interesting I see people being so rough with their 2.5" drives im surprised they still function - but its all about how much energy is transmitted in a short time - eg slapping it hard into your hand still spreads out the time of the impact soft hand etc

 

As I posted above, if WD is to be taken as representative, a 2.5" drive has a G-force tolerance about 3 times or more that of a 3.5" drive on average. Desktop drives really aren't meant to be moved around a lot; they're supposed to be placed in a set location and sit there for the most part. 2.5" drives, however, are designed with portability in mind, and thus as designed to be much more resistant to shocks and light movement (with more aggressive head parking and other modifications).