索尼(Sony)发布HD-S1A外置袖珍(pocket size)硬盘已经有一段时间了。在它上市时，据说这款外置硬盘是同类产品中最轻、最薄的，今天它仍然可以吹嘘这些功能。我们最近才收到它用于测试目的，经过几天的测试，我们想向您展示Sony的HD-S1A的能力。阅读这篇评论，看看是否值得购买您今天可以找到的最薄的外置硬盘之一：
开箱和硬件规格
索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)外置硬盘采用硬纸板和透明塑料制成的盒子。纸板部分(paper cardboard part)填满了有关硬盘的各种信息：特性、规格、兼容性、保修详情等。透明塑料覆盖了实际的硬盘驱动器。我们一直很欣赏带有透明外壳的包装，仅仅是因为它们让您在实际打开包装盒之前就可以看到您想要购买的设备。
打开包装后，您会发现外置Sony HD-S1A硬盘、用于连接其他设备的USB 数据线(USB cable)以及一系列文件，其中包括用户手册和保修。
这款外置硬盘有两种颜色可供选择：银色和黑色。如上图所示，我们测试的型号是银色的(silver one)。
索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)以 5400 RPM （每分钟转数）的速度旋转，并在 2.5英寸磁盘大小(inch disk size)中提供 1TB 的存储空间(storage space)。
在驱动器上，您会发现只有一个USB 3.0 Micro-B 连接器(Micro-B connector)用于传输数据和为驱动器供电。
在尺寸方面，索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)是一款真正的袖珍外置硬盘。它的长度为 117 毫米或 4.60 英寸，宽度为 79 毫米或 3.11 英寸，厚度仅为 8.7 毫米/0.34 英寸。后者的价值使索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)可以吹嘘自己是世界上最薄的外置硬盘。它也是一款非常轻巧的设备，仅重 155 克或 5.46 盎司。
如果您想了解更多关于索尼(Sony)HD-S1A外置硬盘的功能和硬件规格的详细信息，请查看其官方网页：索尼外置袖珍硬盘 HD-S1A(Sony External Pocket Size Hard Drive HD-S1A)。
功能和用户体验
索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)的厚度仅为 8.7 毫米，是我们测试过的最薄的外置硬盘。再加上它非常轻的重量，很明显，这是一款适合放在路上而不是放在桌子上的存储设备。(storage device)只需查看下图，您就可以更好地了解它有多薄。我们将索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)外置硬盘放在摩托罗拉 Nexus 6(Motorola Nexus 6)旁边，是的，它们几乎一样纤薄。
我们喜欢这款高度便携的存储设备(storage device)的另一件事是它的外壳由金属制成，这使它看起来坚固可靠。索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)可能无法在沥青上摔倒，但铝制外壳(aluminum casing)肯定会比塑料外壳为精致的内部机构提供更多保护。
外观上，外壳上的拉丝处理看起来不错，也让你有一种拥有高端设备的感觉。
但是，索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)的构造方式有两点我们不喜欢：蓝色LED 灯(LED light)和该设备的前后边缘。
LED 灯(LED light)仅使用一种颜色 - 蓝色 - 并且在向驱动器传输数据或从驱动器传输数据时闪烁。不幸的是，LED 灯位于驱动器背面，就在(LED light)USB 电缆(USB cable)旁边。如果您想看到LED 灯，您必须将(LED light)USB 电缆(USB cable)朝向您的硬盘驱动器定位。如果你——像我们一样——患有轻度的共济失调恐惧症，即害怕混乱和不整洁(disorder and untidiness)，那也不是很好。
我们不喜欢索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)外置硬盘的另一件事是其外壳的前后边缘由塑料制成。如果您将指甲放在这些塑料边缘和外壳的金属部分之间，您可以轻松地在它们之间创建大量空白空间。
捆绑软件
索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)外置硬盘附带一些捆绑软件：
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数据传输加速器(Data Transfer Accelerator)- 旨在加速从索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)外置硬盘读取和写入数据的程序。当您需要将小文件移入或移出驱动器时，它的效果最佳，据索尼(Sony)称，它应该能够为您提供高达两倍于不使用此软件的传输速度。(transfer speed)但请记住，该软件与Windows 10不兼容。
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备份管理器(Backup Manager)- 旨在帮助您备份到Sony HD-S1A外置硬盘的软件。虽然它的用户界面看起来过时了，但这个工具运行良好，它知道如何创建文件的增量备份。
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密码保护管理器(Password Protection Manager)- 它将帮助您保护存储在Sony HD-S1A外置硬盘上的数据。它通过使用军用级安全AES 256 位加密对驱动器的全部或部分内容进行加密来实现这一点。为了访问受保护的数据，您必须输入安全密码(security password)。我们喜欢看到此类软件与此类存储设备捆绑在一起，但我们的好意见到此为止。我们在两台运行Windows 10的不同计算机上使用了(Windows 10)Sony HD-S1A外置硬盘，不幸的是，它的密码保护管理器(Password Protection Manager)不想和我们合作。每点击三下左右，软件就会停止工作。似乎该软件并非旨在与Windows 10兼容，因此需要更新。
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FAT32 Formatter - 一个简单的工具，旨在将您的Sony HD-S1A外置硬盘格式化为FAT32。默认情况下，此驱动器被格式化为NTFS，但是，如果您想将它用于某些不支持此文件系统(file system)且仅适用于FAT32的设备，例如PlayStation 3，此工具将有所帮助。不过我们不得不提一下，Windows 操作系统知道如何开箱即用地将驱动器格式化为FAT32 ，因此这个(FAT32)FAT32 格式化工具(FAT32 Formatter tool)没有太多附加价值。
您会在Sony HD-S1A外置硬盘上找到上述所有软件。但是，如果您碰巧丢失了这些程序，例如由于意外格式化，您可以从这个Sony 网页(Sony webpage)下载它：HDD Smart software for more fun!
在基准测试中的表现
硬件审查(hardware review)中最重要的部分之一是性能部分(performance section)，因此如果不运行一些基准测试，我们就无法结束这次审查。我们首先使用流行的存储基准测试工具(storage benchmarking tool) CrystalDiskMark运行了一些测试。该程序执行一组测试，旨在测量驱动器读取和写入各种数据块的速度。如果您看一下下面的屏幕截图，您会发现索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)外置硬盘不提供令人惊叹的数据传输。顺序读/写速度不错，但随机数据读/写速度较低。
对于Sony HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)提供的性能的第二意见，我们使用了另一个著名的基准测试工具ATTO Disk Benchmark Tool。此工具仅运行顺序测试，但它使用不同大小的数据块。这意味着它显示了正在测试的驱动器在从小到大读取/写入文件时的速度。我们在Sony HD-S1A上取得的结果清楚地表明，当您处理大文件时，这款外置硬盘提供了不错的读/写速度。但是，当您处理非常小的文件时，它的性能会急剧下降。
我们使用CrystalDiskMark 和 ATTO Disk Benchmark Tool(CrystalDiskMark and ATTO Disk Benchmark Tool)获得的基准测试结果表明，就速度和原始性能而言，索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)是一款普通的外置硬盘。它不是目前最快的存储设备(storage device)，但如果您将其用于数据备份或在不同位置和计算机之间移动大文件，它是一个不错的选择。
判决
索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)可能不是最快或最新的外置硬盘，但它肯定是同类硬盘中最著名的硬盘之一。它的金属外壳(metal casing)和令人难以置信的纤薄，使这款硬盘(drive stand)在“最好看、最便携的外置硬盘”的竞争中脱颖而出。如果您正在寻找速度方面表现不错的外置硬盘，它易于携带并且与您的计算机和设备一起看起来很棒，那么索尼 HD-S1A(Sony HD-S1A)是一个不错的选择。顺便说一句，它也有黑色可供选择！
Sony HD-S1A - Reviewing the slimmest external hard drive that you can buy today!
It's been awhile since Sony has releasеd the HD-S1A external pocket size hard drive. At the time it hit the market, this external hard drive was said to be the lightest and thinnest of its kind and it can still brag about those features today. We only recently received it for testing purposes and, after a few days' worth of testing, we would like tо show you what Sony's HD-S1A is capable of. Read this review and find out whether іt is worth buying one of the slimmest external hard drives that you can find today:
Unboxing and hardware specifications
The Sony HD-S1A external hard drive comes in a box made from cardboard and transparent plastic. The paper cardboard part is filled with various information about the hard drive: features, specifications, compatibility, warranty details and so on. The transparent plastic covers the actual hard drive. We always appreciate packages with transparent housings, simply because they let you see the device that you want to buy, before actually opening the box.
When you open the package, you find the external Sony HD-S1A hard drive, a USB cable for connecting it to other devices and a series of documents that include a user manual and the warranty.
This external hard drive is available in two color variations: silver and black. As you can see in the picture above, the model we tested is the silver one.
The Sony HD-S1A spins at 5400 RPM (revolutions per minute) and offers 1TB of storage space in a 2.5 inch disk size.
On the drive, you'll find only one USB 3.0 Micro-B connector which is used both for transferring data and to power the drive.
In terms of dimensions, the Sony HD-S1A is a truly pocket sized external hard drive. It is 117mm or 4.60 inches in length, 79mm or 3.11 inches in width and it has a thickness of only 8.7mm/0.34inches. The latter value entitles the Sony HD-S1A to brag about being the slimmest external hard drive in the world. It's also a very lightweight device, weighing only 155 grams or 5.46 ounces.
If you want more details about the features and hardware specifications of Sony's HD-S1A external hard drive, check its official web page: Sony External Pocket Size Hard Drive HD-S1A.
Features and user experience
With a thickness of only 8.7mm, the Sony HD-S1A is the slimmest external hard drive we have ever tested. Put that together with its very light weight and it's obvious that this is a storage device meant to be on the road rather than on your desk. You can get a better idea of how thin it is, just by looking at the picture below. We've put the Sony HD-S1A external hard drive next to a Motorola Nexus 6 and yes, they are almost as slim.
Another thing we like at this highly portable storage device is the fact that its casing is made of metal, and that makes it look sturdy and reliable. The Sony HD-S1A probably won't survive a fall on the asphalt, but the aluminum casing will surely provide more protection to delicate internal mechanisms than a plastic casing would.
When it comes to looks, the brushed finish on the casing looks nice and it also gives you the feeling of owning a high-end device.
However, there are two things we don't like about the way the Sony HD-S1A is built: the blue LED light and the front and back edges of this device.
The LED light uses only one color - blue - and flashes when data is transferred to or from the drive. Unfortunately, the LED light is on the back of the drive, right next to the USB cable. If you want to see the LED light you must position the hard drive with the USB cable towards you. And if you - like us - suffer from a mild form of ataxophobia, which is a fear of disorder and untidiness, that's not exactly great.
The other thing we don't like at how the Sony HD-S1A external hard drive is built is the fact that the front and back edges of its casing are made from plastic. If you place your fingernails between these plastic edges and the metal part of the casing, you can easily create plenty of empty space between them.
Bundled s oftware
The Sony HD-S1A external hard drive comes with some bundled software:
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Data Transfer Accelerator - a program that is designed to accelerate reading and writing data to and from the Sony HD-S1A external hard drive. It works best when you need to move small files to or from the drive and, according to Sony, should be able to provide you with up to two times the transfer speed you would get without using this software. Keep in mind though, that this software is not compatible with Windows 10.
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Backup Manager - software designed to help you make backups to the Sony HD-S1A external hard drive. Although its user interface looks a dated, this tool works well and it knows how to create incremental backups of your files.
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Password Protection Manager - it will help you protect the data stored on the Sony HD-S1A external hard drive. It does that by encrypting all or just part of the contents of your drive using a military grade safe AES 256-bit encryption. In order to get access to the protected data, you have to enter a security password. We like seeing such software being bundled with storage devices of this kind, but our good opinions end here. We used the Sony HD-S1A external hard drive on two different computers running Windows 10 and, unfortunately, its Password Protection Manager didn't want to cooperate with us. Every three clicks or so, the software stopped working. It seems like this software was not designed to be compatible with Windows 10 and it needs an update.
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FAT32 Formatter - a simple tool that is designed to format your Sony HD-S1A external hard drive to FAT32. By default, this drive is formatted to NTFS but, if you want to use it with certain devices that don't support this file system and only work with FAT32, like a PlayStation 3 for instance, this tool will help. We have to mention though, that Windows operating system knows how to format a drive to FAT32 out of the box, so there's not a lot of added value to this FAT32 Formatter tool.
You will find all the above software on the Sony HD-S1A external hard drive. However, if it happens that you lose these programs, because of an accidental formatting for instance, you can download it from this Sony webpage: HDD Smart software for more fun!
Performance in benchmarks
One of the most important parts of a hardware review is the performance section, so we couldn't have ended this review without running some benchmarks. We started by running a few tests with the popular storage benchmarking tool CrystalDiskMark. This program executes a set of tests that aim to measure the speeds at which a drive can read and write various chunks of data. If you take a look at the screenshot below, you can see that Sony HD-S1A external hard drive doesn't offer mind blowing data transfers.The sequential read/write speeds are decent, but the random data read/write speeds are low.
For a second opinion on the performance offered by the Sony HD-S1A, we used another well known benchmarking tool named ATTO Disk Benchmark Tool. This tool runs only sequential tests, but it uses different sizes for the data blocks. This means that it shows how fast the drive being tested is when reading/writing files from small to large. The results that we achieved on the Sony HD-S1A clearly show that this external hard drive offers decent read/write speeds when you work with large files. However, its performance suffers a rather drastic drop when you work with very small files.
The benchmark results we got with both CrystalDiskMark and ATTO Disk Benchmark Tool show that the Sony HD-S1A is an average external drive in terms of speed and raw performance. It's not the fastest storage device out there but it is a good choice if you will use it for data backups or for moving large files between different locations and computers.
Verdict
The Sony HD-S1A may not be the fastest or the newest external hard drive but it's surely one of the most notable drives of its kind. Its metal casing and incredible slimness, make this drive stand out in the competition for the "best looking and most portable external hard drives " . If you're looking for an external hard drive that is a decent performer in terms of speed, it is easy to carry and it looks great alongside your computers and devices, then the Sony HD-S1A is a good choice. By the way, it's also available in black!
