Review: The Nexto eXtreme Delivers

Answering the Call for Fast, Portable Storage Solutions

December 2, 2009 By Picture Business Staff

multipage

With video capability invading the DSLR world and memory card capacities simply soaring on what seems like weekly basis, reliable back-up solutions have taken center stage for digital shutterbugs. And when a particular storage solution is portable and carries the promise of being “the fastest available” it is sure to turn a few heads.

That would bring us to the Nexto eXtreme ND2700 portable memory card back-up device. A lightweight, yet durable little external drive that is being marketed as having the world's fastest backup speed, “offering backup speeds up to 8x faster than other image backup devices.”

The device's dimensions are 5" H x 3" W x .80" D so it passes the portability test with ease. As for living up to the speed promises - more on that in a minute.

An internal Li-Poly rechargeable battery charges quickly and holds the charge nicely and the unit can be powered and charged directly from the included AC adapter or any powered USB port. While we didn't need the device to last us for more than an hour at a clip, it was going strong at that point each time we used it..

While the device won't win any style points with its rather boxy design, the gold speckled outer finish was at least a nice try. The information-only LCD screen on the face of the unit could be a bit larger and we have to say the inability to review content was a downer. But alas, the manufacturer has kept the device uncomplicated and inexpensive so we understand the trade-off.

As for those promised transfer rates - like 1GB of data in 40 seconds - the ND2700 stayed relatively true to this claim as our transfer rates were only slightly off those numbers. Obviously, the type of card you insert plays a role in these numbers as well. We were using a SanDisk Extreme III so that certainly didn't hurt our efforts.

Perhaps our favorite feature was the “No PC required” promise as we achieved these rates directly via the unit's integrated memory card slots (CF Type I & II, MicroDrive, - adapters needed for other formats). The only button present on the eXtreme is the one on the face of the unit that simply says Copy. Once you insert the card into the correct slot and hit this puppy the transfer begins. You'll see a light that rims the Copy button flick on acknowledging the card has been inserted.