In today's world, there are a lot of stereotypes... for example, that Japanese cars are better than South Korean ones, or that money is best kept in Swiss banks. Sometimes it is interesting to see how the prevailing stereotypes actually justify themselves. Electronics produced by South Korean companies such as LG or Samsung have always been considered a good compromise between product quality and cost. The hero of our today's test is an external 2.5" hard drive box, Zalman ZM-VE200, also made by a South Korean manufacturer. Zalman has a really good reputation among computer cooling system manufacturers. But case HDDs are not cooling systems. Let's see how Zalman is doing well in the HDD pocket market.

The factory packaging turned out to be relatively small, however, like the product itself. On its front side there is an image of a black HDD pocket, on the sides of which two silvery devices are brought into the background. Apparently, the manufacturer has set himself the goal of presenting the external HDD box to the buyer at a glance, and in the same way helping him decide on a more desirable color for the product. The packaging is well balanced and not overloaded with secondary information; only the main names and designations of the external HDD pocket ZM-VE200. Despite the brevity of the packaging, one inscription still makes you pleasantly surprised: "External HDD Case + Virtual Drive". Wait a minute, virtual disk included? This is great, but let's talk about everything in order.

Let's first take a look at the main features and technical specifications external pocket for Zalman ZM-VE200 hard drives, which can be found both on the back of the package and on the official website of the manufacturer.

Key features of Zalman ZM-VE200:

Aluminium case

Pre-installed software for mounting CD / DVD images from ISO files A: No additional software is required to mount any ISO image.

Built-in screen that displays status information hard drive

Protective case included

The ability to mount ISO images, a built-in screen that displays information - yes, we have here, it seems, a case with its own operating system, not otherwise!

Specifications Zalman ZM-VE200:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 135.3x78.6x13.1mm

Weight: 98.5 g

Material: aluminum, acrylic, polycarbonate

Type: 2.5" SATA HDD

Interfaces: USB 2.0 (compatible with USB 1.1), eSATA Direct HDD Access

Transfer rate: USB up to 480Mbps, eSATA up to 3Gbps

Spindle speed: 5400 or 7200 rpm

Nutrition:USB

Color: black, silver

The factory packaging opens from the top, after which you can pull out another additional cardboard packaging (gray, already without beautiful pictures), in which, in addition to the HDD pocket itself, a protective cover is neatly packed, quick guide user, as well as a screwdriver with bolts. It's nice to note that USB and eSATA cables are also included as standard. Obviously, the device comes without a hard drive. The protective case is a very nice bonus that protects appearance Case HDD, especially considering that the ZM-VE200 can be in it even when it is connected to a computer without fear of overheating.

As mentioned above, the external case for the hard drive can be either black or silver. The USB pocket that came to us for testing is painted in silver, and, in my opinion, it is more attractive than black, as it contrasts more with the overall appearance of the product.

Connecting and using the Zalman ZM-VE200 will not cause any trouble even to the most ordinary PC user. On the right, on the top side of the HDD case, there is a USB port, a write protection switch, a hard drive activity LED, a factory reset button, and an eSATA port. Unlike other 2.5" and 3.5" devices, this HDD box is powered only by USB or eSATA cable, which explains the lack of a dedicated power connector. This fact is both a plus and a minus at the same time. The fact is that not all of today's eSATA ports support the function of powering the devices connected to them, so it would be nice to leave a special connector for powering the hard drive if necessary, or at least emphasize the fact of incompatibility with the eSATA standard.

Installing a hard drive in the Zalman ZM-VE200 we tested today turned out to be even easier than I could have imagined. All you need to do to install your hard drive inside the pocket is to connect the HDD itself to a special controller through the appropriate connectors, and then insert the HDD together with the connected controller inside the pocket (HDD first, the controller remains at the top). Once you have connected and inserted the hard drive inside, all that remains is to securely fasten it inside with a screwdriver and two bolts, which the South Korean manufacturer prudently included in the package. During installation, you need to slightly open the rubber band that hides the mounting holes. By the way, after installation, this tape will stick out a little because of the twisted bolts, and this, although a small, but still a flaw of Korean engineers.

After the installation is complete, it would be a sin not to test the strength and build quality of our test subject today. Simply shaking and moving the device convinced me that the engineers designed the case well, it is strong enough and reliable. While most 3.5" drives aren't built for everyday carry, the ZM-VE200's 2.5" HDD Pocket - one of the smallest HDD cases I've ever owned - is purpose-built for maximum mobility and portability.

The LCD display can also be attributed to the undoubted advantages of this device. Few modern HDD cases can boast of having it; in fact, I have not had to deal with similar devices before. While external hard drives don't usually need a built-in screen (which is probably why they don't), having a display on the ZM-VE200 is a really important option. Of course, using the LCD, the user will be able to control such secondary indicators as the temperature of the hard disk (the pocket must provide the necessary ventilation for the HDD in any case, otherwise serious problems may arise), but also using the LCD, you can quickly get information about the status of more important details.

In addition to its main functionality of turning an internal hard drive into an external one, the ZM-VE200 also boasts one very interesting feature - a virtual CD / DVD drive. And this is a really nice bonus. Zalman ZM-VE200 is the first HDD box to offer a virtual CD/DVD drive option. Even its predecessor, the ZM-HE100, did not have this feature, which offers a sea of ​​new possibilities for the end user.

By the way, you want to know why the LCD display is so important for this device? It allows the user of the ZM-VE200 not only to switch the device usage mode between HDD, ODD or both at the same time - with its help the user can easily mount his existing ISO files, which in itself is an alternative to CD-, DVD- and yes, you guessed it, BD-ROM drives. The user can mount any ISO image, as long as it is placed in the "_ISO" folder on the HDD. If necessary, you can create additional subfolders in this folder, each of which can contain up to 32 optical disc images.

The USB 2.0 HDD port of the ZM-VE200 pocket has some specifics of working with the SATA port of the hard disk itself. First, you will need to remove the protective coating on the chip, and then read a special masked code printed in very small print. The thing is that the interface converter board is based on the OXU931SF controller from Oxford Semiconductor, now a division of PLX Technology (http://www.plxtech.com/products/consumer/oxu931sf), which entails some features of its use.

Three modes of operation Zalman ZM-VE200

The idea of ​​the South Korean manufacturer - Zalman - to integrate a virtual CD / DVD drive into the HDD box is actually very good. In theory, this additional functionality will greatly expand the capabilities of the ZM-VE200, and perhaps even take this HDD case to a new level. However, this virtual optical drive is not without flaws. Simply put, I'm not very happy with this new functionality.

As stated above, this device can work in three different modes: HDD, ODD and Dual Mode. HDD mode is a hard disk mode in which ZM-VE200 can be used as a normal HDD pocket. ODD mode is an optical drive mode in which the user has only the option of mounting ISO files into a virtual drive using it as a normal CD / DVD device. In HDD mode, the user does not have the option of directly mounting ISO images to a virtual drive, and vice versa. Actually, ZM-VE200 will be recognized by your operating system as two various devices, two disks: the first for storing information, that is, for normal work with a hard disk (HDD mode), and the second for virtual drive operation (ODD mode). Despite the creation of two virtual devices, the data is stored on one internal hard drive. That's why the ZM-VE200 can still be considered a "normal" external HDD pocket. Well, the last mode - Dual Mode - a combination of the first two modes.

Technically, there is one more mode - eSATA, however, this mode is kept "aside" from the first three, and here's why. Using the first three modes is very simple. There is a special switch on the left side of the HDD pocket, with which you can activate the mode you need: by sliding the switch down and connecting the USB cable, the device will turn on in HDD mode, switch up + USB cable - ODD mode, switch inside + USB cable - combined mode. All three modes create virtual devices in your computer, while eSATA is activated when you connect the cable of the same name, and is used only for the usual transfer of information between the computer and the HDD pocket.

A physical drive can only work with one optical drive at a time. The same applies to the virtual CD/DVD drive in the ZM-VE200; only one ISO image can be loaded at one time. I easily managed to mount the images I have DVD discs, game and music CDs, as well as disk images with software. There was no need to use the OS to control the device when the device itself can control the OS. A special jog-switch, together with an LCD display, made it possible to quickly and easily view the available ISO images, which took approximately 5 to 10 seconds to mount, depending on the size of the ISO file itself.

Among other things, Zalman ZM-VE200 can not only emulate a virtual CD / DVD drive - it allows you to create up to 4 floppy drives, while they can work simultaneously. Interestingly, Zalman did not provide any information about this functionality. Of course, floppy disks are rarely used these days, but this feature will allow the product to target a very specific market, where technicians sometimes still use floppy disks to run system diagnostics.

Testing

For testing, a Samsung HM160HI hard drive was used, outer box connected via USB to a computer. The results are as follows: reading - 27.8 Mb / s, writing - 21.6 Mb / s.

During our work, sometimes the built-in hard drive was defined as empty, and the operating system offered to format it. It is also known about some "floating" glitches in this model, by their nature - software.

conclusions

Today it is very easy to buy a cheap 2.5" hard drive enclosure. In fact, there are a large selection of different HDD boxes on the market now. However, a reasonable choice would be to purchase a device not only with USB 2.0 support, but also consider options with support for eSATA interfaces and, possibly, even USB 3.0 The good news is that the Zalman ZM-VE200 doesn't fit the usual external HDD pocket selection criteria, because the Zalman ZM-VE200 we tested today is more than just an external HDD case.

From a theoretical point of view, I see a double external HDD box, with an optional virtual optical drive as a great addition to the main device. Why hasn't this idea been used before? Who knows.

Nice and slim body allows the user to effectively use the internal hard drive as an external drive. And such "little things" as an LCD display and a "jog-switch" type switch make it easy to mount the necessary images of optical discs, or switch the mode of using the HDD case. While the Zalman ZM-VE200 has distinct advantages, it also has some disadvantages. The disadvantages include the use of an aging USB 2.0 interface, which makes this purchase less promising. Let's also recall the incompatibility of this HDD case with the eSATAp interface; the manufacturer should have provided for the possibility of using an external power supply.

With all this, Zalman ZM-VE200 is a kind of unique product that will appeal, first of all, to enthusiasts and lovers of technical innovations, who value the novelty of the product and who appreciate the quality of the materials in the product.

We thank OST-COM, the official distributor of Zalman in Russia, for the provided equipment.

V. Golub
04/08.2011

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ZALMAN ZM-VE300 | Introduction

There are a large number of external accessories or hard drive cases/boxes on the market today. Therefore, it is difficult for manufacturers to stand out from competitors. But ZALMAN succeeded: the new ZM-VE300 box contains a unique feature - it can independently mount disk images, that is, it can also work as an optical drive. Of course, you'll also get the traditional 2.5" USB 3.0 hardware.

Design and appearance

The design of the ZM-VE300 is very effective. The body is made of aluminum alloy coated with acrylic. It is thanks to him that the box is quite light, has a small thickness (13 mm), and also removes heat well from the drive. On the front side there is a small LCD display, which displays the status of the disk, a text menu of settings. Navigation through the setup menu is performed using a three-way joystick (wheel) located on the left side of the box and the "Backup" button located on top. The delivery set, in addition to the box itself, includes instructions for use and a USB 3.0 cable, a pouch for the ZM-VE300. The drive itself (hard drive or SSD) is not included in the package, it must be purchased separately.

But the main advantages of ZALMAN ZM-VE300 lie in additional features which we will consider below.

Software

The cheapest external boxes and hard drives come without software. Therefore, in order to highlight their products, well-known manufacturers add useful programs to the package. ZALMAN was no exception - the package includes the "Backup Utility (ZM-VE300)" utility, which serves to back up data. Utilities and programs significantly expand the functionality of external HDDs. The installation file of the ZALMAN ZM-VE300 backup utility was on the CD that is included in the package, you can immediately install it on your computer.

This program can create virtual disks (VHD), back up files from specified directories (Backup) and has a safe extraction function "Safe Removal". The interface of the program is very simple and easy to understand. It is a pity that the utility does not support the Russian-language interface.

Below we will consider the basic functions of the utility.

Backup function. If you press the Backup button on the top end, then the backup of the directories specified in the settings starts.

Safe Removal function. Serves for safe extraction USB drive. This function is activated by long (more than three seconds) holding the Backup button on the top end. If you hold down the button while copying files, then the extraction will occur only after the copy operation is completed.

Virtual HDD function is the most interesting feature presented in the software package. We will talk about it below.

ZALMAN ZM-VE300 | Opportunities

The ZALMAN ZM-VE300 hard drive box is interesting with the "VIRTUAL DRIVE" function, that is, the ability to independently connect disk images, after which you can work with them in the system.

The choice of the operating mode is carried out through the text menu on the ZALMAN ZM-VE300 display. There you can perform some actions.

Menu

First section of the menu Mode Select allows you to select the operating modes of ZALMAN ZM-VE300. There are three operating modes available.

• Dual Mode - work in combined mode, HDD+ virtual CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive
• ODD Mode - virtual CD / DVD / Blu-ray drive mode
• HDD Mode - hard disk mode

The next section of the menu "setting" drive settings are listed.

• LCD Bright - screen backlight control, the ability to change in the range from 1% to 100%
• IDLE Bright - sleep mode brightness adjustment, also presented in the range from 1% to 100%
• Standby time - adjusting the time after which the ZALMAN ZM-VE300 goes into sleep mode, you can completely disable this function, the time range is from 1 minute to 180 minutes.
• Load Default - load default settings.

Chapter "Information" serves to obtain information about the status of the hard disk and other parameters.

• S.M.A.R.T. – information about the temperature and condition of the hard drive
• HDD Model - information about the hard disk that is inserted into the box.
• Firmware Ver - information about the firmware installed on the ZALMAN ZM-VE300.
• USB Speed ​​- information about the transfer speed of the USB interface.
• USB Input Volt - information about the incoming voltage to the box via USB, both the lowest voltage and the voltage that is being supplied at this point in time are presented.

Chapter "USB connect" allows you to reboot the hard drive (Refresh) or perform a safe removal (Safe Removal).

In section "Advanced" you can unmount all images (Umount VHDD), as well as enable write protection (Write Protect).

We have finished describing the menu, now let's move on to studying the capabilities of the drive in practice.

In work

The main advantage of ZALMAN ZM-VE300 is the connection of disk images without the help of additional software.

To connect ISO images, just copy the file with the .iso extension, put the ZALMAN ZM-VE300 into ODD Mode or Dual Mode, select the ISO file using the three-position joystick. It will be mounted on your computer as a virtual CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive.

You can also create virtual disks yourself using the "Virtual HDD" feature. It creates empty files of a given size (we set the size ourselves, except for the floppy disk image), which ZALMAN ZM-VE300 will then connect as external drives. You can create three types virtual disks: 1.44 MB floppy disk, fixed disk (.dsk) and removable disk (.rmd). The last two types are essentially the same, they differ in the recognition of the disk type under Windows.

We created test virtual disks of all three types (1 GB each, 1.44 MB floppy disk), after which we connected them to the Windows 7 system.

The floppy.ima floppy image appears on the system as a standard 1.44 MB FAT floppy disk.

Then we connected the removable disk image remove.rmd. Windows immediately prompts you to format it. After formatting, the drive is recognized as "removable media"

The image of the fixed hard disk fixed.dsk is visible in the system as a hard disk after connection.

You can disable virtual disks with the "Unmount VHDD" command

ZALMAN ZM-VE300 | Tests

HD Tune

Using HD Tune, we evaluated the speed of the disk with sequential reads and writes and with various data blocks. Below are screenshots showing disk performance.

SATA III

We ran four read and write tests with native SATA interface and when connected via ZALMAN ZM-VE300 box with USB 3.0 interface.

As you can see, a 320 GB Seagate hard drive with a direct SATA connection gives an average throughput of 70 MB / s for reading and 46 MB / s for writing. The result is not bad, although modern 2.5" hard drives operate around 100-120 MB / s. When connected via USB 3.0, the average throughput is 69 MB / s for reading and 54 MB / s for writing. Thus, USB 3.0 performance is limited into the hard drive itself, and not into the USB-SATA controller of the ZALMAN ZM-VE300 box.

ZALMAN ZM-VE300 | Conclusion

ZALMAN introduced ZM-VE300 with USB 3.0 interface, which features a reliable and durable aluminum housing. When connected via a USB 3.0 interface, you will get hard drive performance close to "native" SATA, which indicates good controller SATA-USB in the box. Also on the ZM-VE300 there is an LCD display and several buttons for advanced functions.

But the advantages of the ZM-VE300 lie in the additional features. Box itself can connect CD/DVD/Blu-ray images to HDD or virtual disks. This support eliminates the need to install optical drive into the system, and will also be useful for modern ultrabooks and laptops, which usually do not have an optical drive. Virtual disks come in handy for many work scenarios, and in this regard, the ZM-VE300 can be great solution for enthusiasts and experienced users.

All this justifies the price of an external box of about 1.8 thousand rubles in Russia.

You can get more information about the capabilities of the ZM-VE300 in the ixbt conference.

Advantages of ZALMAN ZM-VE300

• Mounting optical disk images and virtual disks
• High-quality assembly, durable aluminum body
• Convenient and simple software
• Good delivery set (case, screwdriver)

Disadvantages of ZALMAN ZM-VE300

• Short and hard cable with no possibility additional food may experience power issues with older computers
• High price

External box for 2.5" drives with USB 3.0 interface and with virtual optical drive function. An interesting and no less useful gadget from Zalman. A great alternative to Chinese "boxes" for 2.5 inch HDDs.

Specifications

Interface: USB 3.0 (compatible with USB 2.0/1.11)

Drive Form Factor/Interface: 2.5″/SATA 1.2

Supported OS: Windows 98. ME, 2000, XP, Vista. 7/Mac OS/Linux

Additionally: text display, Backup button, virtual optical drive function

Dimensions: 135.3×78.6×13.1mm

Weight: 96g

Advantages and disadvantages of Zalman ZM-VE300 V

Advantages

• Aluminum alloy body
• Compact dimensions
• Hi-Speed ​​USB 3.0 interface
• Virtual optical drive function
• Rich equipment

disadvantages

• High price

Design and ergonomics

As you can see, the device looks very impressive. Its body is made of durable and lightweight aluminum alloy, thanks to which the gadget is thin (a little thicker than 1 cm) and efficient heat dissipation from the drive is observed. At the top is a small LCD text display that shows the status of the device and the settings menu, which is navigated using a three-way joystick on the left side of the device. At the top there is a Backup button and a micro-USB 3.0 connector for connecting to a computer.

Gadget functionality

Zalman ZM-VE300V differs in unusually high functionality for devices of this kind. The most interesting thing is that in order to use its capabilities in practice, you do not need to install special drivers or utilities on your computer (in addition to the proprietary backup utility). You can control the device using its own menu: change the screen brightness and idle time of the drive to enter sleep mode, analyze the current parameters (temperature, disk status - SMART, power voltage, etc.), as well as reconnect and safely disconnect, and even enable write protection.

Emulate virtual optical drive

"Chip" of the device - virtual optical drive emulation. By activating this mode “ODD Mode” in the corresponding section of the “Mode Select” menu, the device is detected by the computer not as external hard disk (HDD Mode) as well as an optical drive. As optical discs, familiar ISO-files (images) are used, which must be placed in a folder called "iso". If you place several files with images in it, then you can quickly switch between them using the screen and joystick without disconnecting the external box from the PC. And of course, it is possible to boot a computer from a virtual optical disk by selecting its image. The main thing is that the BIOS supports booting from an optical USB drive. Among other things, boxing by Zalman can simultaneously work both as an external HDD and as an optical drive - Dual Mode. Accordingly, the computer sees it as two separate devices.

For those wishing to use this external box for SSD drive with SATA 3 will be disappointed with the performance and unjustified purchase of this type of hard drive. SATA 2 media works great.

Equipment

The device will also appeal to fans of the accompanying accessories in the kit. They'll find a USB 3.0 cable, a good scratch-resistant case, screws to secure the drive inside the box, and a small screwdriver. There is also a disk with a proprietary backup utility and a user manual in English.

2.5" External box Zalman ZM-VE350 is an affordable and multifunctional solution. The manufacturer took into account all the nuances and created the perfect device. The case is black, it is made of metal and has a pleasant texture, durable construction. There is a liquid crystal display, it will be especially useful when using the model as a virtual drive.
Zalman ZM-VE350 comes with an extended package. Along with the device, the owner receives a screwdriver to install the disc into the box. A convenient and high-quality case, USB cable, screws are provided.
An important feature there will be compatibility with operating Windows systems and MacOS. There will be no problems when connecting, the model is suitable for all users. The USB 3.0 interface allows you to copy large amounts of information in a short time.
Boxing has compact dimensions, it can easily fit into any bag and is easy to transport. The user will be able to independently create an external hard drive, just select the appropriate module and install it in a dedicated compartment.

In today's world, there are a lot of stereotypes... for example, that Japanese cars are better than South Korean ones, or that money is best kept in Swiss banks. Sometimes it is interesting to see how the prevailing stereotypes actually justify themselves. Electronics produced by South Korean companies such as LG or Samsung have always been considered a good compromise between product quality and cost. The hero of our today's test is an external 2.5" hard drive box, Zalman ZM-VE200, also made by a South Korean manufacturer. Zalman has a really good reputation among computer cooling system manufacturers. But case HDDs are not cooling systems. Let's see how Zalman is doing well in the HDD pocket market.

The factory packaging turned out to be relatively small, however, like the product itself. On its front side there is an image of a black HDD pocket, on the sides of which two silvery devices are brought into the background. Apparently, the manufacturer has set himself the goal of presenting the external HDD box to the buyer at a glance, and in the same way helping him decide on a more desirable color for the product. The packaging is well balanced and not overloaded with secondary information; only the main names and designations of the external HDD pocket ZM-VE200. Despite the brevity of the packaging, one inscription still makes you pleasantly surprised: "External HDD Case + Virtual Drive". Wait a minute, virtual disk included? This is great, but let's talk about everything in order.

Let's first take a brief look at the main features and specifications of the Zalman ZM-VE200 external hard drive pocket, which can be found both on the back of the package and on the official website of the manufacturer.

Key features of Zalman ZM-VE200:

Aluminium case

Pre-installed software for mounting CD/DVD images from ISO files: no additional software is required to mount any ISO image.

Built-in screen that displays information about the status of the hard drive

Protective case included

The ability to mount ISO images, a built-in screen that displays information - yes, we have here, it seems, a case with its own operating system, not otherwise!

Specifications Zalman ZM-VE200:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 135.3x78.6x13.1mm

Weight: 98.5 g

Material: aluminum, acrylic, polycarbonate

Type: 2.5" SATA HDD

Interfaces: USB 2.0 (compatible with USB 1.1), eSATA Direct HDD Access

Transfer rate: USB up to 480Mbps, eSATA up to 3Gbps

Spindle speed: 5400 or 7200 rpm

Nutrition:USB

Color: black, silver

The factory packaging opens from the top, after which you can pull out another additional cardboard package (gray, already without beautiful pictures), in which, in addition to the HDD pocket itself, a protective cover, a quick start guide, and a screwdriver with bolts are neatly packed. It's nice to note that USB and eSATA cables are also included as standard. Obviously, the device comes without a hard drive. The protective cover is a very nice bonus that protects the appearance of the HDD case, especially considering that the ZM-VE200 can be in it even when it is connected to the computer without fear of overheating.

As mentioned above, the external case for the hard drive can be either black or silver. The USB pocket that came to us for testing is painted in silver, and, in my opinion, it is more attractive than black, as it contrasts more with the overall appearance of the product.

Connecting and using the Zalman ZM-VE200 will not cause any trouble even to the most ordinary PC user. On the right, on the top side of the HDD case, there is a USB port, a write protection switch, a hard drive activity LED, a factory reset button, and an eSATA port. Unlike other 2.5" and 3.5" devices, this HDD box is powered only by USB or eSATA cable, which explains the lack of a dedicated power connector. This fact is both a plus and a minus at the same time. The fact is that not all of today's eSATA ports support the function of powering the devices connected to them, so it would be nice to leave a special connector for powering the hard drive if necessary, or at least emphasize the fact of incompatibility with the eSATA standard.

Installing a hard drive in the Zalman ZM-VE200 we tested today turned out to be even easier than I could have imagined. All you need to do to install your hard drive inside the pocket is to connect the HDD itself to a special controller through the appropriate connectors, and then insert the HDD together with the connected controller inside the pocket (HDD first, the controller remains at the top). Once you have connected and inserted the hard drive inside, all that remains is to securely fasten it inside with a screwdriver and two bolts, which the South Korean manufacturer prudently included in the package. During installation, you need to slightly open the rubber band that hides the mounting holes. By the way, after installation, this tape will stick out a little because of the twisted bolts, and this, although a small, but still a flaw of Korean engineers.

After the installation is complete, it would be a sin not to test the strength and build quality of our test subject today. Simply shaking and moving the device convinced me that the engineers designed the case well, it is strong enough and reliable. While most 3.5" drives aren't built for everyday carry, the ZM-VE200's 2.5" HDD Pocket - one of the smallest HDD cases I've ever owned - is purpose-built for maximum mobility and portability.