The initial backup takes a while-a little over 2 hours in our tests-and if you have a PC loaded up with lots of files, it will take even longer. We put the multi-PC Replica through its paces in our labs, pairing it with the HP Touchsmart TX2z laptop. That lets it get the proper amount of power from some laptop ports, but it also means that it might require you to sacrifice two ports rather than one. The cable hardwired to the dock, meanwhile, is a two-headed model. For whatever reason, the supplied USB cable is unusually short, but you can replace it with any standard mini-USB cable.
The drive itself is fairly compact, measuring 5.61 inches high by 3.99 inches wide by 0.72 inch deep and weighing 0.57 pound. (The dock is just a plastic housing that mounts the drive vertically it still needs to be connected to PCs one at a time while backing up.)
The entry-level $130 250GB Replica is geared to single PC backup, while the $200 500GB version comes with a dock and is capable of backing up multiple PCs.
