INTRODUCTION

   VDSL (Very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line) finally landed where i live and although it will take quite some time before we can all enjoy the amazing speeds it offers (although we still don't know what the end result will be) such speeds are bound to change things especially in everything related to storage media. We are well aware that VDSL is nothing new in several parts of the world but the majority of people hardly have DSL lines currently so you can imagine how rapidly things will change when everyone on the face of the planet jumps from regular DSL 24Mbit/s speeds to the 50-100Mbit/s offered by VDSL and VDSL2. This is also one of the reasons as to why we've focused in testing portable hard disk drives lately (we need to be ready for the change) and today we have yet another one, the Armor A80 1TB 2.5" USB 3.0 PHD from Silicon Power.

   Silicon Power Computer & Communications Inc., founded in 2003 by a group of enthusiastic specialists in International Business, Global Marketing, and Technical Engineering of flash data storage industry. Well dedicated in brand image and product quality, Silicon Power has been recognized and well accepted by millions of end-users in more than 100 countries, becomes the world's leading manufacturer of flash memory cards, USB flash drives, card readers, DRAM modules, solid state disks, and portable hard drives in less than a decade. Headquartered in Taipei, we continuously established various branches throughout the world including Netherlands, Japan, Russia, Mainland China and other emerging market to reach the worldwide market. Silicon Power's overall performance has gradually drawn great attention worldwide. In 2006, we received Taiwan Rising Star Award for our foreign business achievement. In 2008, we won 17th National Outstanding Small & Medium Enterprise Award for our outstanding progress. Moreover, with superior quality and innovative design, our products stood out in several competitions and awarded Taiwan Excellence and COMPUTEX Design & Innovation Award in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Winning trust of global consumers, Silicon Power holds a record of successive double-digit revenue growth for last seven years. According to the Common Wealth Magazine's 2010 Survey of Taiwan Top 1000 Manufacturers, our 2009 revenue growth rate was ranked No.11 among Taiwan's top 1000 manufacturers, and even ranked No.1 in semiconductor industry. Positioned as Passionate, Creative and Hungry for Success, Silicon Power introduces products for users who are seeking individualized, unique and personal digital storage devices. With the mission of creating unprecedented experience for users, Silicon Power will endeavor to deliver a full range of high quality products that have innovative designs, distinctly unique features and comprehensive after sales services to create and fulfill your personal memory.

   Silicon Power has launched quite a few intriguing 2.5" portable hard drive models (PHD as they call them) during the past 2 years and the Armor series is without doubt their most special one not only due to the design of the enclosures but also because of their quite remarkable build quality (something revealed by the line name). To be more precise the Armor line was named after the rugged enclosures used by Silicon Power which offer protection against water (IEC 529 IPX7 standard/1m under water for 30min), pressure (anti-pressure), dust (anti-dust) and are shockproof (Military Standard MIL-STD-810F 516.5 procedure IV). Quite impressive right? The only downside is that such enclosures are always slightly larger than most regular ones but the tradeoff is well worth it. Performance however also plays a huge role when choosing the right portable hard drive to cover your needs so let's see just how good the Armor A80 1TB 2.5" PHD really is.