If you have ever wanted the backup facility of a tape drive, the storage capacity of a hard drive and the flexibility of a Zip drive, the 20Gb Peerless from Iomega could be for you.

It is based on IBM's Travelstar 20GN 2.5-inch notebook hard disc and available in 10Gb and 20Gb sizes.

The futuristic silver and dark grey base station with removable colour-matching storage discs is capable of holding the entire contents of a hard drive. It looks cool on your desk too.

A USB connection and straightforward software installation were all it took to get the drive working. But remember to install the software drivers before plugging the unit into your computer as add-ing an uninstalled drive can cause irritating system errors.

Data transfer rates on the Iomega Peerless were quite acceptable.

According to Iomega, the drive can transfer data at speeds up to 1Mb a second, using USB and up to 15 Mb a second, using a FireWire interface.

This will obviously vary depending on the type of computer it is attached too.

You won't get top-flight performance out of a old 486.

I was a little concerned when ScanDisk indicated an error in the drive's boot directory but a quick flick through the manual showed Iomega knows about the situation and says it is because Windows occasionally has a problem handling large capacity, removable media.

The trick is to ignore the windows error message and simply hit the continue button.

This kit will provide a versatile back-up for both desktops and laptops.

The drive with interface module retails for £269. Individual Peerless discs cost £159 (10Gb) and £199 (20Gb).

The base station bundled with an interface module and a 20Gb disc retails for £399.

Price: £399.

Contact: 020 7365 9527.

Feel good factor: 8 out of 10.