The Canvio Slim II offers potent performance for a spinning drive, and any shortcomings are fairly well made up for by the sizable 1TB capacity of the drive. In PCMark 7 the Canvio Slim II score 1, 488 points and completed our 1.22GB file transfer test in 18 seconds. By comparison the Editors’ Choice Seagate Backup Plus completed the same file transfer test in 15 seconds, but finished PCMark7 with 1, 449 points. Toshiba’s previous offering, the Canvio Connect, was slower(25 seconds) but scored well(1, 467 points), while the stylish solid-state drive of the LaCie Porsche Design P’9223 Slim transferred our test file in a zippy 13 seconds. All told, the performance of each of these drives is quite similar, with little discernible difference in day to day use.
The Toshiba Canvio Slim II puts a formidable 1TB of storage in your pocket thanks to a compact minimalist design that doesn’t skimp on style. The brushed aluminum design is elegant, and the USB 3.0 connection speedy, with performance that rivals some of the best drives we’ve reviewed.This may be external drive design at its most refined. The Canvio Slim II has a compact design that sandwiches the hard drive between brushed aluminum front and back. The brushed aluminum is adorned only with a subtle Toshiba logo etched in the upper right corner, and a strip of black metal running around the outside edge of the enclosure. On the top of the drive is a USB 3.0 connector, and a small blue LED indicator light on one corner lets you know that the drive is powered on.