LaCie Also Into USB 3.0
Beginning with an external mobile HDD (500GB, $150)
This is a Press Release edited by StorageNewsletter.com on April 30, 2010 at 3:00 pmLaCie announced the latest addition to its Rugged family of mobile hard drives, the LaCie Rugged USB 3.0, combining the speed of USB 3.0 and LaCie’s rugged design. The LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 is one the most power–efficient and fast–performing mobile hard drives offered by LaCie.
The LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 provides speeds up to 110 MB/s – three times the speed of USB 2.0. The speed enhancement allows to transfer one HD movie in less than 3 minutes (versus more than 8 minutes in USB 2.0). It offers improved power efficiency, with only the need one cable to be assured optimal performance.
"We are pleased to add USB 3.0, the fastest interface available, to our most recognized mobile solution," Anne–Sophie Marchand, Consumer Product Manager. "Now the most demanding customers can get the best performance out of a 2.5" hard drive – making the Rugged USB 3.0 the only hard drive necessary for work in the field."
If you do not have a USB 3.0 connection on your PC or notebook, you can add it with a LaCie USB 3.0 PCIe card or USB 3.0 PCIe Express card. LaCie also offers bundled options with the Rugged USB 3.0.
The LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0. This means it will work with any computer or notebook that has a USB connection – offering instant usability no matter what version of USB.
Housed in the rugged casing designed by Neil Poulton, the LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 features a scratch–resistant aluminum shell, internal anti–shock absorbers, and a shock–resistant rubber bumper to better protect files against everyday blunders.
Availability
The LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 will be available in 500GB capacity through the LaCie Online Store, LaCie Corner, LaCie Reseller+ and LaCie Storage Partner starting at the suggested retail price of $149.99 (VAT included).
Comments
We were waiting to see when LaCie will entering into USB 3.0 as it has no other choice that to be there. It's
finally done, with the simplest solution, an external HDD. Tomorrow,
storage subsystems with the new interface will probably arrive. A RAID named 2big USB 3.0 powered by a Symwave controller was supposed to come in early 2010, but this product is not currently available on its Web site.
This new HDD is offered with 10GB Wuala online storage included for one
year. That's one of the highest capacity offered for online backup.
Here LaCie is trying to exploit the technology from acquired company
Wuala but we don't know how it will be possible to get a return on this
investment as Wuala is basically available for free.
Here we are trying to compare the prices of external HDDs with the
different available interfaces. We have chosen the same basic LaCie
2.5-inch 500GB rugged HDDs for the comparison:
| Interfaces | Price |
Comparison with USB 3.0 |
| USB 2.0 | $129.99 | -13% |
| 3Gb eSATA & USB 2.0 | $159.99 | +7% |
| FW 400/800 & USB 2.0 | $189.99 | +27% |
Even now, considering that USB 3.0 units are just arriving and that their prices will go down in the next future, USB 3.0 drives are less expansive that their equivalent with eSATA or FireWire interfaces
USB 3.0 devices will really be popular when it will be possible to connect them directly to a PC, but few computers are already available with this speedy interface. Then it will take some time to see consumers rushing on the new drives as they are today obliged to buy adapters to get the needed USB 3.0 connection. At LaCie, an USB 3.0 PCI Express Card (1x) costs $49.99, an USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 with two USB 3.0 ports is priced at $59.99.
Companies already announcing
USB 3.0 external HDDs include:
- A-Data
- Buffalo
- Dane-Elec
- Freecom
- Netac
- OCZ
- Samsung
- Seagate
- Super Talent
- Verbatim
- VPI
- WD
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