SimpleTech's new (Re)Drive is made partially of bamboo and supports only USB 2.0.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)I've recently seen quite a few devices with an environmentally conscientious design. These devices generally consume less power and are made of recycled, non-toxic materials. Today, though, I got introduced a device that put "green" in a different light.
SimpleTech has gone far and long to make their its new (Re)Drive external hard drive as eco-friendly as possible. The device comes in a package that contains just the essentials: the drive plus its power and USB cables. The cables are are taped to a side of the box. There's no other paper or plastic or any unnecessary packaging materials, as normally found in most other packages. Even the Quick Install Guide is printed on the inside of of the box.
Being environmentally conscientious, SimpleTech has the (Re)Drive's Quick Install Guide printed on the inside of the box.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)Now comes the drive. It's partially made of...bamboo! It's true--the top and the bottom of the drive are two pieces of unpainted bamboo strips that smell and feel as if they just left the lumber mill. It's interesting that SimpleTech chose bamboo as the materials for the (Re)Drive. I am from Asia and know very well how bamboo is ubiquitous there and is the easiest plant to grow.
The drive, of course, has metal parts. Its sides are made of recycled aluminum that also work as a heat-sink that dissipates heat generated by the internal hard drive. The aluminum casing also helps cool the drive without using fans, which would use more power. The drive doesn't come with a power switch, but it has a mechanism that turns the drive on and off according to the usage. I don't know how this will work out in real life use and testing, but this seems a good solution to save energy. The (Re)Drive's power adapter is also Energy Star certified.
The (Re)Drive comes with TurboHDDUSB software that allows for significantly improving USB 2.0 throughput performance.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)As an external hard drive, the (Re)Drive offers 500GB of storage and a USB 2.0 connection. There's no FireWire or eSATA support. However, it comes with a software driver that allows the USB 2.0 connection to work in Turbo mode, which promises to increase the throughput speed significantly.
The drive is estimated to cost about $160, which translate into about 30 cents per Gigabite -- a relatively good deal. Other than the Turbo software driver, similar to the Back Cherry, the (Re)Drive ships with Fabrick Local Backup software as a basic back up solution and it includes 2GB of free online backup storage from Fabrik Ultimate. The Backup service costs about $5 per month month for unlimited online storage space.
I will have to see via testing about the drive's performance and features, so check back for our in-depth review at CNET.com. However, just from its looks, I feel quite tempted to use the (Re)Drive as a cheese serving board. It looks like it will go well with a piece of Stilton blue cheese.
SimpleTech's Mini Signature Black Cherry external hard drive, like the others in the series, boasts a tasteful design.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)The moment I opened the package for SimpleTech's Mini Signature Black Cherry hard drive, I thought I must have a secret admirer.
Alas, I was wrong.
You wouldn't think I was the wishful-thinking type, though, if you opened the package yourself. The drive comes in a very nice gift-style package that looks just like fancy chocolate. It looks so good that when I realized it was a non-edible item, I didn't know if I should be excited or disappointed.
The Mini Black Cherry has chocolate-like packaging.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)Well, in the end, I was excited. The Mini Signature series boasts probably one of the most tasteful (pun mostly intended) designs for external hard drives.
They come in seven flavors (colors that is) and four storage sizes: 320GB (Black Cherry); 250GB (Kiwi, Marshmallow, Cool Mint, and Bubblegum); 160GB (Blueberry); and 120GB (Espresso). All of these drives bear the same physical shape and size, with prices ranging from $229 for the 320GB version to $120 for the 120GB version. They're not tiny (as the name Mini might suggest) but small enough to fit in your palm and definitely very light. Though sleek looking, the Black Cherry also felt very sturdy and easy to grip.
The Mini Signature drive comes with only a very small welcome booklet and a mini USB cord. That's all you need. The drives are bus-powered, and the rest of the software is bundled within the drives themselves.
SimpleTech offers Fabrik Local Backup as the backup solution for its Mini Signature series. The drives also come with the Fabrik Ultimate Backup online service that offers 2GB for free or unlimited for $4.95 per month. The devices come with free technical support and a three-year warranty.
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