Buffalo Technology seems to have won the race as the first vendor to actually ship a USB 3.0 hard drive.
The company announced Tuesday that it is shipping its new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 external DriveStation HD-HXU3. Tapping into the speed of the new USB 3.0 spec, the drive can push data at least three times faster than a USB 2.0 drive.
Available in 1-terabyte, 1.5TB, and 2TB capacities, the drive is backward-compatible with existing USB 2.0 computers, said Buffalo. The company is also releasing a two-port USB 3.0 PCI card, so users can upgrade their desktop PCs to take advantage of the drive's higher speeds.
Since the USB 3.0 Promoter Group finalized the new USB 3.0 standard about a year ago, vendors have been pushing to get their new products out the door.
Buffalo had been dueling with Netherlands-based company Freecom to actually deliver the first USB 3.0 hard drive to consumers, not just announce it. Freecom had issued a press release promoting its own USB 3.0 drive in September. That drive was supposed to be available in Europe by mid-November, but I was unable to find any European vendors selling it online.
Responding to an earlier request for comment, a Freecom representative said that samples of the drive were sent to some PC manufacturers and key customers this month. But due to an order backlog, the drive would not generally be available to all customers until next year.
With its higher transfer rates, the new USB standard is ideal for moving around large images as well as huge audio and video streams. As such, USB 3.0 is seen as competition for other high-speed transfer technologies, such as eSATA and FireWire.
Though USB 3.0 offers a theoretical maximum burst rate of 625MB or 4.8 gigabits per second, neither the Buffalo nor Freecom drive will come close to that mark at this point. Freecom has rated its drive at 130 megabits per second while a Buffalo representative told me his company's drive would average around 120Mbps.
USB 3.0 has been promoted as offering speeds up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. But manufacturers will need time to rev up their new drives to approach that threshold.
When will the new Buffalo drive actually hit the stores? The company rep said it's now shipping to online vendor Microcenter and should be available for purchase the week of December 7. Estimated prices are $199 for the 1TB, $249 for the 1.5TB, and $399 for the 2TB.
Updated at 10:25 a.m. PST to include a response from Freecom.
If you've wished you could connect your external hard drive to your computer without having to use the USB cable, now you can.
Imation announced Thursday the availability of the first wireless USB external hard drive, the Pro WX. The hard drive works just like any other USB hard drive, with one exception: it doesn't require a USB cable.
The Pro WX wireless USB external hard drive.
(Credit: Imation)Wireless USB has been under development for about five years, and some of the first products were demoed at CES 2009. This technology allows you to connect USB 2.0 devices to a computer wirelessly from up to 30 feet away with a throughput speed of up to 480Mbps.
According to Imation, the Pro WX wireless USB external hard drive offers less than that, with speeds of up to only 120Mbps or 15MBps; this is about three times slower than regular USB 2.0 hard drives. At this speed it can finish copying the entire content of a CD-ROM (roughly 800MB) in about 50 seconds. Other than that, this drive is based on the 3.5-inch desktop hard drive and offers 1.5TB of storage.
The Imation Pro WX features a sleep-mode feature to conserve energy and a one-touch, backup sync button for you to manually start a backup when needed. The device is compatible with both PC and Mac operating systems
In order to take advantage of the wireless USB, your computer needs to support this. As most computers don't have built-in wireless USB, there are adapters that you can add to the machine. It's unclear if an adapter is included with the Pro WX.
What's clear, however, is the fact that this is going to be one of the most expensive external hard drives you can find. At the estimated price of $500, about three times the price of regular external USB hard drives of the same storage capacity, I am not sure if it's worth it when the only benefit is losing the USB cable.
The new Pogoplug: more USB ports for extra hard drives, very pink.
(Credit: Cloud Engines)Just recently we reviewed Cloud Engines' Pogoplug, a very affordable $99 solution that effortlessly turns any USB hard drive or memory stick into an online-connected makeshift server. We really enjoyed playing with the original, although its blocky white look wasn't exactly eyecatching. We take that back--and perhaps even long for the minimalism--with Cloud Engines' new Pogoplug, available in December.
Full of funky curves and lots of pink, the new Pogoplug is clearly designed to be more of a desktop or shelf-based companion as opposed to its predecessor, which adopted more of an Airport Express plug-in brick solution. Now, it almost looks like an iMac peripheral from 1999. While the last Pogoplug had just one USB 2.0 port but could support plugged-in USB routers, the new Pogoplug has four built-in USB 2.0 ports for direct connection of hard drives, and new software tweaks more easily allow global search across all drives, as well as better category organization and even the creation of slideshows, set to music, that can be launched directly from the Pogoplug's browser interface.
The original Pogoplug: far more minimalist.
(Credit: Cloud Engines)The new version jacks up the price a little to $129, but the added ports and more prominent base could be appealing for those who want to build a little home-made server. The original Pogoplug is more of a one-stop portable shop that's ideal for travel and for one USB device, or for those who want to save thirty bucks. We're a little surprised the new Pogoplug didn't simply offer an enclosure to slot a hard drive (or drives) in directly, but it does offer a nice solution for a variety of USB devices.
Other new features include syncing with programs such as iTunes, iPhoto and Windows Media Center, a built-in updating address book for file sharing, and video streaming from within the Pogoplug browser or on the iPhone, a feature that was supposed to be available in the last Pogoplug but never really worked for us. Most cameras and video formats are supposed to be supported. Pogoplug supports NTFS, FAT32, Mac OS Extended Journaled and Non-Journaled (HFS+), and EXT-2/EXT-3 formats.
Read our original Pogoplug review, or if you're curious as to how the Pogoplug works, check out the hands-on gallery below.
G-Tech's new 2TB 7200 rpm-based external storage devices.
(Credit: G-Tech)It's not hard these days to find external storage devices that offer 2TB or even 4TB of storage. However, most of them use low-power and relatively low-performance internal hard drives, such as the My Book series from Western Digital or the FreeAgent series from Seagate. If you are looking for top speed and top capacity form external storage solutions for your Mac, G-Tech has some news for you.
The company announced Monday that it now incorporates Hitachi's 2TB, 7,200rpm, 32MB cache buffer SATA hard drives across its entire 3.5-inch product line, offering different storage solutions from single-volume external hard drive to RAID systems, with capacities ranging from 2TB to 32TB.
The company's newly refreshed products include the G-DRIVE, G-SAFE, G-RAID, G-SPEED eS, G-SPEED eS Pro, G-SPEED eS PRO XL, and the G-SPEED FC XL. With these new products, G-Tech claims that it's now the first in the world that offers a complete line of 2TB, 7,200 RPM drive-based external storage solutions, specifically designed for the Mac computer and audio- and video-editing markets.
G-Tech's new storage solutions comes with virtually all existing connections, from USB 2.0, FireWire and eSATA for desktop external drives to miniSAS and Fibre Channel for high-end RAID storage systems. The fact that now it uses the top 2TB capacity hard drives means that customers can significantly increase the amount of storage while retaining the same physical footprint.
The new G-Tech external storage devices are available now with premium prices ranging from $379 for the simple desktop 2TB G-Drive, $3,599 for the high-end 8TB G-Speed eS Pro to tens of thousands of dollars for other high-end storage systems.
The new Rocket 622 and Rocket 620 SATA 3.0 controller cards from HighPoint.
(Credit: HighPoint)In September, Seagate made the first 6Gbps SATA hard drive available. The new Seagate Barracuda XT hard drive offers twice the throughput speed of existing popular 3Gbps SATA hard drives. Now you're about to get the chance to take advantage of the new drive's performance with your current PC.
HighPoint, which makes controllers for storage devices, announced Monday the availability of the first SATA 6Gbps (or SATA 3.0) host adapters, the Rocket 600 series, which are based on PCI-Express 2.0 technology.
SATA 3.0 is the next generation of the SATA storage standard. Currently most computers use the second generation of this standard, the 3Gbps SATA (or SATA 2.0). At its full potential, the SATA 3.0 standard could theoretically transfer entire contents of a CD (about 800MB) in just one second. According to HighPoint, its new controller cards, however, offer the sustained speed of up to 500MBps.
HighPoint's new series of controller cards comes in two versions, the Rocket 622 that offers external eSATA connections to 6Gbps hard drives and the Rocket 620 that adds the higher-speed SATA to a computer's internal storage. Both of them, however, require an available PCI-Express slot inside the computer. You need the Rocket 620 if you want to install an operating system on the new and faster SATA 3.0 hard drive.
The two add-in controller cards are fully compliant with the Advanced Host Controller Interface (or AHCI) standard. They can also be installed in PCI-Express 1.0 slots and are backward compatible with previous generations of the SATA standard (the 1.5Gbps SATA 1.0 and the 3Gbps SATA 2.0). This means you can use them with any existing SATA-based hard drives and solid-state drives, other than the new 6Gbps SATA Barracuda XT from Seagate.
The new controllers are available this month. The Rocket 620 is slated to cost $70, while the Rocket 622 costs another $10.
Tom and Rafe discuss life with Windows 7, Entourage, Seagate hard drives, Ubuntu and more.
Listen now: Download today's podcast
Subscribe with iTunes (audio)
Subscribe with iTunes (video)
Subscribe with RSS (audio)
Subscribe with RSS (video)
... Read more
Unlike most drive enclosures, this one has a built-in USB cable.
(Credit: Froobi)If you've ever upgraded the hard drive in your laptop (or thought about doing so), you've probably wondered what to do with the old drive. After all, it's still perfectly good storage.
Answer: Turn it into an external, USB hard drive. All you need is an enclosure, a sturdy casing for the drive that provides an IDE interface and USB connection.
Today only, deal-a-day site Froobi has a SimpleTech 2.5-inch USB external hard drive enclosure for free (plus $5.95 for shipping).
The enclosure is very compact, measuring roughly 0.75 inch thick by 3 inches wide by 5.1 inches long. It'll slip easily into any carry-on bag.
What I like most is the built-in USB cable, which tucks away inside the enclosure when not in use. That's one less cable to remember to bring along, to potentially lose, or to add extra clutter to your carry-on.
I've performed laptop hard-drive transplants before; they're a cinch. And trust me when I say you'll love having a small, lightweight, portable hard drive. They're perfect for on-the-run backups, transferring large files, and extra storage when you need it.
This deal expires at midnight tonight (ET), and it could definitely sell out before then. If you're planning a laptop upgrade (or you've already got a naked displaced drive lying around), this is a no-brainer buy.
(By the way, if you miss out on this offer, there's a vendor on eBay selling similar enclosures for $7 shipped--though they don't have the built-in USB cable.)
If you're into high-class fashion, LaCie has something for you. The company has come out with two new external hard drives by famed French designer Philippe Starck, who makes everything from furniture to clothes to luggage.
The front surface of the new LaCie desktop external hard drive responds to a finger's touch.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)Other than the fact that they offer extra storage, the LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive and the LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive come with a bit of fashion flair. Both are housed in a distinctive-looking, sturdy aluminum case that protects the internal drives from shocks.
While the LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive seems to be just a plain yet good-looking compact USB external hard drive, the LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive features a curvy front that responds to the touch of a finger. It also has a status LED light that shines an orange plus sign--Starck's signature symbol--on the surface.
There's not much you can do with the drive's novelty touch-sensitive surface, unfortunately. It can be programmed to launch an application, such as Firefox or Word, when you touch the front of the drive. But to do this, you will need to install LaCie Destkop Manager software, which runs all the time in the background. I found this sort of a waste for a function that's not really useful or necessary. But obviously fashion isn't always about necessity and functionality.
The LaCie Destkop Manager software will also help format the hard drive to work with a Windows, Mac, or Linux platform. The drives also come with LaCie Backup Assistant software, which can automatically back up the computer's data onto the drive.
Other than that, the LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive is very much like a brick. It also generates some sort of vibration during operation, reducing its suitability for sitting on top of your desk. It only comes with a USB port, which is rather disappointing as this is the slowest connection. Other desktop external hard drives often come with FireWire and eSATA connections.
LaCie's two new external hard drives are available now. The LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive costs $130 for the 1TB version and $250 for the 2TB version. The LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive comes in 320GB and 500GB versions, which cost $100 and $140, respectively.
WD debuts new e-labels
(Credit: Western Digital)Western Digital just announced their newly redesigned line of external desktop and mobile storage drives, all flaunting a customizable "e-label" that gives users a clear description of their contents. The new My Book Studio, My Passport Elite, and My Book Elite also deliver continuous backup solutions right out of the box with WD's SMartWare software.
1. First up to the plate is the new My Book Studios. Designed with the Mac user in mind, the new external drives feature a FireWire 800 interface that make quick work of larger videos and photos. Since the majority of My Book owners are creative, digital professionals, Western Digital developed e-paper technology similar that shows the owner a customizable display. The e-label also works when the drive is unplugged and also shows how much space is left and security status as well. The new My Book Studio drives come with a three-year warranty and are available now in 500GB ($150), 1TB, 1.5TB, and 2TB ($300) capacities.
2. The new My Book Elite drives appeal to the user who simply needs more external storage on their desk space. Like the My Book Studio, these drives also come with the custom e-label as well as two levels of data security: 256-bit hardware encryption and password protection, and WD's SmartWare software. The unique back up software puts your data right in front of you with a visual interface that shows you exactly what is stored on your computer and on the drive. As you create back ups or restore data, the gauges will change color in real-time to show progress, and once you finish the process the first time, you'll never have to perform a complete backup again--the software will backup automatically every time the contents change. The My Book Elite drives come in 1TB ($170), 1.5TB, and 2TB ($280) capacities.
3. The last addition to the new WD offering is an upgrade to their My Passport Elite portables. Again, they come with all the same features, but you also get a convenient USB dock that can stay plugged into a USB port for quick docking. The drives are protected by WD's three-year warranty and will come in three colors: anodized red, anodized blue, and charcoal metallic. Retail prices for the My Passport Elites include the 320GB for $119.99 USD, $159.99 USD for the 500GB, and $169.99 for the 640GB.
Check out the slideshow for more in-depth pictures of the new WD offering, and look for full reviews on CNET.com coming soon!
Paragon's robust partition-management software is available free, but only for today.
(Credit: Paragon Software Group)Normally $39.95, Paragon Software's Partition Manager 10.0 Personal can be yours absolutely free. Today only. From software-freebie site Giveaway of the Day.
If you haven't visited the site before, here's how it works: You've got until midnight tonight (ET) to download and install the software. Other than that, there are absolutely no strings attached.
Well, OK, one "string" is that if you ever need to reinstall the software, you're outta luck. Its setup/registration process is tied to the date. But, hey, keep in mind you're getting a $40 app free of charge. You gonna gripe about that tiny gotcha?
True to its name, Partition Manager provides tools for partitioning your hard drive(s). That means you could have, say, Windows XP running on one partition and Windows 7 on another (a great solution for folks who want to migrate to the new OS gradually rather than all at once).
The software also features drive-optimization and -defragmentation tools, a boot fixer, a basic backup wizard, and a recovery-CD option.
I haven't found many reviews of Partition Manager 10.0 Personal, but over at Amazon it averages 4.5 stars out of 5, and 81% of users on the GotD site gave it a thumbs-up--a pretty high percentage compared with most freebies.
The program runs on Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and 7. There's a special 64-bit version available (download), which you should definitely choose if you're running a 64-bit OS.
Obviously this isn't a utility everybody needs, but if you have even the slightest interest in partitioning your hard drive, it's a no-brainer: grab it.
