LaCie d2 160GB TRIPLE interface external hard drive FW/FW800/USB2 ( 300716 ) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this triple interface external hard drive mostly so I can have enough space for my iTunes music library in Apple Lossless format. I saw the older models at the Apple Store and I loved how they looked and the build quality was noticeably better than the external drives from other brands. The blue LED is also a very nice touch.
The triple interface makes it easy to use this drive with any Macs, if you have a Mac with FW800, transfer rate should be blazing fast. I also use it with my work laptop running XP and Gentoo GNU/Linux, no problem using it from all the different OSes.
The drive runs pretty quiet, not sure why others had complained about the noise level. The fan on my PC laptop is much noisier than the LaCie drive.
I highly recommend the LaCie d2 triple interface hard drives to anyone looking for a ton of additional storage for data. It probably wouldn't be wise to install programs on the drive as the transfer rate is still not quite as fast as native IDE, SCSI, SATA, and what not. But it's fast enough for high-quality streaming video, and definitely more than sufficient for music files like AAC, Ogg, and MP3. It is also excellent to use for backing up important data, but note that it only contains a single drive inside and it does not have any sort of redundency.

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Equipped with the fastest-ever FireWire standard, this drive is capable of reaching transfer speeds of up to 800Mbits/s for FireWire 800 users, up to 400MBits/s for FireWire 400 users, and up to 480Mbits/s for USB 2.0 users. This drive's triple interface, 7200 rpm speed and 8MB buffer make it the fastest-possible storage solution for digital content creators.Made of a metal alloy that dissipates heat and prolongs drive performance, the LaCie d2 Hard Drive features a slender, stylish case that offers versatile desktop and rackmount configuration options. A space-saving drive stand allows for upright desktop use, while an optional rack-mounting kit enables configuration in standard 19-inch racks. This drive also features a fan-free design for quiet operation.With plug and play convenience, LaCie d2 Hard Drives are hot-pluggable for easy file transfer and data sharing. With the appropriate cable, LaCie's new hard drives can be connected to any computer equipped with FireWire 800 (9-pin), FireWire 400 (6-pin), USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 ports, making it the most universal drive ever.Chained and striped in a FireWire 800 RAID 0 configuration, LaCie d2 Hard Drives can reach unprecedented sustained transfer rates of up to 100MB/s, making them ideal for working with professional video in high-end workstation and small-server environments.

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Buffalo Technology DriveStation Quattro 2.0TB (4 x 500GB) Desktop External Hard Drive FireWire Combo with TurboUSB2.0 HD-QS2.0TSU2/R5 (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)This Buffalo external hard drive is easy to install and provides a lot of memory for backing up photos, movies--anything of importance. It also has a small footprint, which is nice since all of our work stations are so full of other electronics. At some point your computer hard drive will fail, but having this Buffalo will allow you to restore your valuable documents and photos in no time. And, 2 TB goes a long way. I highly recommend it!

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2.0TB DriveStation Quattro USB 2.0 & eSATA Combo External Hard Drive w/TurboUSB.

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LaCie d2 3 TB USB 3.0 Desktop Hard Drive 301526 Review

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(More customer reviews)I went the full 3.0 USB route for my Mac Pro. LaCie IPC card, cable, and d2 1TB hard drive because only LaCie offers a Mac USB 3 driver. Great drive well made but write speed no faster than my eSATA drive. Bottom line looking for fast external drive cheaper to go eSata drive by LaCie.

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Get ready for SuperSpeed performance. The LaCie d2 USB 3.0 features 7200 rpm drives, and reaches up to 130MB/s, making it ideal for creative professionals looking for high transfer speeds. The d2 USB 3.0 is designed to integrate into any professional work environment. It comes standard with advanced backup software, which helps to make it extremely reliable. With the performance of USB 3.0, you can transfer large files and perform backups faster than ever before. Its unique fanless aluminum heat sink design prevents overheating by providing efficient and still unmatched ultra-quiet and safe heat dissipation. The LaCie d2 USB 3.0 is versatile and can stand upright, be stacked horizontally with other drives, or rackmounted to save desktop space. In addition, it helps you reduce power consumption by switching to its eco mode after 30 minutes of inactivity. For better energy efficiency, it will also automatically shut down when unplugged from the computer. On top of that, it's recyclable. With the LaCie d2 USB 3.0, you've got the perfect partner for storage, backup, or data creation--regardless of file size.

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Pavilion Slimline S5260F Pc - Desktop - Slim Tower - Phenom II X4 - 925 - 2.8 Gh Review

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(More customer reviews)Excellent piece of machinery, unbeatable price, timely delivery. I use it as the multimedia hub for my home installation. Unbeatable. It is a bigger frame than the competition, but you can't have everything for that price.

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The HP Slimline offers a powerful PC where space is at a premium. Perfect for a small office or dorm, it can handle all your computing needs, like e-mail, word processing and more. And the Slimline is flexible, so you can easily add or upgrade features and functions. The HP Slimline's sleek, modern styling, with chrome and accent lighting, looks great in any room.NVIDIA GeForce G210 graphics card with 512MB DDR2 Dedicated graphics Combination Blu-Ray Disc player (BD-ROM) and SuperMulti DVD Burner with Lightscribe technology (DVD+-R/RW with DL) Built in TV Tuner to watch, pause, rewind, and record live TV High Definition Audio with up to 7.1 surround soundWireless LAN 802.11b/g/n featuring Single-band (2.4Ghz) 2x2 MIMO technology 10/100 Base-T Network interface Front panel 6-in-1 memory card reader xD, MMC ,SD & SDHC, MS, MS Pro, MMC+ Front ports -2 x USB, Headphone Back ports -4 x USB, IEEE 1394, Digital Audio Out, LAN, Microphone/Line-in/Line-out; Rear speaker-out; Side speaker out; Center (Subwoofer); DVI, HDMI, VGA Expansion slots -1 PCI Express x1 (occupied); 1 PCI Express x16 (occupied); 1 MiniCard slot (occupied) Drive bays -1 external 5.25 (occupied); 1 internal 3.5 (occupied) Dimensions -16.87(L) x 6.54(W) x 15.11(H/D) approx. Weight -11 lbs. approx. Monitor is not included

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Intel Core 2 Quad Processor 2.83 GHz 1333 MHz 6 MB LGA775 CPU Q9505BOX Review

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(More customer reviews)I am somewhat of a gamer but not the one who plays 24/7. I purchased a standard HP on sale with the intention of slowly upgrading the components like the video card and memory. I never really thought about the processor until i tried playing COD Black opps. The HP came with a Intel core 2 duo E2 series like a 2.4 ghz. Even though I had doubled my memory or ram from 4 to 8 and had gone from an intergrated video to a Pny 9600gt 1 gb, then to a pny xlr8 gtx 250 1 gb, and finally to a pny xlr8 gtx 460, i could not play this game without severe stuttering. Here's the biggest issue with a duo core you need to think about. I was getting higher frame rates= smoother and better performance, with my 250 vs the 460 even though the 460 has tripple everything over the 250, because the duo core couldn't keep up with my 460. I was able to play Black opps with no issues with my 250 because duo core and the 250 were better matched. Here's my point. If you are wanting to upgrade your cpu without spending a fortune on a new motherboard just to get a new I series buy a standard quad core with at least 6mbs cache. Second, if you can't figure out why your new video card isn't all that great upgrade to a quad core. This cpu doubled my frame rates and i see things in games that weren't there B4. I've done 3 weeks of research trying to find the best price and specs and i bought here. Amazon has the best tracking system i have seen. I can even get a text when it arrives and i can see where it is on their website at all times. I won't shop anywhere else.

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Specification: Mfr Part Number: BX80580Q9505, Process Type: Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q9505, Frequency: 2.83 GHz, FSB: 1333 MHz, Cache: 6 MB, Process: 45 nm, Socket: Socket 775, Power Consumption: 95 W, Package: Retail, This processor is a Quad Core Processor, This processor supports Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology, This processor supports Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T), This processor supports Intel Virtualization Technology, This processor supports Enhanced Halt State (C1E), This processor supports Execute Disable Bit Capability, This processor supports Intel Thermal Monitor 2

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Apricorn Aegis Padlock Pro 128 GB SSD USB 2.0 and eSATA 256-bit Encrypted Portable External Solid State Drive A25-PLe256-S128 (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love the Apricorn padlock drive, I have two; one 'regular' 640 and one 'pro' 640.
Both perform with acceptable speeds for an encrypting device.
However, I have never gotten the eSata interface to work reliably. I would be interested to read comments to the contrary. Anyway, here is what I mean by 'unreliable':
* device is recognize just fine.
* device transfers files to-and-fro
* BUT, when I hash the file on the source and destination, they are different. This doesn't happen when using the USB interface. During this test, I transfer ~100GB files.
* this was done on a different machines, with different eSata interfaces, with the same results
* this was done with a different eSata external drive (actually a KingWin ezDock), with success
I can only conclude that the eSata capability is defective in some way. It would be nice because it transfers (albeit with errors) at about twice the speed of USB. But, at least the USB is reliable...
BTW, for those having trouble with getting the eSata to work at all, I use WinXP 32-bit, and I have to plug it in before booting up, with the auxilliary power cord, and have to shut the computer down before removal. I.e. not hot-swapable. Also, I enter my password during the bootup process before it gets to the OS loading. Maybe this helps someone.
Also, for those having trouble 'safely removing' (from USB), make sure that there are no locks on the drive, i.e. no open files or even directories (e.g. no explorer windows, or command prompts). Then you can safely remove. Well, you may have to try more than once to wait for caching to finish writing, but it will happen (this happens even on other drives/thumbdrives). If you don't have the 'safely remove' icon in your tray, you can use
%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll
to bring up a similar but more detailed UI for removing.

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128 GB Aegis Padlock Pro SSD, Portable USB Solid State Drive with Pin access, 256-bit AES Hardware Encryption and both USB and eSATA Interfaces and cables

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HP Pavilion E9230F-E Desktop Pc Review

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(More customer reviews)This computer came highly recommended by everyone I spoke with. Plus my husband, who is a techie and builds his own computers, really liked the specs on this model. The only problem was that everywhere I checked, they had sold out of it, even though it's a brand new model! I ended up buying the floor model at my local computer store rather than wait.
Now that I've been using this HP Pavilion Elite e9230f for two weeks, I can see why this model flies out the door. It's lightening fast, came loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium, is incredibly easy to set up and very user friendly. It has everything I need and more... and all in a very handy upfront design that's flexible and expandable. I love it!

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Get serious about computing with the HP Pavilion Elite e9230, a stylish, high performance desktop for your most demanding digital tasks Premium performance levels enable an enhanced experience whether you are working, e-mailing, editing photos or videos, gaming or connecting with friends online.

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Seagate Cheetah 600GB SAS 6-GB/S ST3600057SS Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In 2010, this drive is the fastest, production spinning disk drive that money can buy. Often you read a disk drive's specifications and glowing online reviews, but when you install the drive in your system, the drive is mediocre or a minimal improvement. I guarantee that situation is not the case with the ST3600057SS. I ran a pair of Fujitsu 15K rpm SAS drives for several years. Nearly two years ago I upgraded to a Seagate 15K rpm SAS 450GB drive, which provided a considerable performance improvement over my trusted Fujitsu drives. Last year I purchased a ST3600057SS and was astonished at its performance. When I say performance, I am basing it output from seeker v2.0, hdparm -t, and my subjective impression from using the computer. The seeker program reveals all of the 15K rpm SAS drives to have 3 - 5 ms average access time, which is to be expected for a 15K rpm SAS drive. The Fujitsu 300GB drives averaged 136 MB/s, the Seagate 450GB drive averages 166 MB/s, and the ST3600057SS averages 201 MB/s. To put the ST3600057SS' performance in perspective, my 64GB SSD Mushkin MKNSSDCL averages 235 MB/s.
A caveat here is that I am using an LSI 3GB/s controller card and I believe that the performance slightly increases with a 6GB/s SAS controller card.
The ST3600057SS is the quietest 15K rpm drive that I have ever owned. I seldom hear it during normal use. The drive's temperature average is 36 C, but it is in a fan cooled drive cage. I have had absolutely no bad sectors or any drive-related problems with the ST3600057SS. However, in 6+ years working with SAS drives, I have not experienced a failure or fault. The 15K rpm SAS drives are enterprise quality so you get exceptional reliability.
This year I added a second ST3600057SS so that I could run a BTRFS RAID0 configuration. My only comment is WOW. I wholeheartedly recommend this drive. You get SSD-type performance at a much better $/GB ratio.

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The Seagate Cheetah 15K.7 the highest performing, highest capacity 3.5-inch mission critical hard drive with best-in-class reliability for Tier 1 storage environments. This industry-leading enterprise drive reduces storage costs per GB while increasing capacity per watt. Drive power consumption is dynamically optimized at all levels of activity with Seagate?s exclusive PowerTrim technology.SINGLE PACK

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LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Disk 2 TB eSATA/FireWire800/FireWire400/USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 301500U (Aluminum) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a newer version of an earlier model that is very similar (LaCie 301827U d2 Quadra 1 TB eSATA/FireWire800/FireWire400/USB 2.0 External Hard Disk). I talked to a salesman at J&R Computers and he told me the only difference is that this model has 32MB cache and the older model has 16MB cache. The older model has over 100 reviews so you may want to look there as well.
COST:
This costs more than some other external hard drives of the same capacity but there are good reasons: You are paying for the multiple interfaces (eSATA, Firewire 400, Firewire 800 with second daisy-chain port, USB 2.0) and the complete set of cables that come with it. The eSATA support is 3Gbits compared to 1.5Gbits for less expensive drives. The well-constructed case may also add some cost. I'd like to think that the included disk is of a higher quality too, but have no way to judge.
PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS:
The drive has been working fine for about a month now.
It feels VERY sturdy. It is heavier than other external drives I am familiar with.
It is only slightly warm to the touch when running. The all-metal construction with the exterior ridges seems to do a good job of keeping it cool.
It is VERY quiet. If not for the blue light I couldn't tell that it was turned on. Even when I put my ear right next to it I can hear very little. Even when it is actively seeking it is basically silent. There is no fan.
It does make a few noises when starting up or shutting down. I THINK one of the noises I hear is the heads parking and unparking.
I am using it as a USB 2.0 device right now. I have an eSATA card on order and will update this review to let you know how that goes. UPDATE: The drive works just fine when connected via eSATA. I have not done any performance experiments.
It does have a slot in the back for one of those Kensington cable locks. I didn't see this mentioned in the sales literature, although other external drive manufacturers make a big deal of it. There are a lot of those locks available, especially if you consider the clones. The following is probably the best: Kensington 64343 MicroSaver DS Notebook Computer Lock with Keys (PC/Mac).
Oh, yes, one more thing. The blue light reminds me of HAL in 2001 Space Odyssey, except that HAL had a red eye.
UPDATE 15 Sep 2010:
There are a number of reviews mentioning power supply failures, and I don't want to deny that there is a problem here. I do want to point out that I have had mine for 22-23 months now and it is still running strong. My setup includes an APC BACK-UPS RS BR1500LCD 1500VA/865W UPS System and both the LaCie and its power supply sit out in the open so get plenty of air circulation. My usage is for daily backup via the eSATA interface, so although it is powered on 24/7/365 it only gets about an hour (probably less) of active use each day.


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The d2 Quadra is fully loaded with all the best interfaces—eSATA 3Gb/s, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0—this all-in-one professional hard disk offers universal connectivity for PC and Mac users. For easy setup, the LaCie Setup Assistant helps format your disk according to your needs. Perfect for digital content creation, audio/video editing, DVD authoring, Web animation, etc., the d2 Quadra can handle multiple demanding professional tasks. It can be daisy-chained via FireWire or connected to your DV camera and is even bootable in FireWire for Mac and in eSATA for Mac/PC. With the LaCie Shortcut Button***, you can easily launch any application in one push, such as the included Genie Backup Assistant software with data restore for Windows or Intego Backup Assistant software with data restore for Mac. The unique, fanless aluminum heat sink design with 60% more surface area for heat dissipation keeps it quiet and safe. Box Contents: LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Disk, SATA-to-eSATA cable, FireWire 800 (9-to-9 pin) cable, FireWire 400 (6-to-6 pin) cable, USB 2.0 cable (USB 1.1 compatible), External power supply, Drive stand for upright desktop use, LaCie Setup Assistant; LaCie Utilities (preloaded) Genie Backup Assistant software with data restore for Windows 2000, XP, Vista; Intego Backup Assistant software with data restore for Mac OS X 10.4

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