TrekStor intros 1TB external hard drive

Looks like TrekStor is the latest to join the increasingly less-exclusive terabyte club, with it recently introducing its 1TB DataStation duo w.u external USB hard drive. As you might be able to tell from its size, this one actually boasts two 500GB hard drives stacked on top of each other, although they'll apparently show up as a single 1TB drive on your computer. Otherwise, this one looks to be a pretty standard deal, boasting backup capabilities courtesy of the included Nero BackItUp2 Essentials software, and an aluminum housing that supposedly dissipates heat without the need for a fan. If that'll do, you can grab one of these now for a list price of $430.

[ryanworrell @ Jul 16th 2007 8:53PM]

I'll keep my WesternDigital 1TB MyBook, it wasn't $430 either!

[ryanworrell @ Jul 16th 2007 8:53PM]

just saw the bit about fanless, that would be cool tho. MyBook gets pretty noisey at times.

[J. Chung @ Jul 16th 2007 9:32PM]

Does that mean it will basically use the casing as a heatsink?
As a user of Macbook Pro (which basically uses the same technique most of the time, I guess) I don't see this feature as a good one...
(Although it does eliminate the use of fan and YES I know you don't normally rest your palms on your hard drive while typing...)

[Nubaeus @ Jul 16th 2007 9:48PM]

...what does that have to do with external HD's?

[Matt @ Jul 16th 2007 10:12PM]

Oh good, a spammer that gives us old Engadget stories!

[Joe @ Jul 17th 2007 12:40AM]

NO thanks for $430!

Here's a Fantom Drives G-force Mega Disk 1TB for under $300:
http://www.amazon.com/Fantom-Drives-G-force-7200RPM-Cache/dp/B000FERNHE/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-0005526-5380044?tag=freeplefav-20&ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1184646960&sr=8-2

And here's a Western Digital 1 TB My Book Pro II External Hard Drive for $360:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J1HPJY/sr/ref=pd_cp_e_1/002-0005526-5380044?tag=freeplefav-20&ie=UTF8&qid=1184646960&sr=8-2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_r=03DZ1GMWKSZGCTRWW7X2&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=250314601&pf_rd_i=B000FERNHE

[tpp @ Jul 17th 2007 3:40PM]

$430 is MSRP price, I believe, while you quoted street prices. I would imagine this will sell for less than $400 in retail after the initial rush to market.

It's certainly an interesting looking device. The 1TB WDC MyBook I have is like a freakin' fighter jet at times. If this thing is fanless, it might be worth the extra cost just for that.

[John Doe @ Jul 17th 2007 1:12AM]

1TB is all well and fine but good god at USB2 speeds its slow as hell. I picked up a USB/Firewire 800 enclosure for the upgraded hard drive on my MBP. Firewire 800...Good god that thing is fast. Something needs to replace USB, and replace it soon.

PS- And eSATA and express card doesn't cut it. Just like PC Cards aren't designed to replace USB.

[t-bone @ Jul 17th 2007 1:12AM]

I have a couple fanless cases and they don't work very well. My 500GB drive overheats occasionally and the case is usually hot enough to warm a drink. I can't imagine how hot it gets with two of them in there.

[Chuckles McGee @ Jul 17th 2007 1:35AM]

The thing looks like an electric rat trap.

[Phil @ Jul 17th 2007 8:01AM]

Great, 2 hard drives showing up as 1. That would be RAID-0 then, wouldn't it? Fanastic, no added speed (as you are bound by the USB interface if going that way) and double the risk of data loss through hard drive failure, I think I may just pass.

Now, if they did a RAID-1 model with 2 500 GB disks I would snap one up in an instant.

[Brad @ Jul 17th 2007 8:46AM]

I agree, I am saving for a drobo instead.

[tiuk @ Jul 17th 2007 10:44AM]

First thing I thought of. Two drives isn't a selling point, it's a disadvantage.

[Chronic @ Jul 17th 2007 8:06AM]

Well, so anyone got one of these yet?Need to know if it really does perform at 100% without the fans for longer duration of time?

[nilram @ Jul 17th 2007 3:38PM]

Ditto to Phil's comment: double the drives, double the failures. (At least with the configuration they've described.)

And, given my experience with Nero's BackItUp -- wow, I just want to stay far, far away.