Samsung stops teasing, brings SpinPoint M6 500GB Stateside

We know you've been sitting on your hands since January, waiting for Samsung to ship this SpinPoint M6 500GB, 9.5mm laptop drive wonder. That whole "released in France" thing was just rubbing it in your face, and we apologize, but it looks like your wait is finally over: OWC's Woot! shop has the drive for sale as of now. You can't buy one sans enclosure, but the $310 USB 2.0 + eSATA version or the $350 FireWire 800 / 400 + USB 2.0 version (there's also a $320 model) should prove useful in housing an old 2.5-inch drive, or perhaps an ant farm.

[Thanks, Dan C.]

[Tony @ Jun 10th 2008 12:20PM]

Hey I have that case!!! I bought it from OWC, works awesome!!!! I'd be nice to have a 500GB 2.5" SATA drive :D

[bohsocks @ Jun 10th 2008 12:30PM]

I'd be nice too, but I put up a tough outward shell to hide my internal insecurities.

[PSM @ Jun 10th 2008 12:41PM]

I have that enclosure too -- the FW 800 / USB one. It rocks.

[Septimus @ Jun 10th 2008 12:52PM]

Any word on a UK release?

[ZeroCorpse @ Jun 10th 2008 1:00PM]

Word is that these get really hot when in a laptop, thus the need for them to be marketed as "external only" for the time being.

[St3phen @ Jun 10th 2008 1:25PM]

Ack. Where did you hear this?

I just ordered one of the stupid things and setup my installation appointment.

[IT-Accountant @ Jun 10th 2008 1:07PM]

Does anyone think this is a little overpriced considering that you can get a 320GB 5400 RPM external drive for under $100 (I got one brand new for $65 [USD]) and this 500GB 5400RPM external drive is over $300?

[ronin @ Jun 10th 2008 1:34PM]

Early adopter tax. New laptop HDs that raise the maximum storage space will always come out in the $2-300 range. This one's on the high end but no one else in the US has it currently.

[ZeroCorpse @ Jun 10th 2008 4:13PM]

Of course it's all a ruse to be able to sell the drive to customers for laptop installation 'at their own risk' -- If it were just as simple as getting a 500GB external, you could settle for a 3.5" for around $100 from any retailer who sells MyBook products.

[Michael Geary @ Jun 11th 2008 3:12AM]

You're comparing 3.5" drives with 2.5" drives. Not the same thing at all. Besides being a lot smaller, a 2.5" external USB drive can run with no AC power supply.

[St3phen @ Jun 10th 2008 1:24PM]

Finally. After emailing the people who put out the Samsung "now shipping at retail" press release in March four times, I was eventually responded-to on May 28th by one of them with:

"The item is not available yet ... We have supplied units to one or two OEMs and that is all at this point."

That irritated me so much that I strongly considered never buying this drive... But there's just nothing else like it out there for 15" MacBook Pros.

[ronin @ Jun 10th 2008 1:30PM]

Sure there is, I've been using the Hitachi 500GB in my 15" MBP for a month now. Works great. Sure you have to take out the bracket on one side and place a few bits of foam padding but at $240 it can't be beat.

[Darkroom @ Jun 10th 2008 1:35PM]

does it come with a fire proof blanket for your lap?

[bolezhinkov @ Jun 10th 2008 2:21PM]

just get one of the ultra-cool usb powered laptop cooling pads. be the envy of everyone who wants to carry more shit around with their portable computers.

[Tyler Ransom @ Jun 10th 2008 2:01PM]

I almost bought one right now, because its woot! right??? .... WRONG!

The thing is over 300 dollars. A 320gb model sells for 100 bucks on ebay if your getting Screwed! Let the price come down. The novelty is not worth 100 bucks. Besides. My ps3 can wait, I still have a spare 120 laying around!

[Kyle Krcmaric @ Jun 13th 2008 4:37PM]

Exactly what I want to use it for... w00t for PS3!

[CapWKidd @ Jun 10th 2008 2:35PM]

I hope they make a PATA version.... would be great in my Apple TV and Nexto

[jak0b @ Jun 10th 2008 3:19PM]

does anybody know how it is comapered to a 320gb, 7200rpm drive? read write and power usage?

[tony @ Jun 10th 2008 5:04PM]

I'm waiting on that new Seagate 320GB, 7200RPM drive to hit the retailers so I can get it stuffed into my laptop.

[ivenom @ Jun 11th 2008 12:10AM]

just ordered 2. one of them is going into my mac book pro 15'' while the other is just going to be used as external.

[ifso @ Jun 19th 2008 2:38AM]

Can anyone confirm if the Buffalo HDPS500U2 is using the same drive inside? Can be had for around $260 if it is...

Saw one at a brick-and-mortar shop the other day but no one could answer me on what kind of mechanism was inside.

Buffalo has used spinpoint series drives in their 3.5" externals before, no reason this wouldn't be the elusive M6 hiding in there now... anyone care to check it out?