SimpleTech hops on eco-friendly bandwagon with [re]drive HDD

Not that we haven't seen bamboo-based gizmos before, but there's something about SimpleTech's [re]drive that just screams upscale. This elegant, smooth looking external HDD was crafted to be easy on the eyes and Mother Earth alike, with the outfit utilizing "renewable, naturally grown bamboo and recyclable aluminum" along with an Energy Star power adapter and eco-friendly packaging. You'll also find a USB 2.0 jack, automatic power up / down and 500GB of internal storage space. Not too shabby for an estimated $150.

[Via Wired]

[Juxtah @ Jul 28th 2008 3:13PM]

Actually looks quite nice, like some kind of strange designer label HDD

[makishima @ Jul 28th 2008 3:26PM]

It really isn't too bad is it? I'm actually kind of impressed. And it's not too bad price wise either.

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 3:32PM]

i'd buy the enclosure. somehow i doubt they'll sell just that; bundle ye generic fail-disk drive!

[neofolklore @ Jul 29th 2008 8:18AM]

I would put a velociraptor in this just to watch the bamboo burn

[aardWolf @ Jul 28th 2008 3:17PM]

They should make it REALLY green and "reclaim" an old 20MB hard drive

[Dillon @ Jul 28th 2008 3:20PM]

Too bad that they probably had to tear down a patch of land to get to that bamboo.

[404 @ Jul 28th 2008 3:23PM]

No, they just had to beat up some pandas.

[Frun @ Jul 28th 2008 3:30PM]

Hopefully not of the "sexual harassment" variety. That would make me a saaaaad panda.

[Kamokazi @ Jul 28th 2008 3:42PM]

Nah, bamboo is frickin' everywhere in Asia, almost like a plague. You ever see buildings in China under construction? All their scaffolding is bamboo, yes, even the 100-story high-rises (at those heights they use some green netting around the bamboo to hold it up). It does make some sense, bamboo is actually stronger than steel in certain types of tests.

My company has a plant in the Philippines, and we came out with an 'Eco-Friendly' product line. Basically we took all the crap available there (bamboo, coconut husks, etc.) so we didn't have to pay to have materials shipped from China or elsewhere. We could care less about the environment, we just wanted to make an extra buck...save on materials and shipping and sell a shoddy product at a higher price to an overly-paranoid eco-nutjob...cha-ching! I would imagine a lot of other 'eco-friendly' bamboo products are the same way.

[kjb434 @ Jul 28th 2008 3:50PM]

Bamboo is related to grass. It grows extremely fast if you don't keep an eye can become quite a nuisance. That's what makes it good for harvesting. It's hard to get rid of. Chop it down and it grows right back and fast!

Strangely enough, take the above statement and remove the first sentence on grass, and you have an accurate description of the pine trees used for paper....

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 4:14PM]

@Kamokazi:

BE MOAR CYNICAL

[Ryan @ Jul 28th 2008 3:21PM]

$150? Not bad...

[sodapop @ Jul 28th 2008 3:26PM]

This is absolutely lame. The case of these things are the LEAST of the environmental hazards. Especially if the case is metal. Its the circuit boards and whatnot that are hazardous.

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 3:35PM]

guilt-assuagement is skin deep

[Haikibutsu @ Jul 28th 2008 3:29PM]

Wow. This is tons better looking than that Samsung, and by far better looking their their italian-designed series.

Just one question: Will it last 5 years? or will it break?

[Harrison66 @ Jul 28th 2008 8:42PM]

It will blend.

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 3:30PM]

yeah sure. just like hot dogs are eco-friendly because they're not quite as inert as styrofoam.

[aardWolf @ Jul 28th 2008 3:42PM]

Yeah, but have you ever tried to drink out of a cup made of hot dogs???

[kjb434 @ Jul 28th 2008 3:51PM]

You can, but there will probably be a camera involved and it'll be XXX rated.

[iHoppipolla @ Jul 28th 2008 3:34PM]

Unfortunately, one will be hard-pressed to find desktop/monitor/accessory options in that price range that will match the wooden design.

So if one purchases the HDD, it will be wooden while everything else is aluminum or what not.

[retro77 @ Jul 28th 2008 3:36PM]

This would go good with that Dell Studio desktop if they had kept the bamboo on it.

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 3:38PM]

you wanna be real eco friendly? strip some o' that faux wood grain paneling off your apartment walls and glue it onto your stuff

[natels @ Jul 28th 2008 3:38PM]

Or that Ford station wagon with the wood panels..

[Leo Qin @ Jul 28th 2008 3:42PM]

they should make that (red)rive HDD and satisfy two causes at the same time. I'd go for a red panelled one to replace that bamboo stick-on

[aardWolf @ Jul 28th 2008 3:45PM]

It could be the Green/(red) Christmas model! They could call it the "recycled aids box"

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 3:54PM]

oh great now i have that old Ween song in my head

[boulderhorn @ Jul 28th 2008 3:49PM]

I'd take one but only if it came with a Firewire 800 or eSata conenction. USB is too slow for what i need... I've just been buying oem drives and using a rosewill enclosure for all my needs. i can get 1 terabyte of storage for about 220 bucks...

[Javi0084 @ Jul 28th 2008 3:55PM]

This would match my IKEA desk as if they were built for each other.

[phanbouy @ Jul 28th 2008 4:06PM]

maybe they were. MUHAHAHA

[r-o-b @ Jul 28th 2008 3:59PM]

oh... coated in wood? *raises index finger* ...Must be eco-friendly.

[lostarchitect @ Jul 28th 2008 4:43PM]

so, basically, it's no more eco friendly than any other aluminum HD enclosure. I mean, "recyclable" aluminum? how about post-consumer RECYCLED aluminum? all they've done is pasted some bamboo on a standard external drive.

[mahhkk @ Jul 28th 2008 4:46PM]

I read somewhere that slapping bamboo on a product is actually LESS eco-friendly than making it out of metal or plastic. And notice that it is "recyclABLE" aluminum, not "recyclED."

sigh.

And @Kamokazi, thank you for destroying what little faith I had in the human race. Asswipe

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jul 28th 2008 4:53PM]

Well, duh, their name is SIMPLEtech, not INNOVATIVEtech or PROGRESSIVEtech. You people expect too much!

[dggraphics @ Jul 28th 2008 5:57PM]

Makes a handy cutting board too.

[takamaru @ Jul 28th 2008 7:13PM]

It's about $50 too much for a half T but the looks make up for it to me.

[ShadowKain @ Jul 28th 2008 9:28PM]

What, IS this??????

[Justin42 @ Jul 28th 2008 10:03PM]

Hard drive case. :>

[霽月瀛台 @ Jul 28th 2008 9:54PM]

How eco-friendly is it???
just f away, frake eco

[Captain Planet @ Jul 31st 2008 5:11PM]

So they killed a plant in the name of the environment? Next they'll make one out of elephant tusks because those grow back too!

[Erin @ Oct 3rd 2008 5:49PM]

Check out its eco-friendly elements here: http://www.simpletech.com/content/eco-friendly-redrive