LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 external HDD to hit stores this May

The gang at LaCie sure do love their orange, life raft-esque external HDDs. As you've probably guessed, the Rugged USB 3.0 takes the already familiar device, which is designed to resist drops up to 2.2 meters, and throws SuperSpeed USB into the mix. The 500GB (7200 RPM) model becomes available in early May for $150. If anything, it looks like this company definitely got its money's worth out of Neil Poulton!

[Bratan Posted Apr 27th 2010 4:52PM]

I thought that was a solar panel on top if it. That actually is not a bad concept :)

[thefofo Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:24PM]

@Bratan what would you do with it? the drive is powered via usb

[mnhthebest Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:54PM]

@Bratan

It would only be viable if it would wirelessly connect to your laptop using a technology like Wifi or the Sony's TransferJet. But then that would make the USB 3 useless so the solar power would still suck

[kirbyatemytoothbrush Posted Apr 28th 2010 5:27AM]

@Bratan

Putting a solar panel on every little crappy thing you have around you does not save the world, sorry.

[nerosephiroth Posted Apr 27th 2010 4:53PM]

I much prefer cocoon's FalCie model type. They seem to just get more done.

[Zephyricalus Posted Apr 27th 2010 7:03PM]

@nerosephiroth

I lol'd.

[DougieBear Posted Apr 28th 2010 9:24PM]

@nerosephiroth

Ugh.. the story of that game was a cluster fuck of the mind.

[deliteguy Posted Apr 27th 2010 4:53PM]

3.0 usb ftw

[flux73 Posted Apr 27th 2010 4:58PM]

Why couldn't they redesign the specs of physical USB plug so that it's easier to tell which side is which? If they have to keep the same plug form factor, then at least color code the outside of the plug for gods sakes. It's not rocket science.

[PCG Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:04PM]

@flux73 That is a good point... I really can't understand why they haven't. I plug things in every day and I still couldn't tell you which side is which.

[MaX PL Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:21PM]

@flux73

every usb cable has the usb symbol on the end. on my thinkpad you plug things in with the symbol facing toward you and thats how i avoid the issue.

theres been one exception to this rule though and thats been with my harmony remote. dont know what those swiss designers were thinking.

[flux73 Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:37PM]

@MaX PL Yes, but it's still very difficult in dim lighting or when you're messing with the stuff under a desk and reaching behind the computer. And as you pointed out, it's not consistent across peripheral manufacturers.

[Zorque Posted Apr 27th 2010 6:57PM]

@flux73
I actually ruined one of my USB ports plugging my iPod in forever ago. It was dark and I couldn't tell which side had the Apple logo and which had the USB logo. Neither side seemed to fit so I picked one and jammed it in, and it snapped off the plastic inside. Now nothing will stay plugged into the port.

Thankfully it's just the one on the front of the case instead of the motherboard.

[John Doe Posted Apr 27th 2010 7:58PM]

@flux73 Backwards compatibility.

[flux73 Posted Apr 27th 2010 9:20PM]

@Zorque Yah, so have I! That's why it annoys me that they still haven't changed this for USB3.

[flux73 Posted Apr 27th 2010 9:23PM]

@John Doe The form factor shouldn't have been made symmetrical to begin with. That said, as I was stated above, all they would need to do to keep backwards compatibility is color code the outside. Make one side white and the other black. Then have all motherboard manufacturers color code or mark the ports correspondingly.

[The Dead Marxist Trio Posted Apr 27th 2010 4:59PM]

This actually seems like a pretty good deal, but I'd like to see at least 640gb for $150. Just got a desktop 1.5tb at Microcenter for $80! Hdd space is ridiculously cheap- I remember buying a 40gb hdd for $100 and being like WOW!

[zangetsu2 Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:02PM]

It looks like I can go whitewater rafting with it.

[Nerdtalker Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:03PM]

This would be awesome, but what apple-buying mac users are gonna buy a USB3.0 drive when none of their equipment packs those ports?

[cameronsipod Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:14PM]

@Nerdtalker

there are definitely usb 3.0 pcie cards available for desktop macs... for their notebooks, imac, mac mini you've got a point.

[Michael Scrip Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:15PM]

@Nerdtalker

What makes you think this is only for Mac people?

[Cpsheehan Posted Apr 27th 2010 8:48PM]

@Michael Scrip
it's extremely expensive for its specs, besides the fact that it "just works" (even after being dropped 2.2m!), it looks cool, and Engadet supports it... Sounds right up an Apple fan's alley to me...

[HurricaneDC Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:04PM]

I remember the days when a drive like this would be over $500.

[laciesales Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:05PM]

It's available now, check it out:
http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?pid=11495
We also have USB3.0 cards in stock.

Linda Slade
[e-mail]

[cameronsipod Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:07PM]

500gbs? why so little? you'd think people upgrading to 3.0 have some major transferring on their minds...

[ajwoodhouse Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:22PM]

I wonder if it's better than the usual LaCie fare which, let's be honest, isn't brilliant from a quality point of view

[Niazac Posted Apr 27th 2010 5:46PM]

Quick, get to the raft! The boat is sinking!

[Crsh Posted Apr 27th 2010 6:48PM]

It's a SATA2 mechanical HDD in there, right? Can USB3's wider bandwidth really increase the throughput or is the drive itself the bottleneck (and thus USB3 in this case is just a marketing ploy)?

[Michael Scrip Posted Apr 27th 2010 7:16PM]

@Crsh

USB 2.0 transfers are limited to about 30MB/s. That's the physical limitation of USB 2.0.

However, 2.5" hard drives can reach speeds up to about 90MB/s.

USB 3.0 should be a welcome increase from USB 2.0.

[Crsh Posted Apr 27th 2010 7:40PM]

@Michael Scrip Awesome, good to know. Thank you, sir!

[ckrames1234 Posted Apr 27th 2010 7:23PM]

Will it Blend?

[coreyasl Posted Apr 27th 2010 8:46PM]

sure it's rugged, but it WILL blend!