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Samsung's latest external Thunderbolt 3 SSD is all about speed
Samsung has revealed its first NVMe-based portable SSD, the Portable SSD X5, which is targeted at IT pros and content creators who need to transfer large files quickly. It has a read speed of up to 2,800MB/s and write speed of 2,300MB/s (2,100 MB/s for the 500GB model). Those read and write speeds, combined with 40Gbps-bandwidth Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, will let X5 owners transfer a 20GB file in as little as 12 seconds, Samsung claims.
LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt SSD review
Thunderbolt's the newest kid on the connection block, and its greased-lightning transfer rates make for an awfully attractive alternative to USB and FireWire for those who move big chunks of data on the regular. Despite its many advantages, it's still in its infancy, so there are few peripherals supporting the 10Gbps interface. LaCie's Little Big Disk Thunderbolt SSD is among the first to make use of Apple and Intel's new data superhighway, and it pairs a couple of 2.5-inch, 120GB Intel 320 series SSDs in RAID 0 configuration to take full advantage of all that bandwidth. But, such speed comes at a hefty cost: $899.95 when it goes on sale later this month. Is it as quick as they say? Is it worth the money? There's only one way to find out, so let's see how the latest Little Big Disk handles itself, shall we? %Gallery-138735%
LaCie's Thunderbolt-equipped Little Big Disk sees apparent shipping delay (update: false)
Update: As it turns out, the site linked was for Australia and listed the region's Winter season 2011, which is summer in the US. LaCie has informed us that the drives are still set to ship on-time and has updated the Australian page -- which consequently looks identical to the US page -- to reflect "Australian Winter" rather than "Winter" as previously seen. Apologies for any confusion. Remember way back in February when Thunderbolt was unveiled? Shocking as it may be, a 10Gbps interconnect is useless without peripherals, and thankfully Promise and LaCie also announced compatible drives touting Q2 / summer availability. As promised, Promise's wares released as expected alongside Apple's T-bolt cable, but LaCie's Little Big Disk has been curiously absent. As it turns out, the company's website has been quietly updated and now reflects a winter 2011 release for these Intel 510 SSD-packable drives, which is just about enough to force a FOF onto even the happiest of faces. Still antsy to pick one up? Better plan to avoid Santa's naughty list -- at this point, waitin' and wishin' is about all you can do [Thanks, Mikhail]
LaCie Float concept combines external HDD with trackpad, ingenuity with fantasy
How do you freshen up the typically unexciting external storage unit? You slap a multitouch trackpad on the top of it, of course. And since you're dreaming up wild concepts, make that top out of carbon fiber, provide a base made out of glass and insert some LEDs next to it to provide ambient illumination -- with an integrated light sensor adjusting their brightness on the fly, obviously. Yes, André Silva's LaCie Float is indeed out of touch with things like "feasibility" and "economics," but don't tell us you wouldn't love that slice of converged awesomeness sidling up next to your laptop. USB 3.0 comes standard and an SSD option is also available, if you wish for it hard enough.
Kingston HyperX Max 3.0 USB 3.0 SSD reviewed, hits ludicrous speeds
We've all seen the scene in some movie or another: secret agent infiltrates the enemy stronghold, sneaks into the server room, then fights off bad guy after bad guy while an agonizingly slow progress bar ticks across the screen, super-secret egg salad recipe files taking ages to copy. If only they had a Kingston HyperX Max USB 3.0 external drive they could have escaped without needing that big final fight scene. The drive was recently tested by PC Perspective and found to feature solid construction and performance, offering the highest sequential write speeds the site had ever seen thanks to a Toshiba HG2 controller coupled with 128GB of Toshiba flash and 128MB of DDR cache memory. And, at $280 for a 128GB model, it's even somewhat reasonably priced -- well, for an external USB 3.0 SSD, anyway.
Kingston unveils HyperX Max 3.0, a SuperSpeed SSD for your pocket, we tear it down (video)
USB 3.0 and SSDs, they were just made for each other, don't you think? Kingston certainly seems to agree, as it's now rolled out its first SuperSpeed portable solid state drive, giving it the catchy title of HyperX Max 3.0. It fits within the dimensions of a conventional 2.5-inch hard drive, but differs in being able to pump 195MB of data per second when reading or 160MBps when writing. Although pricing and availability details aren't yet available, we can expect 64GB, 128GB and 256GB varieties to crop up some time soonish. Until then, can we interest you in some unboxing and teardown action, courtesy of our brethren over at Engadget Spanish? You'll find it on video just past the break.
Iomega serves up adorable 1.8-inch External USB 3.0 SSD pocket drives
Some might say that you have somewhat of a problem when calling a solid state drive "cute," but what do they know, anyway? Iomega's newest batch of external SSDs are easily the most adorable we've seen, as these 1.8-inchers can just about slip into any oversized Fifth Pocket that you may have. Available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB sizes, the diminutive drives support USB 3.0 and are built to be lugged around and occasionally dropped, stepped on or used as a stress-relief tool. Specifically, the metal enclosure is engineered to handle drops from up to ten feet, and the 256-bit hardware encryption ensures that only you and your cronies will see what's inside. The company's also tossing in its Protection Suite (loaded with anti-virus, cloning and backup applications), and it'll be hawking these in early November for $229, $399 and $749 from least capacious to most. Oh, and that noise you hear? A hundred million USB 3.0 flash drives getting all sorts of perturbed. %Gallery-105158%
OCZ Enyo USB 3.0 SSD gets reviewed: seductively speedy
OCZ's Enyo USB 3.0 portable SSD is still a fortnight or so away from hitting typical sales channels, but that hasn't stopped PC Perspective from picking one up via alternative means and putting it through its paces. We already knew that this would easily be the sexiest USB 3.0 SSD to hit the streets this year (okay, so we're assuming, but we're willing to bet a handful of Microsoft Points!), but now we know it'll also be one of the fastest. When tested alongside a USB 3.0 Super Talent thumb drive in a reasonably potent Core i7 desktop, critics found that read / write performance was downright stunning, with sustained read speeds hitting 195MB/sec and write speeds reaching as high as 220MB/sec. 'Course, the lofty price means that this beaut couldn't be recommended to all, but it's certainly nice to have the option if you're still looking for ways to spend that tax refund check. Video's after the break, y'all.
OCZ's Enyo may be the sexiest USB 3.0 external SSD this world has ever seen
OCZ actually slipped this one into its CES 2010 reveal lineup, but at the time, no official product name was mentioned. All we knew was that an ultra-sleek external SSD was on tap, and we couldn't wait to wrap our sickeningly sweaty palms around it. Fast forward to today, and OCZ has finally slapped a certified moniker and even a shipping status onto the Enyo, a downright gorgeous portable SSD with a native SuperSpeed USB interface. Encased in aluminum, this beaut will ship in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB flavors, with speeds of up to 260MB/sec (read) and 200MB/sec (write) promised. The company says that these are making their way out today, but mum's the word so far on pricing. Not like it matters. Update: We've received pricing direct from OCZ for the US market. The 64GB model will run $229.99, while the 128GB demands $409.99 and the 256GB version places a $819.99 dent in your credit limit. %Gallery-92383%
Active Media Products serves up Aviator-2 external USB 3.0 SSD
You know what's better than a new solid state drive? An Olympic gold medal. You know what else? A USB 3.0 SSD, of course! Active Media Products has just dished out details on its latest device, the Aviator-2 external USB 3.0 solid state drive. Available in case-only, 64GB and 128GB flavors, this one promises transfer rates as high as 4.8Gbits/sec (that's ten times the rate of USB 2.0, just so you're well aware), and considering the 3- x 5-inch size, you should have no issues slipping this into the chest pocket of your Members Only jacket. We're in no place to comment on the difficultly of slipping $34.95, $259.95 or $449.95 (in order of mention) out of your wallet, though, which is essentially required in order to take one home. That's the breaks, kid! %Gallery-86021%
OCZ unveils ultraslim USB 3.0 external SSD, Vertex 2 and new PCI-e SSDs
OCZ has a thing for pumping out some pretty swank concepts at trade shows, and sure enough, the company's storming onto the CES floor with a number of drool-worthy introductions. Up first (and dearest to our hearts) is the ultrathin USB 3.0 external solid state drive, which offers up a 5Gb/sec transfer rate and should ship in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities. Someday, for some price. The outfit is also dishing out the Vertex 2 line of MLC-based internal SSDs as well as a second-generation PCI-Express design that's aimed for the enterprise crowd. Specifics are few and far between, but we're hoping to get a little hands-on time (with as many details as we can gather) soon. Really soon. %Gallery-81615%
OCZ needs a name for USB 3.0 solid state drive
That faint sound you can hear right now is the approaching sonic boom of a new portable speedster. OCZ, already the proud patriarch of some pretty radical SSD varieties, has confirmed a new external drive that will hook up via the super speedy USB 3.0 interconnect (whose uncertain future we've discussed here). It's no secret that SSDs tend to get all choked up around current-gen USB or Firewire connections, so we always welcome forward-thinking new drives with open arms. OCZ is still in the process of crowdsourcing a name for its new product, so don't look for specs just yet, but if there are any mysteries left by January, rest assured that CES 2010 will clear them all up.
Active Media debuts 'seriously fast' Aviator 312 USB 3.0 SSD
It may not be the first USB 3.0 hard drive, but Active Media's new Aviator 312 external SSD does look to be the fastest one around at the moment-- assuming it actually lives up to the company's claims, that is. The biggest of those are read speeds "up to" a blazing 240MB/s and write speeds up to 160MB/s -- both, of course, made possible through the magic of USB 3.0, which also just so happens to let the drive be an external one, and be powered solely by USB. Of course, there are a few not insignificant trade-offs as well, the most notable being that the drive is limited to just 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, which also unsurprisingly demand more than their capacities would suggest: $89, $119, and $209, respectively.[Via Electronista]
OWC Mercury On-The-Go Pro takes longer to say than to boot
One of these days, SSDs will hit a price point that doesn't require a second mortgage to buy one. Until then, we can just gawk at things like OWC's latest, which is a portable version of Crucial's still relatively new line of affordable SSDs, built around the familiar Indilinx controller and Samsung NAND flash. Coming in sizes from 64GB ($280) to 256GB ($730), the new Pro devices can transfer data and get their power from either a Firewire or USB port. Alas, that means you'll be limited to 100MBps read rates -- as opposed to the 250MBps you could get from an eSATA connection -- but that's a small sacrifice to make if you care about losing the moving parts in your portable storage. [Via Electronista]
G-Technology's external G-DRIVE mini / G-RAID mini appear with SSDs within
Across the way at Macworld, G-Technology has dropped in to launch what it (mistakenly) calls the industry's first family of external SSDs. Who knows, maybe it's playing up that "family" angle, but these certainly aren't the first SSDs to link up with machines from the outside. Minutiae aside, we're still pretty pumped about the G-DRIVE mini and G-RAID mini, both of which house 2.5-inch SSDs that promise to operate in a cooler, quieter fashion. The former unit is set to ship in 120GB and 250GB flavors, while the latter will arrive with 250GB or 500GB within. Also of note is the port assortment: USB 2.0, FireWire 800 and -- wait for it -- FireWire 400 (eSATA is included as well on the G-RAID mini). G-Technology asserts that the G-DRIVE minis will hit read rates of 75MB/sec and write speeds of 60MB/sec (the RAIDed siblings will top out at 195MB/sec), and nary a power supply is needed when using powered USB / FireWire sockets. Look for 'em to come pre-formatted for OS X later this month starting at $599.
Buffalo's LinkStation Mini external hard drive goes SSD
Buffalo has already shown its willingness to cram a pricey SSD into an external enclosure for those who prefer quiet, quick operations over the pure vastness of traditional HDDs, and now it's doing so once more with the SSD-equipped LinkStation Mini. Easily titled LS-WSS240GL/R1, the 240GB device houses a pair of 120GB solid state drives and features DLNA / iTunes server capabilities, an Ethernet port, RAID 0 / 1 compatibility, a USB 2.0 socket and a nifty function to turn it off and on with the PC it's connected to (should you want it to). It's expected to hit Japanese peripheral shops late this month with a ¥111,300 ($1,200) sticker in tow, so you'd better be exceptionally wealthy or really, really through with HDDs before okaying the transaction on this one.
