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OWC ships 4-bay Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 RAID box
You won't find an Ethernet port here, but you will find everlasting peace, love and a grand total of four direct connection options alongside four hot swappable bays for up to 8TB of local storage. OWC's latest is the quad-interface Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 RAID box, which sports FireWire 400, FireWire 800, eSATA and USB 2.0 sockets 'round back. Users are graced with a number of selectable RAID settings -- 0, 1, 5, 10 or Span (NRAID) -- and the front-panel LEDs keep you informed at a glance. The box is shipping right now in a variety of configurations ranging from $679.99 (500GB x 4) to $1,149.99 (1TB x 4), and despite the unmistakable cheesegrater design, these actually won't zero out your data if plugged into a PC.
LaCie's Rugged XL: 1TB of ready-for-anything storage
Clearly LaCie's going for that "timeless" look, 'cause the Rugged XL looks precisely like the original Rugged that launched over three years ago. The drive, which was unsurprisingly designed by Neil Poulton, touts a durable aluminum casing with external and internal shock absorbers, USB 2.0 and eSATA connectors along with a software suit to handle your backups. Packed within is a single 1TB drive, and externally, there's a "warm orange LED strip" to either keep you informed of drive status or just look stupendously fashionable, one. It's up for grabs today (or it should be soon, anyway) for $159.99, and no, the orange exterior cannot be swapped for a non-DOT-approved hue.
A-DATA launches colorful line of CH91 portable HDDs
Do you have any idea how many episodes of Matlock you can fit on 500GB? No really, do you have any idea? To be totally frank, neither do we, but you'll be hard pressed to find a half terabyte of portable storage more nicely colored than this to hold said episodes on. A-DATA has just introduced its CH91 external HDD, which is available in sizes up to 500GB (via a single 2.5-inch drive) and is completely USB powered. The only difficult part here is choosing between sapphire blue, sweet pink and purple white -- oh, and finding a price. Full release is after the break.
Ask Engadget: Best external hard drive enclosure?
No need to check your LCDs, folks -- this is happening. This is this week's rendition of Ask Engadget, and if you'd rather your own question be in this space next week, shoot us a good one at ask at engadget dawt com. "Like any good geek, I have upgraded my MacBook's hard disk many times, and have all the old 2.5-inch SATA disks sitting in a pile. I'd like to put them in a case, but the enclosures I see are either very expensive or look hideous and unreliable. I'd love to get some recommendations for dependable, fairly-priced portable enclosures; USB's a must, but FireWire 400, then FireWire 800 then eSATA would be bonuses, as would any extra features."So, HDD upgraders -- what kind of case (or cases) did you procure in order to keep using those displaced drives? Any great stories of success / failure? Let us know, would ya?
Engadget's recession antidote: win a 1.5TB Drobo!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we're serving up one of the hottest giveaways yet: a second-generation Drobo (with FireWire 800), complete with twin 750GB Western Digital hard drives. You read right -- a 1.5TB intelligent storage solution to get your life completely back in order. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting!Huge thanks to Data Robotics for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) second-gen Drobo and two (2) 750GB Western Digital hard drives. Approximate value is $675. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Tuesday, March 24th, 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Freecom's ToughDrive Sport external HDD is tough, also a drive
Okay Mr. (or Mrs.) Fumblefingers, you've got your Toughbook for high-impact computing on the go, but when you just need to take that presentation into the office and you don't want to lug your bombproof notebook with you it's time for a rugged external HDD, and Freecom's ToughDrive Sport is the latest. It's a rubberized enclosure sporting drives in 250, 320, and 500GB flavors, protecting them from drops of up to 2 meters while its 256 bit MD5 hardware encryption protects your data from would-be spies -- and from anyone on a Mac, since it's PC-only. The $219 drive (for 500GB) doesn't appear to be waterproof, or even resistant, but hey, check out that USB cable. It looks like a climbing rope!Update: Thomas commented to point out that it's just the "Turbo" USB 2.0 driver that requires a PC. You can indeed throw this bad boy at your local Mac -- so long as you can live without boost. [Via Tom's Hardware]
Ask Engadget: Best external hard drive under $100?
Ask Engadget is back this week with yet another thoughtful reader-submitted question, and if you'd like your own inquiry to get some face time, just send one in to ask at engadget dawt com. Without further adieu, we'll let Zach take it from here: "So I need some extra storage because I've been going a little iTunes "crazy" lately and have been downloading gigabytes of albums, podcasts and movies. I'm looking for a reliable hard drive but at the same time, price is a key factor considering not a lot of money is available at the moment. I'm thinking 100GB or more should suffice. I don't want to get roped into buying a crappy hard drive and have it die on me a week after using it. What's the best one out there for around $100 or less? Thanks!" We'll go out on a limb here and assume he's looking for USB 2.0 (sorry, FireWire 400), so let loose those opinions!
IDrive Portable HDD backs your files up locally and online
Look, we feel your pain. There's about a gazillion options when it comes to portable hard drives, but the IDrive Portable actually does differentiate itself from the masses in one particularly useful way. Aside from being the "thinnest and lightest portable USB drive in its class," this 0.3 pound unit houses 320GB of space on a 5,400RPM HDD, and it plays nice with Windows / OS X machines. Predictably, it features a one-click backup option for storing precious data outside of your PC, but unlike the other guys, this one also includes the ability to backup online for yet another layer of protection. Of course, that online bit will run you up to $4.95 per month, but we have to say the interface looks pretty swank. Anywho, the device itself is listed as shipping within one to two days for $119.95, and all the nitty-gritty about the services is tucked away in the read link.[Thanks, Chris]
Apricorn introduces 1.5TB DVR Xpander, succeeds at making it ugly
Apricorn's DVR Xpanders have never been the prettiest bunch, but we would've thought a redesign was in order with the introduction of the 1.5TB model. Sadly, our hopes and dreams of a DVR attachment from the outfit that isn't completely heinous have been decidedly crushed, as the latest edition is just as unsightly as prior models. Of course, it can hold up to 187.5 hours of HD content or 843 hours of SD material, not to mention its ability to connect via USB 2.0 or eSATA. So yeah, if all that matters to you is functionality (and not missing a single drama while out on that month-long vacation), we'd say the $239 asking price is totally reasonable.[Via PCLaunches, thanks Vinit]
OWC tempts with 4-bay Mercury Rack Pro RAID solution
If OWC's latest and greatest external RAID drives are just too, um, unmountable for your tastes, how's about this? The 4-bay Mercury Rack Pro features the increasingly familiar quad interface (USB 2.0, FireWire 400, FireWire 800 and eSATA) and supports up to four 2TB 3.5-inch SATA I / II hard drives, up to 128MB total data buffer, a variety of RAID options and ultra-quiet operation. Those looking to fill that one last 1U slot with oodles of storage room can buy in now for anywhere between $899.99 (2TB) and $1,499.99 (4TB).
OWC intros dual-bay quad interface Mercury Elite-AL Pro RAID drives
OWC's Mercury Elite-AL Pro hasn't changed much since May of 2007 in terms of design, but the latest models offer up two bays for that sweet, succulent RAID action. The Mercury Elite-AL Pro Dual-Bay drive offers up four interface options (USB 2.0, eSATA, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800) and comes in an aircraft-grade brushed aluminum housing. Pre-configured models are available now from $219.99 (500GB) to 3TB ($499.99).
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Clickfree gone wild at CES: 1TB drive, Mac support and online backup
Clickfree's remarkably useful Transformer Cable isn't the only new gear being announced from the outfit today -- far from it, actually. For starters, it's bringing a 1TB backup drive with its heralded auto backup functionality at $229.99. Next, we've got the entirely overpriced ($19.99) five-pack of DataGuard Clickfree DVDs, while the "automatic" Total Backup Clickfree DVDs ring up at just $14.99 for the same quantity. Potentially more notable is the notion that all Clickfree products are now Mac compatible so long as you're using OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or higher and an Intel CPU. Moving on, we're told that Clickfree Online Backup and Flash Backup are both slated to become a reality later this year for folks needing off-site / pocket-sized backup solutions. The full spill is hosted up just past the break, and trust us, it's crowded down there.
Toshiba adds 500GB external hard drive to their line
Toshiba's added to the ever-expanding offering of 500GB external drives with its newly released HDDR500E03X. The USB 2.0, 2.5-incher is on offer in a totally sweet array of colors, and comes pre-loaded with NTI Shadow backup software. It's available now for somehwere in the vicinity of $140. [Via PC World]
LaCie breaks off quad-interface 2big Quadra RAID drive
LaCie already delivered two new pieces in its collection yesterday, but apparently the 2big Quadra simply demanded its very own day of promotion. The classically styled (thanks, Neil Poulton) drive arrives with twin bays for up to 3TB of storage and support for four RAID modes including the traditional RAID 0 / 1. Transfer speeds can hit up to 165MB/sec through eSATA (3Gbits/sec in RAID 0), and the quadruple interface -- USB 2.0, eSATA, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 -- means that whatever machine you happen upon will likely be equipped to handle it. Moreover, it's fully compatible with Apple's Time Machine software and comes bundled with Genie Backup Manager Pro / Intego Backup Manager Pro for those in need. It'll be yours for the taking later this month (in 1TB, 2TB and 3TB sizes) starting at $299.99.
Buffalo debuts stylish new MiniStation hard drives, NAS device
Buffalo's hard drives and other devices haven't always been the most eye-catching products out there, but the company looks to be making a respectable showing with its new MiniStation Cobalt drives, which pack all the features you'd expect in a stylish and apparently shock-resistant package. You can also get 'em in your choice of 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, or 500GB capacities (ranging in price from $80 to $170), and in your choice of the three different colors pictured above. Those that prefer of bit of networking with their storage will also soon be able to get their hands on Buffalo's latest LinkStation NAS, the LinkStation Pro, which will be available in both 500GB and 1TB versions ($210 and $300, respectively), and includes Buffalo's Web Access 2.0 feature, which will let you access your files via any web browser, among other standard NAS feature.Read - PDAToday, Buffalo MiniStation CobaltRead - PDAToday, LinkStation Pro
WD pumps out My Passport for Mac / My Book Mac Edition
We'll wager you didn't know Macworld was going on today, did you? Pathetic jokes aside, Western Digital has lined up a pair of launches today in San Francisco to coincide with Apple's final Macworld keynote, as we're treated to the My Passport for Mac portable HDD and the My Book Mac Edition. Truthfully, the only real difference between these drives and their vanilla counterparts is the pre-format process; with these, they both come "pre-formatted for Mac," saving you the tiresome task of converting 'em to HFS+ Journaled yourself. Additionally, these USB 2.0 drives are made to work "seamlessly" with Apple's Time Machine backup software, and they'll arrive in capacities including 320GB and 500GB (My Passport) / 1TB (My Book). Both units should be available now for between $129.99 and $179.99.
LaCie intros 22x d2 external DVD burner, 2TB Hard Disk MAX
Two new ones have arrived today from the labs of LaCie, and neither are destined to ever end up inside of your PC. Up first, we've got the slightly speedier d2 external DVD±RW drive with LightScribe, which toasts discs at up to 22x and connects to PCs via USB 2.0 or FireWire (400, presumably). For those in need of HDD-based storage, the glossy black Hard Disk MAX comes with a pair of 1TB drives that can be set in either a RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration with the simple flick of a switch on the back panel. There's also a USB port on the front for additional expansion, and the USB 2.0 socket 'round back is what links it up with your computer. Both are available right now for $119.99 / $269.99, respectively.Read - d2 external DVD burnerRead - Hard Disk MAX
Iomega's Home Media Network Hard Drive backs up files, streams content
Slowly but surely, the multimedia hard drive is becoming more and more relevant. At first, it was outlets like Mvix doing the honors, and then mainstays such as LaCie got in while the gettin' was good. Now, we've got ole Iomega trying its hand at the game, with the introduction of the Home Media Network Hard Drive at Macworld in San Francisco. The drive, which includes the firm's LifeLine software, enables users to easily backup their precious files and stream music, photos, videos and all manners of other multimedia between computers, networked TVs, gaming consoles, etc. For those curious, it'll function just fine as an iTunes server and play oh-so-nice with DLNA certified devices, and aside from the obligatory gigabit Ethernet jack, there's also a USB port for adding a shared network printer or extra capacity. It should be available early this month for $159.99 (500GB) / $229.99 (1TB).
Verbatim debuts quad interface 500GB / 1TB external HDDs
While they aren't the first quad interface external drives on the market, Verbatim's adding to the bunch with a new 500GB and 1TB model. Slated to debut at this year's Macworld Expo, the pro audio / video-grade drives are Mac and PC compatible and tout USB 2.0, FireWire 400, FireWire 800 and eSATA II sockets. Each unit weighs 3.3-pounds and features 3.5-inch HDDs with 7,200RPM spindle speeds and 32MB of cache. Grab one right this very moment for $179.99 / $249.99, respectively.[Via InformationWeek]
So you just got your first Mac -- now what?
All day on December 25, TUAW presents "Now What?" We've got first steps and recommendations for all the Apple gifts you (hopefully!) found under the tree today. Happy holidays! If you're a Mac veteran, send a link to this post to the switcher on your holiday list. Merry Christmas, new Mac owner. First of all, congratulations! Welcome to the family. There's some eggnog on the table, and feel free to put your coat on the bed. Setting up your new Mac is a famously easy experience. It should take about 10 minutes, depending on the kind of Mac you bought, and where you want to put it. Once you have your new Mac on your desk, it will take you through a short setup process to personalize your new machine. You'll choose a username, a password, and will be given the option to register your Mac and sign up for MobileMe, if you want. (You can register and sign up for MobileMe later, if you don't do it now.) If you bought any applications along with your Mac (like Microsoft Office, for example), you can install them very easily. Just insert the disc, and either drag the application to your Applications folder (on your hard disk) or double-click the installer application. You can eject the disc when you're done by dragging it to the Trash, or pressing the eject key on your keyboard. For Windows compatibility, get your Windows XP (SP2 or SP3) or Windows Vista disc ready, and double click the Boot Camp Assistant in the Utilities folder (it's inside your Applications folder). Boot Camp Assistant will walk you through the process of installing Windows on your Mac. It's not difficult, but it will take a little time. Once Windows is installed, you can hold down the Option key before your computer boots to choose which operating system to run, or select a permanent preference via the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences. You can read more switcher-specific tips in our Switchers category. If you're switching to the Mac platform from the PC, I might humbly suggest you read Part 1 and Part 2 of my experience introducing my dad to the Mac. He was a hard-core PC user until he fell in love with his Mac mini. Continue reading for a few best bets about how to extend and protect your new Mac.
