Product Description

All those videos ready to be downloaded but so little available space. Fear not, LaCie 301371 Rugged 500 GB External Hard Drive is here. At under 12 ounces, and nearly pocket size, it's hard to believe that the external LaCie 301371 Rugged 500 GB USB 2.0 / FireWire Hard Drive has space for so much data storage. With specially designed rugged protection, this drive is at home with your desktop or notebook, and you. The exclusive creation of world-renown designer Neil Poulton, this portable storage solution offers the supreme speed of FireWire 800 along with FireWire 400 and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interfaces for true universal connectivity. Conveniently bus-powered and plug and play, it's ideal for backup, video storage and large data volume exchange on the go. Simply plug it into just about any computer anywhere for backup, video storage and large data volume exchange. Its unique scratch-protected aluminum shell and shock-resistant rubber bumper make the LaCie Rugged Hard Disk especially resistant to harsh elements for extra protection along the road of your adventures. Max Sustained Transfer Rate - FireWire 800 - up to 57MB/s FireWire 400 - up to 40MB/s Hi-Speed USB 2.0 - up to 36MB/s Average Seek Time (Write) - <12ms mini USB 2.0, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 ports Operating system - Windows 2000 or Higher / Mac OS X Compatible with Time Machine Approximate Unit Dimensions - 3.5 x 1.1 x 5.6 Approximate Unit Weight - 0.65 pound

Product Details

• Size: 500 GB
• Brand: LaCie
• Model: 301371
• Platform: Windows
• Format: CD
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 3.50" h x 5.60" w x 1.00" l, .55 pounds
• Memory: 8MB
• Hard Disk: 500GB

Features

• 500 GB external hard disk with rugged, shock resistant case
• Triple interface including FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0 for speed and universal connectivity
• Bus-powered so no bulky power adapter required
• Includes one-year online backup service providing unlimited off-site backup storage
• Measures 3.5 x 1.0 x 5.7 inches (WxHxD); backed by a 3-year warranty

Amazon.com Product Description
The LaCie 301371 500 GB Rugged Hard Disk with FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0 is designed to survive the harsh elements of the real world. This durable, portable storage drive offers 500 GB of storage with a triple interface for maximum compatibility and performance, and is built with a rugged, drop-resistant aluminum alloy shell and a shock-resistant rubber bumper.

The LaCie 500 GB Rugged Hard Disk with FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0: Features a rugged drop-resistant and shock-resistant enclosure. Gets power from the USB bus so no extra adapter is required. Has 500 GB of disk space; 5400 RPM spin rate and 8 MB of cache for maximum drive performance. Doesn't need any drivers for simple set up. Free one-year online backup service.

With three interfaces, you'll have a fast connection with any computer. View larger.

World-renowned designer Neil Poulton is responsible for the stunning look. View larger.

The Rugged All-Terrain withstands bumps and shocks to keep your data safe and secure.

Ultra-Portable Data Shuttle
If you travel a lot with your data, the Rugged All-Terrain is the drive is for you. Perfect for users who need backup, storage and large-volume exchange for office files, photos, music and even video clips, the Rugged All-Terrain is bus-powered, which means that it uses the power of the connected computer to operate and doesn't require an additional AC adapter or power cord.

Three Interfaces for Fast Connections
The Rugged All-Terrain offers speed and versatility with three connection interfaces, letting you use it with almost any computer. The FireWire 800 interface allows for a blistering 800 Mbps data transfer speed, perfect for video editing and other intensive work. FireWire 400 is also supported, which has long been a favorite of Mac users and provides 400 Mbps speeds. The nearly universal USB 2.0 interface is supported as well, which offers a transfer rate of up to 480 Mbps, and is backwards compatible with USB 1.1.

With its driver-free and plug-and-play functionality, exchanging data between Macs and PCs is as easy as it gets--simply plug it into any computer with a USB port and you're ready to go. (The Rugged All-Terrain requires no extra drivers for Windows XP/2000/Vista and Mac OS X operating systems.) It even comes with a power-sharing cable for low-powered USB hubs and computers.

The drive features a spin speed of 5400 RPM, an 8 MB cache, and a transfer rate of up to up to 480 Mbits per second. Measuring a mere 3.5 x 1 x 5.7 inches (WxHxD) and weighing less than nine ounces, the Rugged All-Terrain is designed to travel and will fit easily in your briefcase or backpack. Take it with you on business trips and vacations, or use it for transferring files from one desktop computer to another.

Included with the drive are LaCie software bundles to enhance its performance and functionality, including LaCie's 1-Click Backup Software (for Mac and PC) and SilverKeeper Backup Software (Mac).

Mobile, All-Terrain Protection
Designed exclusively for LaCie by world-renowned designer Neil Poulton, the Rugged All-Terrain is built like an off-road vehicle, ready to withstand the bumps and bruises of your travels. Its unique, scratch-protected aluminum shell and shock-resistant rubber bumper make it especially resistant to harsh elements. In fact, the drive is designed to withstand vertical drops of up to 35 inches while in non-operating mode. (Dropping the drive while it's in operation, however, could cause damage, so be careful!)

For additional styling points, the Rugged All-Terrain can be outfitted with additional colorful bumpers that will keep your drive protected. Easy-to-change and durable once on, they are made of the same quality rubber as the original bright orange Rugged sleeve. The optional set of three additional bumpers, which is sold seperately, includes green-grey, blue-grey and black bumpers.

Free One-Year Unlimited Backup Service
With the purchase of this LaCie Hard Disk, you will also receive a full year of LaCie's Online Backup service. With this service, the data that you store on your computer will be encrypted twice and uploaded to the offsite data center where they will remain encrypted, maintaining your privacy.

When you sign up for the service, software is added to your computer that looks for new and changed files to update. The service is completely automated and only backs up new and modified files when your computer is idle, so you don't have to do a thing, and your computer's performance will never be affected.

This service lets you upload an unlimited amount of photos, music, video, and documents for a full year. After that you can continue with the service for a low monthly fee. This is LaCie's way of ensuring that should anything happen to your Hard Disk -- should it get stolen or damaged, for instance -- your invaluable data will remain completely protected and accessible.

The LaCie Rugged All-Terrain Portable Hard Drive is backed by a 3-year limited warranty.

About LaCie
Established in France in 1989, LaCie is a leading manufacturer of computer peripherals for Windows, Apple and Linux users. With offices and plants in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Europe, Singapore and Hong Kong, LaCie develops and manufactures external storage solutions and color monitors that help professionals and everyday people easily manage their digital lives. LaCie has differentiated its products through original designs and leading-edge technology.

What's in the Box
LaCie Rugged Hard Disk, FireWire 800 cable, FireWire 400 cable, high-speed USB 2.0 cable (USB 1.1 compatible), USB power-sharing cable, and quick install guide.

Optional bumpers let you easily change the look of your Rugged All-Terrain.

Customer Reviews

LaCie Rugged Hard Drive 250 GB - The Fire wire And USB Ports Are Great!!! Great HD!!!

The LaCie 250 GB Rugged Hard Disk with FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB2.0 is a great unit that is ideal for those with fire-wire ports built-in to their laptops and computers. Unfortunately while most Macs have fire-wire built-in, right now the majority of Windows based laptops do not. That is changing as more PCs are getting them built-in. I need drives for several computers, including Mac, Windows and Linux boxes. Suffice it to say that this drive is definitely a must own if you have a Mac and may even be worth installing a fire-wire card if you have a PC.

While it is no secret that I love my WD hard-drives, the LaCie drive definitely outperforms it in a few key areas. So depending on your needs, it may be well worth the small premium to pick up the LaCie.

Don't get me wrong, when it comes to value and best performance for your buck the Western Digital My Passport Essential 320GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive (Intense Blue) is a great option. Like the LaCie, it has a variety of color options including black, red, white and blue. Of course changing colors on your LaCie is much easier than buying a different color WD drive when the mood strikes. The rugged color bands are interchangeable. The WD also doesn't have the "rugged" edges of the LaCie, and it only has USB 2.0 which makes it impractical for certain situations.

Namely, if you want to run something off your external drive, such as a program or a media library, the performance of USB alone is just not as good. Just ignore the specifications and numbers, because from first hand experience I can tell you fire-wire definitely performs faster for large backups or regular data access. It's just faster.

The LaCie is also more versatile. Even if you are planning on using it for USB only right now, having the fire-wire means that if you get another computer that is capable you already have the option built in. That may be a stretch, but if you are planning on getting a new laptop within the next year from one of the big brands you can pretty much plan on them having fire-wire.

Now there are a few slight advantages that the WD has over the LaCie. The LaCie is definitely slightly bigger and thicker, and it's also more expensive. Still, the difference is small enough that the pros will probably outweigh those small cons, especially for Mac users.

Pros
+ Great versatility with fire-wire 400, 800, and USB 2.0
+ Fire-Wire speeds give you better response times for online data access
+ Nice size with aluminum shell and "rugged" edges that hold up regular use
+ USB or FW powered, so no A/C required, which is great for portability
+ USB power sharing option allows you to hook up a USB hub, etc.
+ Works well on Windows Vista, XP and Mac OS X and older versions too
+ You can set up your own disk encryption for security and privacy
+ Nice looks, and the brushed surface scratches much less than my WD drives
+ Other color options for your rubber bumpers are sold separately
+ Turns on and off with your computer or easily ejected via system tray
+ Easy driver-less installation really works!
+ Included backup software is less buggy than WD and may be useful for some
+ 250 GB capacity is decent for most users, but I hope a larger size is coming SOON!
+ The 2 year warrantee is good, but not as good as WD's 3 and 5 year warrantees depending on model

Cons
- Priced higher than WD on a dollar per gigabyte basis
- Larger GB capacity drives not widely available from LaCie though they are offered by WD
- Form factor is slightly larger and thicker than the WD passport drive
- Warrantee is also shorter than WD
- The *rugged* thing may be oversold, and I don't recommend dropping it
- Still no standard Linux drivers or software included, but there are workarounds
- Have to spend your cash to get a case that should have been included

Conclusion

This drive is great or those who want a portable drive for backups or running a media library application like iTunes or Media Center. I only wish they sold it in larger capacities. The premium price may be worth it for those who need that extra edge in speed offered by fire-wire connectivity.

Enjoy!

Firewire powered is a great feature
I'm using this with my macbook pro. I looked around a lot because the macbook only has 2 USB ports, so I wanted something I could plug in somewhere else. The Firewire 800 is fast, and it powers the drive, so no carrying around another power pack.

The drive comes with all the cables you will need firewire 800, 400, USB, and a optional power cord if you have an older laptop that might not be pushing enough amps through the USB (ie. you may have to plug 1 USB in for the data, and 1 for the power).

It was plug and play for me. No installing of drivers or any other monkey biz. Just started backing up data.

Excellent Connectivity and Design
If you are like me and use portable drives on a regular basis...then this drive is for you. I LoVE it!!! It is rugged enough so that I dont have to worry if it slips out of my hands or gets bounced around my bag. It is a little bigger then most portable drives...but not big enough for me to give it a bad review.

The connectivity on this drive just blows away the competition. I mean USB, Firewire 400, Firewire 800... that pretty much handles it all.

The drive is bus powered but also has the option to be powered by an AC Adaptor that can be purchased separately.

The speeds of this drive are awesome and due to the various options cannot be compared to anything else.

Get one asap...you wont be sorry.