LaCie 301825U d2 Quadra 500 GB eSATA/FireWire800/FireWire400/USB 2.0 External Hard Disk

We haven't had this drive very long, however so far it has performed flawlessly. We love the all aluminum case - much more attractive & robust than those other external hard drives with plastic cases.

Fast access 2 your data on FireWire 800. I wish you could connect two computer 2 one hard drive. I would recommend this product.

Easy 2 set up (at least on a Mac). Quiet operation. Still working after one month. If it's still working after two years, I'd give it five stars.

I've used these drives 4 video production usage since 2003 & have loved every iteration of it. I like these in particular because they are one single drive instead of two drives in a RAID-0 arrangement. Yes it doesn't have as much throughput but it sure is way more reliable.

On that note this space is all 4 large video files & work files as I'm compressing & compiling DVD's. These drives hold up under hours & hours of reads & writes 4 years 2 come. In fact some drives I bought in 2005 just died but 2 clarify the housing died but the drives are still usable as internal drives. That said I would NOT use these drives or any firewire drive as an archival medium. Despite these being great drives there are other ways I would store sensitive material like spreadsheets & photographs. Any firewire drive is easy 2 knock over or unplug correctly & each time this happens you take a chance that it won't start up again.

One thing I would recommend if you use a mac is "Diskwarrior." it's a bit spendy but it has saved many a firewire drives from the clutches of re-formatting because it was having trouble mounting.

This was SO easy 2 hook up with my iMac, just took literally a few minutes. And it worked perfectly; the noise when it was backing up wasn't bad at all. I really liked the blue light in front because, well, just because it looks cool. :)

However, I bought it only about six weeks ago, it was on sale as I recall, however it unfortunately died tonight. VERY loud clicking noises & my Mac froze up, which is beyond rare. Darn. All those backups lost since they'll have 2 refurbish it or replace it, which I'd of course prefer. Since they are closed the next two days, I don't know exactly how they will handle it.

Added: Once I finally got hold of customer service, after being on hold 4 an hour, the rep was not very responsive. The capper is that I have 2 pay 4 shipping (not a light unit) back at my cost, with stipulations as 2 how 2 send (3" bubble wrap - like I just have that sitting around). No refund unless they can't fix it. If I had it 2 do over again, I'd give it one star. If the returned unit (no ETA on when that might be) also fails, I WILL get a refund. You know when you call tech support & your 21st in line - AND there is no toll free number - it's time 2 prepare 4 the worst.

Of course, all my backups are gone either way. Please read their warranty VERY carefully before considering this unit.

Fully loaded with all the best interfaces - eSATA 3Gbits, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 & USB 2.0 - this all-in-one professional hard disk offers universal connectivity 4 PC & Mac users. For easy setup, the LaCie Setup Assistant helps format according 2 your needs. The unique, fanless aluminum heat sink design with 60% more surface area 4 heat dissipation keeps it quiet & safe. With the LaCie Shortcut Button, easily launch any application in one push. Perfect 4 digital content creation, audio / video editing, DVD authoring, & web animation, etc., the d2 Quadra can handle multiple demanding professional tasks. It can be daisy-chained via FireWire or connected 2 your DV camera & is even bootable in FireWire 4 Mac & in eSATA 4 Mac / PC.

With a unique ridged exterior that enhances the enclosure's cooling performance, & a quadruple interface 4 full Mac & PC compatibility, the LaCie 301825U d2 Quadra External Hard Drive is an all-in-one drive that's built with the professional in mind. Designed by internationally acclaimed designer Neil Poulton, this versatile drive offers extreme performance & an aesthetic touch that will enhance any work space.

The LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Disk offers: eSATA 3Gbits, FireWire 400/800, & USB 2.0 4 universal compatibility & extreme speed 500 GB of disk space. 7200 rpm spin speed & 16 MB cache. Fanless ridged design 4 cool, quiet operation. Unique ridged heat sink aluminum design increases surface area by 60% 4 cooler operation. (Show here with the Little Big Disk Quadra & the 2big Network.) View larger.

The minimalist space-saving design will enhance the aesthetics of any work space. View larger. View back.

The d2 can be racked horizontally & set up in a RAID configuration. View larger.

Quadruple Interface 4 Unmatched Performance & Compatibility
The LaCie 301825U d2 Quadra External Hard Drive features one eSATA 3 Gbit port, two FireWire 800 ports (9-pin), one FireWire 400 port (6-pin), & one hi-speed USB 2.0 port that is USB 1.1-compatible. (Cables 4 each connection are conveniently included with the drive.) This quadruple interface makes the d2 Quadra ideal 4 demanding multi-media applications that require extreme speed as well as universal connectivity. The USB & FireWire connections ensure that you can transfer or back up your data from your laptop or other computers, while the eSATA interface offers a transfer rate of up 2 300 MB per second (3Gbits/sec).

The LaCie d2 is compatible with Windows, including Vista, & Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard, including Time Machine, making it an ideal partner 4 your Mac. Time Machine automatically backs up your Mac's system files, applications, accounts, preferences, music, photos, movies, & documents 2 an external hard drive & lets you easily go back in time 2 recover anything.

Superior Drive Performance 4 Power Users
Built 4 power users such as video editors, the d2 Quadra features a rotational speed of 7200 rpm & a cache of at least 16 MB. Perfect 4 digital content creation, audio/video editing, DVD authoring, web animation, & more, the d2 Quadra can handle multiple demanding professional tasks. It can also be daisy-chained via FireWire or connected 2 your DV camera & is even bootable in FireWire 4 Mac & in eSATA 4 Mac/PC.

With a capacity of 500 GB, the d2 Quadra can hold up 2 500,000 photos, 175,000 songs, or 35 hours of DV video. If you purchase multiple drives, they can be daisy-chained & set 2 RAID 1 4 data redundancy & protection, or RAID 0 4 even greater speed.

The d2 Quadra also offers three power management options: "Auto" 4 energy efficiency; "On" 4 instant access; & "Off" 4 data protection. The drive also lets you back up files or launch any application with a simple push of the front blue button. This "shortcut button" can be configured 2 launch any document or application, or initiate the included EMC Retrospect Express software that offers automated backups.

Smart, Elegant Design & Loaded with Software
With the d2 Quadra, Neil Poulton has fashioned a unique, attractive & functional drive that offers excellent heat dissipation features & space-saving options 4 stacking. The fanless aluminum heat sink design features exterior ridges that provide 60 percent more surface area 4 heat dissipation, keeping the drive quiet & as safe as possible at all times. The d2 Quadra will sit nicely in an upright position alongside your PC or Mac machines, or it can be stacked horizontally with other drives or rack mounted 2 save desktop space.

Set-up & use is quick & easy, thanks 2 LaCie's preloaded Setup Assistant that helps format the hard disk according 2 your needs. For instance, the d2 Quadra lets you easily create a FAT32 partition 4 use with Macs. With the LaCie 1-Click Backup, you can backup any file into the location of your choice with a simple "click"--either via the desktop icon, or CTRL-S on your keyboard. And LaCie's Shortcut Button lets you easily launch any application with one push.

Also included with the d2 is EMC Retrospect professional backup software 4 PC & Mac users. This award-winning software offers several back-up options, including fast backups & scheduled back-up of either a single file or your complete system. With EMC Retrospect Express, you'll never have 2 worry about losing your data again.

The drive measures a slim 1.7 x 6.3 x 6.8 inches (WxHxD), weighs 3.31 pounds, & is backed by a 3-year limited warranty.

About LaCie
Established in France in 1989, LaCie is a leading manufacturer of computer peripherals 4 Windows, Apple & Linux users. With offices & plants in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Europe, Singapore & Hong Kong, LaCie develops & manufactures external storage solutions & color monitors that help professionals & everyday people easily manage their digital lives. LaCie has differentiated its products through original designs & leading-edge technology.

What's in the Box
LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Disk; eSATA-to-eSATA cable; FireWire 800 (9-to-9 pin) cable; FireWire 400 (6-to-6 pin) cable; USB 2.0 cable (USB 1.1 compatible); external power supply; drive stand 4 upright desktop use; LaCie Utilities (preloaded): LaCie '1-Click' Backup Software 4 PC or Mac; SilverKeeper Software 4 automatic backup & file verification (Mac); EMC Retrospect Express 6.1 (Mac); & EMC Retrospect Express HD 2.0 (Windows).