LaCie Updates d2 HDD With USB 3.0, Thunderbolt

By Kevin Parrish
published

Here's a backup option for consumers with USB 3.0 and/or Thunderbolt connectivity.

On Tuesday LaCie said that its best-selling hard drive, the d2, now features USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt connectivity. The external drive is offered in two capacities, 3 TB for $299 and 4 TB for $399, and features transfer speeds up to 180 MB/s, twice that of FireWire and nearly four times faster than USB 2.0.

"The LaCie d2 offers seamless cross-platform compatibility in any work environment," the company said. "With USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt interfaces, the LaCie d2 is an excellent option for new Mac or Ultrabook users. Backward compatibility with USB 2.0 means the user can connect the product to any standard computer. Both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt cables are included."

According to the spec sheet, the LaCie d2 consists of a 7200RPM HDD with 32 MB or greater cache. Additional features include AES 256-bit software encryption, system monitoring and email alerts for temperature events, Kensington lock compatibility and cable management. The external drive also utilizes silent cooling via an aluminum enclosure with a heat sink design designed by Neil Poulton, providing 60-percent better fanless cooling.

"Since effective cooling is a critical factor in hard disk reliability, the LaCie d2 features a solid aluminum casing that provides 60-percent more surface area than flat designs, which diverts and dissipates heat more efficiently," the company said. "Its innovative design means it stays cool without requiring a fan, making it perfect for noise-sensitive creative environments."

On the software front, the new external drive comes packed with LaCie Desktop Manager which controls encryption, front LED behavior, shortcut button configuration, and email alerts. There's also Wuala Secure Cloud Storage, Genie Backup manager Pro for PC, Intego Backup Manager Pro for Mac, and LaCie Private-Public password protection for data security.

"The LaCie d2 has been trusted by creative professionals for almost a decade," said Erwan Girard, Business Unit Manager, LaCie. "We’ve leveraged industry leading technology and supercharged the LaCie d2, so our customers can stick with their favorite hard drive while improving efficiency."

To purchase the new USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt-ready LaCie d2 external hard drive, head here or pick one up at a LaCie Reseller starting at $299 USD.

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Kevin Parrish
6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • A Bad Day
    The only use I see in using Copperpeak with storage devices are multiple HDDs and/or SSDs in RAID. A consumer SSD is unlikely to fill a Copperpeak's bandwidth, nevertheless a HDD.
    Reply
  • danwat1234
    $300 for 3,000GB? Get real
    Reply
  • A Bad Day
    There are two or three companies that charge $600-$1000 for an empty Thunderbolt PCI-E chassis box, which consist of:

    -Aluminum box with ventilation holes
    -Thunderbolt to PCI-E adapter
    -75W-100W PSU (for some of the models)
    -Thunderbolt cable (a few models don't include cable)

    Then again, maybe it's because the vast majority of the computers with a Thunderbolt port are Apple's computers, thus encouraging the manufacturers to attempt to price-gouge their customers.
    Reply
  • JOSHSKORN
    Using Thunderbolt, you can transfer at 180 MB/s on this external HDD? And what is the current generation of Thunderbolt capable of in terms of speed? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think even USB 3.0 is capable of up to 400 MB/s. By comparison, Thunderbolt is capable of much more, I believe.
    Reply
  • The limitation is the disk itself. Were this to have a large flash disk, the transfer rates would be much higher
    Reply
  • alidan
    JOSHSKORNUsing Thunderbolt, you can transfer at 180 MB/s on this external HDD? And what is the current generation of Thunderbolt capable of in terms of speed? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think even USB 3.0 is capable of up to 400 MB/s. By comparison, Thunderbolt is capable of much more, I believe.
    hard to say because i dont know.

    thunderbolt may have less overhead than usb3 which would make it faster
    i have a usb3 external hdd, and i can say as far as read write speeds go its getting as much as it can get.

    now seek time is the part i think you would see the biggest difference through usb and through sata... and i dont know the difference there.
    Reply