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LaCie Big Disk Extreme+ Dual 301296U: Review

Posted to Hard Drives 2009-02-01

Review: LaCie Big Disk Extreme+ Dual 301296U 2TB

If you never thought you would run out of storage space, but now you find yourself staring at megs worth of remaining space and you are desperate to expand, then you may want to check out the LaCie Big Disk Extreme+ Dual 301296U 2TB 301296U. With this compact design and compatibility with PC and Mac, the Big Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB provides unique features and more storage than you'd ever dreamed you'd own.

With a case designed by Neil Poulton, the Big Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB measures only 1.7inches x 6.8inches x 10.6inches with a total weight of 5.51 lbs, which is small in comparison to the large amount of storage it contains. With so much available storage space, the Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB will take all the multi-media files you can throw at it and still have room for more.

Rating:

3.8 out of 5

Features

Unlike some of its siblings, the Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB only offers eSATA or USB 2.0 connectivity. No Firewire is available on this model. But with the eSATA transfer rate of up to 3Gbits and burst transfer rate of up to 115 - 125 MB a second, odds are you won't miss the Firewire ports, unless your PC does not support that connectivity option. USB is also an option and allows for a transfer rate of up to 60 MB a second with burst transfer rates of up to 30 - 40 MB a second.

The Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB also has the ability to notify its users when there is a problem with its internals. The large orb on the front of the device serves two purposes. When all drives are happy and functioning normally, the orb glows blue, but if something fails, it will glow red. See red, and you can easily turn the device around to check the status indicators to find the exact problem.

A unique feature on the Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB that would be loved by many a computer geek, is the ability to self select from a variety of modes. The Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB comes pre-set with the Fast RAID 0 mode. Other options are RAID 1, JBOD, concatenated, and RAID+ concatenated. If you are brave enough to make a change, it can easily be done by turning the rotary switch to the desired option. Just be forewarned, if you decide to make a change after you have already been using the Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB, all data that has currently been saved will be lost. So make your changes wisely.

The best feature is the EMC Retrospect Express Software that the Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB comes bundled with. Once installed, the software offers several different backup options ranging from fast to scheduled backups of either a single file or your entire system. The software is also easy to use, making it great for those who are more concerned about protecting their prized photos then about how the backup actually works.

Performance

Unlike other models, the Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB contains a progressive smart fan to keep its contents cool. Some may think that the inclusion of a fan will make this external hard drive noisy but it's hardly noticeable.

Performance is best when the eSATA connection is used. USB on the other hand does not perform as well, but regardless of the connection type you choose, the Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB can still handle all the multi-media files you can throw at it.

Summary

In conclusion, the Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB makes a great companion to the multi-media hog in all of us. Whether you need more storage, or just want to brag to visitors that you have 2TB of storage, the Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB will provide you with the quality storage you desire. Throw anything you want at it, the Disk Extreme+ Dual 2TB will keep up and ask for more.

Pros

eSATA & USB 2.0 connectivity
EMC Retrospect Express Software
Multiple Storage Modes
Unique drive failure notification

Cons

No Firewire