The perfect companion to your PC, the LaCie Mobile Drive delivers a storage solution in a package that fits in your pocket and features a rugged aluminum design to reliably protect your data. With an ultra-thin, portable design to provide complete mobility, the LaCie Mobile Drive allows you to move freely and take your data with you wherever you go. Offering further convenience, the connection of an AC power adapter is not required to operate LaCie's Mobile Drive. By using the power supplied by the USB bus, you can easily move about with your files, free from power cords and cables, making it even easier to work when traveling. Plug and play with USB 2.0 interface, this lightweight, portable drives boasts transfer rates of up to 480Mbits/sec. - forty times faster than the previous version - while maintaining convenient backward compatibility with USB 1.1 devices. The LaCie Mobile Drive can be used for sharing and transferring data; storing photos, videos and music; taking important office data on the move; and performing a system backup. Ideal for quickly increasing storage space, this mobile drive also serves as the perfect companion for desktop and notebook PCs.
1 Connector unreliable
Great drive-- my first USB2 disk, but it would disconnect sometimes, and sometimes this would damage open files. In the future I am going to try and avoid "mini-B" USB connectors. I think that is the problem (no fault of Lacie per se other than choosing this connector).
2 La Cie pocket drive
This has got to be one of the best purchases I have ever made. It integrates into any NT O.S. with out a hitch and Win 98 loves it after you install the drives. I have used it for backups and as a working drive. My mates 'ave seen the drive and are hooked.
3 Amazing sleek design. Reliable. Customer service is horrible
It's been a month and I'm still waiting for an email response. Does not respond to new operating system. Web site upgrades are for Mac 8, 9, 10.2 but not 10.2.7 or 10.3. And customer service is no help. The USB is very slow. Like floppy disk slow. USB 2 is the new rave but only 2003 computers and up have it. So if your computer is more than a year old, think of it as a large floppy disk.
By the way, the guy who wrote the review about this drive not able to be powered by the keyboards USB port and he unplugs his printer every time he uses his hard drive--have you thought about plugging your printer to your keyboard USB?
4 Small, Portable, Slow....
This is a great drive if the portable size is what you're looking for. A few things you should know before you buy:
1. It is not meant as a primary drive--it's far too slow for that. This can only be used as a place to back up your files from your primary hard drive. If the technical language of the transfer rate doesn't make sense (it didn't to me) then consider that transfering one GB of information will take little more than half an hour. That's more than twently hours to transfer 40 GB.
2. Since the drive is advertised as hot-bootable through USB, I assumed I could just plug it into the USB slot on the keyboard of my iMac. NOT POSSIBLE! The keyboard USB slot doesn't have enough power, and you must connect the drive to the USB port on your computer, which means disconnecting your printer or whatever it is you've got plugged into it. Not quite as convenient.
ps) It died on me in less than a year. This has been my second negative experience with products from LaCie, and the last.
