The LaCie Big Disk is ideal for space-hungry applications, such as archiving photo image-banks and 3D images, and storing massive desktop publishing files, as well as for editing audio and uncompressed digital video files. Forget about network downtime; gigabytes can be exchanged in seconds simply by transferring a LaCie Big Disk from a computer to another. With such an unbelievably large capacity, the LaCie Big Disk is also ideal for large-scale backup among multiple users without causing network congestion.Twice the size of hard drives currently on the market, the LaCie Big Disk is a unique innovation that offers hundreds of gigabytes of storage space in a portable 5.25" format.Equipped with the FireWire interface, the LaCie Big Disk delivers fast transfer rates of up to 400Mbits/sec to accommodate high-volume environments such as digital imaging, pre-press and post-production facilities. This drive's FireWire capabilities offer unbeatable ease of use: hot-pluggability for immediate device recognition, and there is no software installation required for Windows XP and Mac OS X users. The LaCie Big Disk can also be daisy-chained to other storage devices or with most digital audio and video devices.The LaCie Big Disk features a stylish, metallic design crafted from a sturdy aluminum alloy that dissipates heat, allowing for operation without a noisy fan. A weighted drive stand allows for upright desktop use with perfect stability, while an optional rack-mounting kit enables versatile configuration in standard 19-inch racks. The drive switches on and off together with the computer to conserve energy and provide further ease of use. For added data security, the LaCie Big Disk is also compatible with Kensington-type locks.
1 don't buy LaCie drives; they die before their time
I bought a 60 GB LaCie Pocket Drive USB2/Firewire drive in August 2003, for $349.95 from Microwarehouse. Died December 2004, 3 months after manufacturers warranty ended.
Customer service was unhelpful, told me that there are only 4 manufacturers out there, and all have the same warranty. So I'm out $350.00.
My company also bought a LaCie d2 FireWire , 80 GB (300656) Hard Drive, which died after 3 months.
2 Beware of discontinued models on Amazon
I'm a big fan of LaCie d2 drives. My problem with this item #300685 is the fact that this is apparantly a discontinued mechanism, replaced by Lacie #300719, list price only $10 more ($399). One star rating awarded to Amazon, not LaCie. Current model product (which I was hoping to buy, but cannot find on Amazon) includes additional FireWire 800 Mbit/s interface, twice as fast as Firewire and USB 2.0 included with this drive. Amazon website is great for books, but fails to give technical specs on most computer items.
3 Probably a great Drive
So, why did I give it one star? Because all hard drives fail eventually -- why put all your eggs in one basket? You can stack and daisy chain firewire enabled drives to get the same capacity. It's usually cheaper to get the same capacity by combining two or more moderate size drives than one jumbo. If you have lots of important data to protect, you can use multi-drive storage strategies (ask your local geek.)
