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LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Disk 1 TB eSATA/FireWire 800/FireWire 400/USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 301442U (Aluminum)

By admin On December 1, 2009 Under Gadget Deals, New Gadget Reviews

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LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Disk 1 TB eSATA/FireWire 800/FireWire 400/USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 301442U (Aluminum)
 
Manufacturer: Lacie
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $164.99
Sale Price: $154.99
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Product Description
With a unique ridged exterior that enhances the enclosure's cooling performance, and a quadruple interface for full Mac and PC compatibility, the LaCie 301442U 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 and an aesthetic touch that will enhance any work space.

The LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Disk offers:
  • eSATA 3Gbits, FireWire 400/800, and USB 2.0 for universal compatibility and extreme speed
  • 1 TB of disk space.
  • 7200 RPM spin speed and 16 MB cache.
  • Fanless ridged design for cool, quiet operation.




Unique ridged heat sink aluminum design increases surface area by 60% for cooler operation. (Shown here with the Little Big Disk Quadra and 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 and set up in a RAID configuration. View larger.
Quadruple Interface for Unmatched Performance and Compatibility
The LaCie 301442U d2 Quadra External Hard Drive features one eSATA 3 Gbit port, two FireWire 800 ports (9-pin), one FireWire 400 port (6-pin), and one hi-speed USB 2.0 port that is USB 1.1-compatible. (Cables for each connection are conveniently included with the drive.) This quadruple interface makes the d2 Quadra ideal for demanding multi-media applications that require extreme speed as well as universal connectivity. The eSATA interface offers a blazing transfer rate of up to 300 MB per second (3Gbits/sec), while FireWire allows you to connect directly to your DV camera.

The LaCie d2 is compatible with Windows, including Vista, and Mac OS X 10.2.8 and above (10.3 for eSATA). If you have Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, the d2 Quadra works with Time Machine, which automatically backs up your Mac's system files, applications, accounts, preferences, music, photos, movies, and documents to an external hard drive and lets you easily go back in time to recover anything.

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

With a capacity of 1 TB (1,000 GB), the d2 Quadra can hold up to 1,000,000 photos, 350,000 songs, or 70 hours of DV video. If you purchase multiple drives, they can be daisy-chained and set to RAID 1 for data redundancy and protection, or RAID 0 for even greater speed. If you have different storage needs, you can also choose between the 500 GB or 750 GB version of the d2 Quadra.

The d2 Quadra also offers three power management options: "Auto" for energy efficiency; "On" for instant access; and "Off" for 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 to launch any document or application.

Smart, Elegant Design and Loaded with Software
With the d2 Quadra, Neil Poulton has fashioned a unique, attractive and functional drive that offers excellent heat dissipation features and space-saving options for stacking. The fanless aluminum heat sink design features exterior ridges that provide 60 percent more surface area for heat dissipation, keeping the drive quiet and 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 to save desktop space.

Set-up and use is quick and easy, thanks to LaCie's preloaded Setup Assistant that helps format the hard disk according to your needs. For instance, the d2 Quadra lets you easily create a FAT32 partition for use with Macs. LaCie's Shortcut Button lets you easily launch any application with one push.

Included with the drive is LaCie's Genie Backup Assistant for Windows and Intego Backup Assistant for Mac. Both make it easy for you to back up your files including your pictures, music, and documents, and let you restore your files to previous versions in case anything happens to them.

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

About LaCie
Established in France in 1989, LaCie is a leading manufacturer of computer peripherals for Windows, Apple and Linux users. With offices and plants in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Europe, Singapore and Hong Kong, LaCie develops and manufactures external storage solutions and color monitors that help professionals and everyday people easily manage their digital lives. LaCie has differentiated its products through original designs and 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 for upright desktop use; LaCie Utilities (preloaded); Genie Backup Assistant for Windows; Intego Backup Assistant for Mac.

Product Details
  • External hard disk offers 1 TB with triple connection interface
  • Supports eSATA, FireWire 800/400, and USB 2.0 connections
  • Stylish enclosure by Neil Poulton reduces heat for quiet, fanless operation
  • Shortcut button on drive lets you launch any application
  • Device measures 1.7 x 6.3 x 6.8 inches (WxHxD); backed by a 3-year warranty

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Customer Reviews
Very nice external drive
 
Review Date: December 17, 2008
Reviewer: RCP, Texas
This is a newer version of an earlier model that is very similar (LaCie 301827U d2 Quadra 1 TB eSATA/FireWire800/FireWire400/USB 2.0 External Hard Disk). I talked to a salesman at J&R Computers and he told me the only difference is that this model has 32MB cache and the older model has 16MB cache. The older model has over 100 reviews so you may want to look there as well.

COST:

This costs more than some other external hard drives of the same capacity but there are good reasons: You are paying for the multiple interfaces (eSATA, Firewire 400, Firewire 800 with second daisy-chain port, USB 2.0) and the complete set of cables that come with it. The eSATA support is 3Gbits compared to 1.5Gbits for less expensive drives. The well-constructed case may also add some cost. I'd like to think that the included disk is of a higher quality too, but have no way to judge.

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS:

The drive has been working fine for about a month now.

It feels VERY sturdy. It is heavier than other external drives I am familiar with.

It is only slightly warm to the touch when running. The all-metal construction with the exterior ridges seems to do a good job of keeping it cool.

It is VERY quiet. If not for the blue light I couldn't tell that it was turned on. Even when I put my ear right next to it I can hear very little. Even when it is actively seeking it is basically silent. There is no fan.

It does make a few noises when starting up or shutting down. I THINK one of the noises I hear is the heads parking and unparking.

I am using it as a USB 2.0 device right now. I have an eSATA card on order and will update this review to let you know how that goes. UPDATE: The drive works just fine when connected via eSATA. I have not done any performance experiments.

It does have a slot in the back for one of those Kensington cable locks. I didn't see this mentioned in the sales literature, although other external drive manufacturers make a big deal of it. There are a lot of those locks available, especially if you consider the clones. The following is probably the best: Kensington 64343 MicroSaver DS Notebook Computer Lock with Keys (PC/Mac).

Oh, yes, one more thing. The blue light reminds me of HAL in 2001 Space Odyssey, except that HAL had a red eye.
Great Piece of Equipment
 
Review Date: January 28, 2009
Reviewer: zugzwang,
I finally received my LaCie hard drive. This is a well made piece of equipment - it has a solid, heavy construction and an elegant appearance.

I was relieved that the light is a pleasant shade of blue and is not bright at all, unlike other hard drive lights with blindingly bright LEDs.

This drive is not silent, though it is fairly quiet. I can clearly hear the drive running from several feet away but it's not disturbing. The fellow who said that he can't hear it with his ear right next to it, well the drive must not have been running at that moment.

I'm using this as a Time Machine backup drive. With a Firewire 400 connection to my old G5 iMac, it backed up 270 GBs in under 5 hours. At first the Time Machine backup was dog slow. Then I remembered to turn off my virus software, AND most important, I changed the Spotlight preferences by selecting the Privacy tab and adding my backup drive to prevent Spotlight from indexing/searching it. After that the backup process just flew!

After writing data for 5 hours the drive was warm, but not hot. The aluminum heat-sink case seems to cool the drive very well.

Eventually I will attach it to an Apple Airport Extreme via USB to use it as a network drive for wireless use by my laptop as well. Unfortunately the Airport Extreme wireless router does not provide a Firewire 400/800 connection - just ethernet or the much slower USB 2.0. I'll provide an update on the performance at that time.

All in all, I am quite happy with this purchase.
Quiet, Capable, Cool n' Capacious "Quadra"
 
Review Date: September 5, 2009
Reviewer: Spockter Seuss, Vulcan's Mullberry Street
Our circumstances:
-- Bought this puppy from Amazon for my wife's new (2009) Mac Mini that we recently purchased.
-- Amazon delivered it overnight for just a $3.99 premium over the free shipping and it arrived well packed and on time.
-- Though our Mini is the low end model with but 1GB RAM and a 120GB internal HD, the next model up, which features a 320GB drive and 2GB RAM, costs $200 more and was otherwise identical! I upgraded our RAM for $45 then bought this LaCie d2 drive for $153 and now have a 1.12TB Mac Mini for less than Apple's much more space limited 'upgrade' model--an especially good deal if you factor in tax savings!

Pros:
-- Quality! Feels really well made with high quality 3-way on/off/auto switch, well anchored ports and--and this was key for me--*all 4* cables that you might need--USB 2.0, eSATA, and both Firewire 400 & 800--a rarity! And... all are of reasonable length (ie., none of those 7-inchers some cheapo manufactures include). Quite heavy and definitely not what you'd consider casually portable, esp. with its required power brick (though it's rather svelte for a brick!). I consider this a positive for desktop applications.
-- Quiet! Have it sitting behind the monitor and it's barely perceptible. Much, *much* quieter, for example, than the Fantom 250GB external drive I have on my Windows machine.
-- Cool! Thick, heavy aluminum case is fanless and ribbed... pretty much a hollowed n' hefty heat sink that was just barely warm after transferring our 90GB of data... seems equally fast or faster than the internal drive... and way faster than the USB bus-powered Western Digital 250GB drive I'd had hooked up earlier; we're now attached via the included high quality FW 800 cable. BTW: Set up with the Mac was a complete no brainer... plugged it in and it asked if we wanted to optimize it for Mac or Windows/Linux... one click and about a minute later... Voila! Ready to rock! Furthermore--and this may be very important to some of the greener Mac owners--this drive reliably auto-powers down and then rapidly spins back up when you wake your Mac; apparently some of the currently available so-called "Mac friendly" Western Digital drives fail to power down & back up automatically, particularly when connected via Firewire (check the reviews!).
-- Capacious! Comes in around 936GB, the usual... not sure what to do with all this space, so tried turning on the Time Machine feature of Leopard and no troubles there.
-- Comely! The brushed aluminum exterior is refined with no sharp edges/burrs and a fairly close match to the Mini's, though admittedly, the ribs do lend it a different, slightly more 'aggressive' vibe.

Cons:
-- Cost... and this just a minor gripe... On Newegg and Amazon these days you can easily find 1TB drives for under a hundred bucks, though admittedly, these are not quad interface models with all cables and back up software--and perhaps more importantly, did not enjoy the positive reviews this drive's garnered.
-- Reliability? Too early to tell... will hope for best but so far no signs it's gonna 'byte' the dust! And if it does... well then C'est LaCie! (heh!)

Summary:
I highly recommend this drive... especially for those of you with eSATA or Firewire 800 ports who want to take advantage of all that extra bandwidth, and/or those of you out there with Macs who--like me--*really* appreciate a hassle-free experience.

~

UPDATE 1/1/2010: Three months in now with no problems--still runs much quieter than Tiger's rapidly reversing Escalade, faster than his fleeing sponsors and more reliably than The Enquirer's coverage of his 'front nine'... 'Cie ya'!

~
Reliable product, above-and-beyond customer service!
 
Review Date: April 24, 2009
Reviewer: Mark Drury, Colorado Springs, CO USA
I bought this drive in July 2008 and it worked flawlessly for 8 months until I confused my wife's laptop power supply with the drive's power supply, thereby showing the drive 19V instead of the correct 12V. Not good. The big blue light forever after slowly blinked on/off repeatedly and the drive wouldn't spin up. It was dead.

The bright side to this is that when I e-mailed Lacie Tech Support - being very upfront about my boneheaded mistake and just wondering if the drive might be fixable - they still covered the unit under it's 3-year warranty! WOW!

They initially sent me a new power supply free of charge, thinking it might possibly be that (I was sure it wasn't), then after that didn't do it, they gave me authorization to return it to be repaired free of charge. I paid to ship it to them, they replaced the internal drive (a 500GB Seagate Barracuda, I might add) and shipped it back to me within a couple days. So, for only the $12 I paid for shipping, I got a virtually new drive in under a week...which they didn't have to do, since it was obviously negligence on my part that fried the drive.

So, I have to strongly recommend this Lacie drive both because it's a reliable and well-made product and it's backed up by above-and-beyond customer service!
sturdy, attractive drive
 
Review Date: March 13, 2009
Reviewer: Noah, Oakland, CA
I've had this drive for about a month now, and so far it's performed perfectly. I have a Macbook, and I use this drive with Time Machine. When I bought it, it was definitely more expensive than other 1TB drives, but I wanted to spend the extra 30 bucks or so for 3 reasons:

(1) It has all the different connection options (USB2, Firewire 400 & 800, eSATA).
(2) I'm a sucker for the metal casing, which I find much more attractive than pretty much all the other options out there. Also worth noting is that the drive's feel matches its look -- it is heavy and very solid.
(3) This hard drive's very similar predecessor, the LaCie 301827U d2 Quadra 1 TB eSATA/FireWire800/FireWire400/USB 2.0 External Hard Disk, had one of the best average star ratings of any hard drive (please note that when I bought this particular drive, there were only a few reviews up on this product page, so I trusted the 100+ positive reviews of the previous model).

Since my purchase it looks like some 1-star reviews have been written about this drive (at the time f this writing, there are 4, 3 of which state that their drive has failed). The one-star reviews of this product make me nervous that my drive will crap out after a year -- but honestly, look at the reviews for ANY hard drive on the market, and you'll find those same 1-star reviews. I'll update this review if I do experience any problems in the future. For now, I couldn't be happier!
J&R Computer/Music World