LaCie Hard Drive MAX - Elegant USB RAID (Choose SAFE or BIG)

LaCie started working with Neil Poulton from early 2000's when the peripheral maker realized one lucrative way to sell storage is by adding a touch of designer's taste. The relationship worked out pretty well so far, with Poulton coming up with something elegant and tasteful ever year. This year is no different. $270 LaCie Hard Drive MAX, Design by Neil Poulton showcased in MacWorld Expo 2009 is a work of art, for an external 2TB (2 x 1TB) RAID. There's glossy black surface everywhere, and a soft LED light spills a blue (red when there's a problem) glow in front of the drive.

We also have to give credit to LaCie for naming the RAID modes: BIG for RAID 0 and SAFE for RAID 1. While RAID 1 (aka. SAFE) should be pretty self-explanatory, RAID 0 unknown to some stripes data across two drives to boost transfer rate, but provides zero data protection. In spite of the data-striping feature, MAX's USB interface isn't going to take performance to new height. You can toggle between two RAID modes with a flick of a switch on the back of the enclosure. Also included are Intego Backup Assistant for Mac, Genie Backup for PC as well as one year of unlimited online backup.

• Get LaCie Neil Poulton Hard Disk MAX (2TB) now for $218.88 at J&R Music and Computer World
• Get LaCie Neil Poulton Hard Disk MAX (2TB) now for $249.99 at TigerDirect.com
• Get LaCie Neil Poulton Hard Disk MAX (2TB) now for $230.49 at Amazon.com
• Get LaCie Neil Poulton Hard Disk MAX (2TB) now for $219.00 at Amazon.com Marketplace

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