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.

More External Hard Drives & Other USB Storage

• Get LaCie Neil Poulton Hard Disk MAX (2TB) now for $229.99 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 $221.99 at Buydig.com
• Get LaCie Neil Poulton Hard Disk MAX (2TB) now for $228.90 at Amazon.com