LaCie has released a new edition of its Rugged external drive, incorporating both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt ports. Three versions are available; a 1TB HDD model is said to have transfer speeds up to 110MBs, while the 120 and 256GB SSD units are capable of hitting 380MBs. LaCie claims that at peak transfer, a 10GB file should copy “in a few seconds.”
The drive is both Mac and PC compatible, and can connect to slower USB 2.0 ports if necessary. In terms of durability the Rugged is said to be rated to US military standards, and capable of surviving drops up to 4 feet. SSD models should offer extra reliability due to a lack of moving parts. For security, 256-bit AES encryption software can be used.
The HDD model is on sale for $250. The 120GB SSD is cheaper at $200, but moving up to 256GB costs $350.
