All Your Data Are Belong To Us

Imagine spending two weeks writing a paper or report and saving it to a computer only to find that the file was deleted by a shared user or corrupted and lost forever. Hard drive reliability is vital so that work done can still be recalled upon 10 years down the line. In steps the external hard drive. There are few things less exciting when it comes to computer hardware than a hard drive. Its only function is to sit and store data files. Still, the pragmatic purpose of a dependable hard drive cannot be denied.

Just this past weekend I came across a LaCie 500GB external hard drive designed by Neil Poulton and boy is it sexy. It looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. My computer was running low on space from all the files I've accumulated over the years. I couldn't find any way to pare down any of it. The LaCie hard drive does its job by storing all my data. By simply dragging and dropping all the extra file folders I had over to the new hard drive, I freed up tons of space on my computer. That means all my essays, mp3 files, and multiple seasons of The Simpsons have a fairly permanent and safe home to hibernate in until I need to call upon them again.

The LaCie hard drive is sophisticated and super sleek. It is encased in a glossy black rectangular shell with no markings beside a LaCie logo etched on the rear of its exterior. There is a clean bright blue LED light emitting from the bottom front of it that makes it scream cool. The LED serves as two functions. When the light is on, it shows that the hard drive is on. When the LED flashes, it indicates that the hard drive is currently being accessed and it shouldn't be disconnected. The hard drive as a whole also runs as quiet as a tip-toeing ninja. There are plenty of options for external hard drives available, but none provide the same level of charm as the LaCie.


500GB can hold up to 550,500 images, 135,000 songs, or 710 movies. There is a 750GB and a 1TB flavor available which is roughly double the capacity. The LaCie is compatible with PCs, Macs, and any laptop for an on-the-go backup of indispensable data. The LaCie runs at 7200RPM which the fastest speed available for data saving and accessing speeds. It uses a USB 2.0 connection for decent data transfer rates, however there are faster connections available. A downfall to its glossy black exterior is that it is prone to smudges and fingerprints. It also requires its own power supply. Regardless of those issues, it is still a solid hard drive. The LaCie 500GB hard drive can be picked up at retail for about $129. I found it on Amazon.com for $75.