Hitachi Global Storage Technologies subsidiary G-Technology unveiled a line of portable and desktop USB 3.0 storage solutions designed for audio and video professionals using Apple computers, which are also backward-compatible with USB 2.0 and deliver transfer rates six times faster than FireWire 800, according to the company. All G-Technology drives are formatted for Mac OS X systems right out of the box and are Time Machine ready, although they can also be configured for Windows systems.
The mobile family includes four appliances, starting with the G-Drive slim, packed into a lightweight aluminum case and offering up to 500GB of storage with a USB 3.0 bus-powered port, which eliminates the need for a separate AC power supply. The G-Drive slim retails for $109.99, while the G-Drive mobile, which features USB 3.0, FireWire 800 and FireWire 400 interfaces and comes with 1TB (terabyte), 750GB and 500GB capacities, tops out at $189.99. The G-Drive mobile USB 3.0, which offers USB 3.0 only, is priced at $159.99 for the 1TB version.
Featuring a 2.5-inch 7,200-rpm hard drive, the compact G-Drive mini, housed in a protective all-aluminum enclosure, has a built-in heat sink to silently dissipate heat, and features USB 3.0 and FireWire connectivity and is available in two configurations, a 750GB model ($169.99) and a 500GB model ($159.99). Rounding out the mobile storage family is the G-RAID mini, set up in RAID 0 (performance mode), with two 7,200 rpm drives, which work together for enhanced performance while editing compressed high-definition formats. Available in 1.5TB ($359.99) and 1TB ($259.99) configurations, the mini can be configured in RAID 1 (protected mode) to ensure files are safe on the go.
Moving to the companys desktop storage solutions, G-Technology offers two models, G-RAID and G-Drive, which are available in August and are designed to offer greater storage capabilities. The G-RAID handles up to 8TB of storage, with USB 3.0 and FireWire 400/800 interfaces and supports video-editing applications, including Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere. A thermo-regulated “smart” fan for noise reduction and a soft-touch on/off switch are also included, and the drive will retail for $809.99.
The G-Drive supports capacities up to 4TB, features 7,200 rpm drives and a fan-less cooling system as well as USB 3.0 and FireWire 400/800 interface options. The appliance, which will retail for $359.99, is pitched at users of storage-intensive applications including audio and video editing, digital photography, music libraries and high-speed data backup.
“In a digital world, there’s one common thread among all of usstorage. It’s ubiquitous, and it’s growing rapidly as we continue to purchase, create, download and save content daily,” Mike Williams, vice president and general manager of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Branded Business, said in a prepared statement. “Perfectly timed and aligned with Apple’s new USB 3.0 offerings, our new USB 3.0 drives support our strong following of Mac and creative professionals who require reliable, high-performance, high-capacity storage.”