Price : Too low to display
The LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive is the result of a collaboration between LaCie and world-famous designer Philippe Starck. Its sturdy 2mm of aluminum casing keeps the LaCie Starck from overheating, and helps it to be very resistant, enhancing its overall dependability. The polished aluminum exterior is stylish and tough, but also light enough to transport, making the LaCie Starck both completely chic and completely mobile. A convenient aspect of the LaCie Starck is its embedded USB cable, which allows you to maximize its compact nature and portability. It’s easy to extract your cable, as well as coil it back inside of the drive. In addition, it guarantees that you’ll never lose your USB cable—a feature that underscores Philippe Starck’s commitment to practical and usable design. Box Content : LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive, USB 2.0 cable, USB power-sharing cable, Quick Install Guide.
This review is from : LaCie Starck 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive 301892
A solid hard drive! . This is a beautifully-designed, solidly performing hard drive... what more could you ask? It's right at home along side my other Lacie hard drives, all of which have performed like champs while other brand drives I owned failed.
PS - It always makes my day to know that people find these reviews helpful. So, please vote (The "Was this review helpful to you: Yes or No" buttons) and leave a comment if you'd like, even if it's just to say, Hi!") When you leave a comment, I can go to your reviews and pay you the same courtesy.
Thanks, Claire
A solid hard drive! . This is a beautifully-designed, solidly performing hard drive... what more could you ask? It's right at home along side my other Lacie hard drives, all of which have performed like champs while other brand drives I owned failed.
PS - It always makes my day to know that people find these reviews helpful. So, please vote (The "Was this review helpful to you: Yes or No" buttons) and leave a comment if you'd like, even if it's just to say, Hi!") When you leave a comment, I can go to your reviews and pay you the same courtesy.
Thanks, Claire
LaCie Starck 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive 301892 Reviews
Rock solid and fast. . I waited a couple of months to review this product. This is my 5th external hard drive, and all my other hard drives have failed on me. So needless to say, i am rough on my portable drives. If u are active and on the go, this beast is perfect for you.
PROS:
1) When I saw that the case was made of aluminum, i expected a pliable sheet cover. Boy was i wrong. The 1/4" thick encasement is all but pliable. Don't drop this on your hard wood floor because your floor will lose that battle. You can toss it in you backpack, briefcase or purse and trust that your drive is well protected.
2) Most "rugged" form factors are not very portable. The Lacie Starck is only slighly bigger than its ultraportable counterparts.
3) No more toting around a separate usb cable. The cable is attached to he unit and tucks away snugly on one end. Why dont more drives come with this feature? Sometimes the most brilliant enhancements are the most obvious in hindsight.
4) File transfers are fast. I was able to transfer a 16.9gb file in exactly 17 minutes from my computer to the Lacie Starck. I run Windows 7 64bit. From my personal experience, this is faster than most external hard drives, and MUCH faster than its "eco" labeled counterparts.
CONS
1) I only have one con. It is the weight. Although Lacie was able to maintain a small form factor, the weight gain from 1/4" thick aluminum was inevitable. In a bag, the weight remains negligible, so this con does not effect me.
In summary, i have had horrible experiences with my past drives. I am rough on them, but shouldnt every portable drive be designed to handle a little tossing and turning? If u need to handle a drive with kid gloves, then is it truly portable. FINALLY, i have found a drive that can handle my active lifestyle.
Thank you Lacie Starck and Amazon!
Rock solid and fast. . I waited a couple of months to review this product. This is my 5th external hard drive, and all my other hard drives have failed on me. So needless to say, i am rough on my portable drives. If u are active and on the go, this beast is perfect for you.
PROS:
1) When I saw that the case was made of aluminum, i expected a pliable sheet cover. Boy was i wrong. The 1/4" thick encasement is all but pliable. Don't drop this on your hard wood floor because your floor will lose that battle. You can toss it in you backpack, briefcase or purse and trust that your drive is well protected.
2) Most "rugged" form factors are not very portable. The Lacie Starck is only slighly bigger than its ultraportable counterparts.
3) No more toting around a separate usb cable. The cable is attached to he unit and tucks away snugly on one end. Why dont more drives come with this feature? Sometimes the most brilliant enhancements are the most obvious in hindsight.
4) File transfers are fast. I was able to transfer a 16.9gb file in exactly 17 minutes from my computer to the Lacie Starck. I run Windows 7 64bit. From my personal experience, this is faster than most external hard drives, and MUCH faster than its "eco" labeled counterparts.
CONS
1) I only have one con. It is the weight. Although Lacie was able to maintain a small form factor, the weight gain from 1/4" thick aluminum was inevitable. In a bag, the weight remains negligible, so this con does not effect me.
In summary, i have had horrible experiences with my past drives. I am rough on them, but shouldnt every portable drive be designed to handle a little tossing and turning? If u need to handle a drive with kid gloves, then is it truly portable. FINALLY, i have found a drive that can handle my active lifestyle.
Thank you Lacie Starck and Amazon!
LaCie Starck 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive 301892 Opinions
Highly Attractive Functional External HDD But Not For Everyone . I like this LaCie Starck 320 GD USB External HDD a great deal, but give it 4 stars instead of 5 because of it's limited external power options & I believe it has some attributes that limit its appeal to some people.
First off, what I like about the drive:
- I think the drive is beautiful. The sleek, brushed metal exterior is attractive and feels wonderful. Yes, it is heavy, but I like the heft of it in my hand. Yet, it is small for an external HDD.
- It seems fast enough - I have it attached to my MacBook Pro & have my (large) iTunes & iPhoto libraries stored on it. I can detect no slowdown in iTunes or iPhoto performance from having these libraries stored on the internal drive in my laptop. I have also used it to copy these libraries to my desktop iMac, but I always start that before I go to bed & therefore have not timed it or compared it to any other external HDDs I own.
- It is virtually silent. The only way I can hear it is operating is to hold it up to my ear.
- It is easy to use & set up - unlike another reviewer states, you do not have to run a set up program to use this drive - at least, I did not on my MacBook Pro. Just plug it in & format it, like any other HDD. Yes, there is some optional software & manuals stored on the drive from the factory (as opposed to included in the box on a CD), but you can ignore these or move them to your internal HDD if you like.
- I like the included short cable. It is handy & stores neatly in the end of the drive when not in use. No more worrying about having a separate USB cable in your laptop bag when you hit the road. Yes, the cable is very short (about 4 inches long), but that's the point. And, you are not stuck w/ this cable if you do not like it. It unplugs from the rear of the drive revealing a Mini-B USB socket - use as long of a cable as you like if you want.
What I do not like about the drive:
- It's limited external power options - actually, singular "option" - there is only one - an included power cable that plugs into a second USB port. External HDDs, unlike a lot of other USB devices, require a lot of power to spin the drive. Thus, depending on the power output of a given USB port (they vary) AND the length of the USB cable used to attach the drive to the computer, the drive may not be able to spin up & mount. Hence, the need, in some configurations, for external power. But, to limit this need to taking up an additional USB port on a laptop, which has limited ports to start with, is less than ideal. The drive should come with an AC adapter as well. My solution was to attach it to a powered USB hub when I am at home where I have it on the coffee table by my sofa (the longer USB cable I needed in this configuration did not supply enough power). On the road, e.g., on the desk in a hotel room, this will not be a problem for me, as the included short USB cable supplies all the power the drive requires.
What I wish the drive had:
- Dual interface - In order to spare the USB ports on my MacBook Pro for other uses, I wish the drive also had a FireWire interface. But, this would undoubtedly add to the cost.
Finally, what limits the appeal of this drive for some people primarily will be the drive's weight. If you try to shave every possible ounce off of your laptop bag, looking for weight savings anywhere & everywhere, this drive is not for you. While I do not want an extremely heavy laptop bag, I can handle the extra ounce or two for this drive because of its beauty & functionality. Also, another limiting factor for some may be the aforementioned lack of external power options.
Bottom line is I am very happy with this external HDD and would buy another in a heartbeat if I needed it. Yet, I recognize that this drive is not for everybody...
Highly Attractive Functional External HDD But Not For Everyone . I like this LaCie Starck 320 GD USB External HDD a great deal, but give it 4 stars instead of 5 because of it's limited external power options & I believe it has some attributes that limit its appeal to some people.
First off, what I like about the drive:
- I think the drive is beautiful. The sleek, brushed metal exterior is attractive and feels wonderful. Yes, it is heavy, but I like the heft of it in my hand. Yet, it is small for an external HDD.
- It seems fast enough - I have it attached to my MacBook Pro & have my (large) iTunes & iPhoto libraries stored on it. I can detect no slowdown in iTunes or iPhoto performance from having these libraries stored on the internal drive in my laptop. I have also used it to copy these libraries to my desktop iMac, but I always start that before I go to bed & therefore have not timed it or compared it to any other external HDDs I own.
- It is virtually silent. The only way I can hear it is operating is to hold it up to my ear.
- It is easy to use & set up - unlike another reviewer states, you do not have to run a set up program to use this drive - at least, I did not on my MacBook Pro. Just plug it in & format it, like any other HDD. Yes, there is some optional software & manuals stored on the drive from the factory (as opposed to included in the box on a CD), but you can ignore these or move them to your internal HDD if you like.
- I like the included short cable. It is handy & stores neatly in the end of the drive when not in use. No more worrying about having a separate USB cable in your laptop bag when you hit the road. Yes, the cable is very short (about 4 inches long), but that's the point. And, you are not stuck w/ this cable if you do not like it. It unplugs from the rear of the drive revealing a Mini-B USB socket - use as long of a cable as you like if you want.
What I do not like about the drive:
- It's limited external power options - actually, singular "option" - there is only one - an included power cable that plugs into a second USB port. External HDDs, unlike a lot of other USB devices, require a lot of power to spin the drive. Thus, depending on the power output of a given USB port (they vary) AND the length of the USB cable used to attach the drive to the computer, the drive may not be able to spin up & mount. Hence, the need, in some configurations, for external power. But, to limit this need to taking up an additional USB port on a laptop, which has limited ports to start with, is less than ideal. The drive should come with an AC adapter as well. My solution was to attach it to a powered USB hub when I am at home where I have it on the coffee table by my sofa (the longer USB cable I needed in this configuration did not supply enough power). On the road, e.g., on the desk in a hotel room, this will not be a problem for me, as the included short USB cable supplies all the power the drive requires.
What I wish the drive had:
- Dual interface - In order to spare the USB ports on my MacBook Pro for other uses, I wish the drive also had a FireWire interface. But, this would undoubtedly add to the cost.
Finally, what limits the appeal of this drive for some people primarily will be the drive's weight. If you try to shave every possible ounce off of your laptop bag, looking for weight savings anywhere & everywhere, this drive is not for you. While I do not want an extremely heavy laptop bag, I can handle the extra ounce or two for this drive because of its beauty & functionality. Also, another limiting factor for some may be the aforementioned lack of external power options.
Bottom line is I am very happy with this external HDD and would buy another in a heartbeat if I needed it. Yet, I recognize that this drive is not for everybody...
Not just a hard drive . I love how this hard drive was so easy to start up and use with my macbook pro. I just plugged it in and everything else was intuitive. Now it backs up via time machine when I plug it in. But besides the fact that it can pretty much hold my entire life of pictures, files, and what nots, this product is very modern in a very mid century way. Sort of like having an Eames and Eames coffee table.
Great Product . So far so good, just bought this item not too long ago and for what I have used it for so far, it does what it is supposed to do. I like it. I love the fact that it needs no power cord and the usb cord is built right in, they do give you one a little longer but the one built in is kind short but long enough for what I use it for. It is so small and quiet that you can almost forget it is there.
Quality and performance in a very heavy case . The design is really good in that the USB connection is tucked in nicely for portability. The performance is great and worked right out of the box as EVERY device of this type should, but not all do! The only downside to this is that the case is hardened steel which makes it very heavy. Although this will protect the drive inside, it seems like overkill as a hard drop is going to damage the platens regardless of the case. Since I'm using it as a backup for other drives, I like the speed and other aspects and the weight is of less concern to me. Overall, LaCie does a good job with external storage.
Sturdy dependable and good looking . This has to be the most elegant storage device I've ever seen. Apparently LaCie went to some effort with the design. This one is resistant aluminum and the first great thing about it is that it doesn't have fingerprints all over it every time I pick it up. This helps make it truly easy to throw in a bag without worrying about scratching it. It has a substantial and surprising weight to it, too. I've picked up storage devices that feel like they are empty. But this one stays put in its compartment in my backpack. Instead of floating up when other things get thrown in it.
One of the very interesting things about this device is that it can be formatted for the first time for a Mac. Many devices say they are for Macs but they are set up or need to be accessed first by a PC, like the HP MediaSmart server, which is not helpful at all for people who generally only use Macs. However because I often use PCs when they are all that is available, I was glad to see that the storage drive could be divided into two partitions - so that I may exchange data using Windows and Linux.
I was a little suspicious of the self-storing USB cable but once I tried it, this seemed like a brilliant idea. I don't know how many times I have searched for a USB cable when I needed to back something up or put it in storage and I was in a hurry. I try to avoid downloading huge things onto my laptop because of worries about slowing it down. (This seems silly, counterproductive, and old-fashioned, especially when I do have plenty of memory.) While this self-storing USB cable may seem like a weakness, the drive does have a 2 year warranty on it, which tends to be the lifetime of my storage devices anyway.
In terms of compartmentalizing, I like to have my research on a separate device that I can always access. Depending on what building I am in, I may or may not have access to the internet with my laptop. But having stored a lot of research and many of my links and search information on this device, allows me to make quick connections to materials I need using school computers very quickly and easily by just plugging it into a computer in the building. I used to store this information online; however, having not been able to access information a few times because of internet blocking has taught me to have the material with me.
The 320 GB storage gave me some pause as well. But since most of my research is written text with tables and bibliographies, as well as my own written work, this storage device only having 320 GB was not a problem. The 320 GB also has taught me to do a little weaning. If it is dated material or material that I don't generally need access to, then I have left it in online storage through my school.
This drive has been extremely useful and dependable. I like that in a... drive.
One of the very interesting things about this device is that it can be formatted for the first time for a Mac. Many devices say they are for Macs but they are set up or need to be accessed first by a PC, like the HP MediaSmart server, which is not helpful at all for people who generally only use Macs. However because I often use PCs when they are all that is available, I was glad to see that the storage drive could be divided into two partitions - so that I may exchange data using Windows and Linux.
I was a little suspicious of the self-storing USB cable but once I tried it, this seemed like a brilliant idea. I don't know how many times I have searched for a USB cable when I needed to back something up or put it in storage and I was in a hurry. I try to avoid downloading huge things onto my laptop because of worries about slowing it down. (This seems silly, counterproductive, and old-fashioned, especially when I do have plenty of memory.) While this self-storing USB cable may seem like a weakness, the drive does have a 2 year warranty on it, which tends to be the lifetime of my storage devices anyway.
In terms of compartmentalizing, I like to have my research on a separate device that I can always access. Depending on what building I am in, I may or may not have access to the internet with my laptop. But having stored a lot of research and many of my links and search information on this device, allows me to make quick connections to materials I need using school computers very quickly and easily by just plugging it into a computer in the building. I used to store this information online; however, having not been able to access information a few times because of internet blocking has taught me to have the material with me.
The 320 GB storage gave me some pause as well. But since most of my research is written text with tables and bibliographies, as well as my own written work, this storage device only having 320 GB was not a problem. The 320 GB also has taught me to do a little weaning. If it is dated material or material that I don't generally need access to, then I have left it in online storage through my school.
This drive has been extremely useful and dependable. I like that in a... drive.
Good drive for the price !!! . First of all I just want to mention that I have over 30 different external drives, portable and not only, therefore I can be very picky about my drives. My unit came with a Samsung HM320II SATA drive inside. I am not a big fan of Samsung drives but that is partially because I prefer Western Digital due to their awesome replacement policy.
This drive is a very good drive for the price. My main issues with it are listed below:
1. The warranty is only 2 years. I think that it should be at least 3.
2. The USB cord is short but I cannot see how it could be longer. The current design allows the USB cord to be tucked at the end of the drive case and it is as long as it could be. If you need longer cable you will need to carry also a 1-2' USB extension cable. Not a real deal breaker because the drive can be positioned upright to make it easier to reach the ports.
3. For a portable drive, it is heavy, like one of the other reviewers was mentioning. That also gives it a feeling of sturdiness. Again, not really a deal breaker for most people.
Since I am done with the CONS, which are not really big issues here are the PROS:
1. It works well. Speed seems decent.
2. It comes with set-up software that needs to be run before the drive is used. I usually delete any software the drive has and format my drives manually, but this time I am glad I didn't do that. The software gives you an option to format the drive for use only in Windows, only in MACS or use it for both. The option to use it for both creates the main partition with either NTFS (Windows) or HFS (MAC) and a secondary "exchange" partition with FAT32 that will allow Windows, Mac or Linux to write on it. The size of the secondary partition is 32 GB due to FAT32's limitations but it can be smaller than 32GB.
I have also a MAC and I partitioned it for Windows + 32GB exchange partition that allows me to move files to and from my MAC.
3. The case is oval, made of solid aluminum with a gray finish that makes it look like titanium. Very stylish and also seems that it can take some abuse. Maybe the drive inside cannot take a lot of banging but you can sit on it, pile stuff on top of it, etc....
I would recommend this drive anytime.
This drive is a very good drive for the price. My main issues with it are listed below:
1. The warranty is only 2 years. I think that it should be at least 3.
2. The USB cord is short but I cannot see how it could be longer. The current design allows the USB cord to be tucked at the end of the drive case and it is as long as it could be. If you need longer cable you will need to carry also a 1-2' USB extension cable. Not a real deal breaker because the drive can be positioned upright to make it easier to reach the ports.
3. For a portable drive, it is heavy, like one of the other reviewers was mentioning. That also gives it a feeling of sturdiness. Again, not really a deal breaker for most people.
Since I am done with the CONS, which are not really big issues here are the PROS:
1. It works well. Speed seems decent.
2. It comes with set-up software that needs to be run before the drive is used. I usually delete any software the drive has and format my drives manually, but this time I am glad I didn't do that. The software gives you an option to format the drive for use only in Windows, only in MACS or use it for both. The option to use it for both creates the main partition with either NTFS (Windows) or HFS (MAC) and a secondary "exchange" partition with FAT32 that will allow Windows, Mac or Linux to write on it. The size of the secondary partition is 32 GB due to FAT32's limitations but it can be smaller than 32GB.
I have also a MAC and I partitioned it for Windows + 32GB exchange partition that allows me to move files to and from my MAC.
3. The case is oval, made of solid aluminum with a gray finish that makes it look like titanium. Very stylish and also seems that it can take some abuse. Maybe the drive inside cannot take a lot of banging but you can sit on it, pile stuff on top of it, etc....
I would recommend this drive anytime.
Awesome and convenient portable harddrive . This harddrive is perfect for what I need. Its small, lightweight, sturdy and durable. The USB 2.0 cable that folds out of the back of it is so convenient and easy to use. This drive is everything I need it to be.
Cons Review
Not up to Lacie's usual standards . After having such good luck with their Rugged line of 2.5" USB drives, I had expected similar quality and reliability from the Starck. The drive performed sluggishly for two weeks of moderate use before dying with a click-of-death upon startup. When I say it performed slugglishly I mean < 1 MB/sec transfer rates. Performance was the same whether I used on a macbook or a PC. Beware if you have a similar issue, it might be an indicator of imminent death.
I am still a fan of Lacie. After two years, my Rugged is churning along with no problems. Hopefully this was just one lone bad drive. One other minor complaint is that the built in cable for this drive is only a few inches long. Very inconvenient when trying to connect multiple drives.
I am still a fan of Lacie. After two years, my Rugged is churning along with no problems. Hopefully this was just one lone bad drive. One other minor complaint is that the built in cable for this drive is only a few inches long. Very inconvenient when trying to connect multiple drives.
Product Image
Feature LaCie Starck 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive 301892
- 500GB storage capacity
- Designed by Philippe Starck
- 2mm aluminum casing to protect from over-heating
- For use anywhere with embedded USB cable
- Intuitive automatic backup software
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Product Details
EAN : 0093053787844UPC : 093053787844
MPN : 301892
Brand : LaCie
Weight : 1 pounds
Height : 2 inches
Length : 7 inches
Width : 7 inches
Binding : Personal Computers
Hardware Platform : PC
Manufacturer : Lacie
Model : 301892
Publisher : Lacie
Size : 500 GB
SKU : 301892
Studio : Lacie
Where To Buy
You can buy LaCie Starck 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive 301892 on Amazon . Click here to Read More
