Comments on: LaCie 301352U 2TB 2big Quadra 2-Disk RAID Hard Drive http://www.killdeal.info/lacie-301352u-2tb-2big-quadra-2-disk-raid-hard-drive/ Your online resource for discount shopping codes and deals Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:52:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Larry Stone http://www.killdeal.info/lacie-301352u-2tb-2big-quadra-2-disk-raid-hard-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-18594 Larry Stone Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:55:47 +0000 http://www.killdeal.info/lacie-301352u-2tb-2big-quadra-2-disk-raid-hard-drive#comment-18594 I bought this (2x500GB version) to use as a RAID-1 (mirrored) startup disk for a PowerPC Macintosh. Since I use the system as a server (including mail server), reliability is a must. This works exactly as I wanted with the mirroring completely transparent to the computer - it just appears as a single disk of the size of one of the drives and can be formatted and partitioned by Disk Utility the same as any other disk device. No RAID setup is required within OS X which means I can just take it to another system should the current system fail. <br /> <br />As for noise, it's quieter than some other external drives I have. Yes, when it's busy (such as when backups are running - the system is also my backup server), the fan speeds up and it gets a little noisier but most of the time, it has added almost no additional noise. I bought this (2×500GB version) to use as a RAID-1 (mirrored) startup disk for a PowerPC Macintosh. Since I use the system as a server (including mail server), reliability is a must. This works exactly as I wanted with the mirroring completely transparent to the computer – it just appears as a single disk of the size of one of the drives and can be formatted and partitioned by Disk Utility the same as any other disk device. No RAID setup is required within OS X which means I can just take it to another system should the current system fail.

As for noise, it’s quieter than some other external drives I have. Yes, when it’s busy (such as when backups are running – the system is also my backup server), the fan speeds up and it gets a little noisier but most of the time, it has added almost no additional noise.

]]> By: J. Boutilier http://www.killdeal.info/lacie-301352u-2tb-2big-quadra-2-disk-raid-hard-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-18593 J. Boutilier Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:35:17 +0000 http://www.killdeal.info/lacie-301352u-2tb-2big-quadra-2-disk-raid-hard-drive#comment-18593 I purchased this LaCie Quadra 2 to replace a WD Mybook RAID unit. I did not like the WD unit because its did not seem to be very well built, did not feature drive status lights to tell you about a failed drive, its design made it extremely difficult to replace a failed drive, and its RAID settings required a driver to change on the target machine (which had issues on some MACs). <br /> <br />The LaCie case is all metal, very sturdy, and well finned for heat dissipation. <br />The Drives have status indicators and are easily and quickly swappable (hot swappable in some RAID modes) <br />The fan is normally quiet but can be fairly loud on occasion <br />The unit features ON, OFF, and Auto modes (auto waking/sleeping the drives as use permits) <br />The RAID mode is configurable within the unit itself and is transparent to whatever you hook it up to (other than its size looks different and will need reformatting when you change RAID mode). <br />The performance of this unit is FAR faster than the WD unit <br /> <br />I took this unit out of the box, switched its RAID mode, connected it to a MAC to reformat it, then plugged it into my Airport Extreme to share it on my LAN and WAN. The process took me about 15 minutes and the unit has performed flawlessly in AUTO mode on my Airport EXtreme for the past month. <br /> <br />My only worry was when I investigated LaCie's "advance replacement" option for this drive. They wanted almost half the cost of the drive for it. I may purchase a second unit for a spare just in case (that gives me two spare drives as well). <br /> <br />Anyway, so far I am extremely pleased. I purchased this LaCie Quadra 2 to replace a WD Mybook RAID unit. I did not like the WD unit because its did not seem to be very well built, did not feature drive status lights to tell you about a failed drive, its design made it extremely difficult to replace a failed drive, and its RAID settings required a driver to change on the target machine (which had issues on some MACs).

The LaCie case is all metal, very sturdy, and well finned for heat dissipation.

The Drives have status indicators and are easily and quickly swappable (hot swappable in some RAID modes)

The fan is normally quiet but can be fairly loud on occasion

The unit features ON, OFF, and Auto modes (auto waking/sleeping the drives as use permits)

The RAID mode is configurable within the unit itself and is transparent to whatever you hook it up to (other than its size looks different and will need reformatting when you change RAID mode).

The performance of this unit is FAR faster than the WD unit

I took this unit out of the box, switched its RAID mode, connected it to a MAC to reformat it, then plugged it into my Airport Extreme to share it on my LAN and WAN. The process took me about 15 minutes and the unit has performed flawlessly in AUTO mode on my Airport EXtreme for the past month.

My only worry was when I investigated LaCie’s “advance replacement” option for this drive. They wanted almost half the cost of the drive for it. I may purchase a second unit for a spare just in case (that gives me two spare drives as well).

Anyway, so far I am extremely pleased.

]]> By: Jim Bell http://www.killdeal.info/lacie-301352u-2tb-2big-quadra-2-disk-raid-hard-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-18592 Jim Bell Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:02:39 +0000 http://www.killdeal.info/lacie-301352u-2tb-2big-quadra-2-disk-raid-hard-drive#comment-18592 Lacie includes free, 1-year trial subscription to Carbonite's on-line backup. However, there are various obstacles: <br />- in 10 days only about 26Gb were backed up (over 1Mb upstream DSL) <br />- Carbonite does not keep the data if it does not see PC for two weeks <br />- if you do not connect to Carbonite servers for two weeks, your 1-year subscription is terminated without any kind of warning (in fact, even license terms on www.carbonite.com do not seem to mention any such restrictions) <br />- Carbonite's customer service is not good in my experience so far <br /> <br />Lacie's included manual is not very helpful when you run into drive rebuilds. <br /> <br />Other than that, drive is good. Lacie includes free, 1-year trial subscription to Carbonite’s on-line backup. However, there are various obstacles:

- in 10 days only about 26Gb were backed up (over 1Mb upstream DSL)

- Carbonite does not keep the data if it does not see PC for two weeks

- if you do not connect to Carbonite servers for two weeks, your 1-year subscription is terminated without any kind of warning (in fact, even license terms on http://www.carbonite.com do not seem to mention any such restrictions)

- Carbonite’s customer service is not good in my experience so far

Lacie’s included manual is not very helpful when you run into drive rebuilds.

Other than that, drive is good.

]]> By: BP http://www.killdeal.info/lacie-301352u-2tb-2big-quadra-2-disk-raid-hard-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-18591 BP Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:03:20 +0000 http://www.killdeal.info/lacie-301352u-2tb-2big-quadra-2-disk-raid-hard-drive#comment-18591 This unit is louder than all of my other systems combined. The fan kicks on about once every five minutes... very annoying. Also, the drive is finnicky, and if it is not removed properly, it takes a lot of work to get the USB channel reset. <br /> <br />Other than that, works as expected. This unit is louder than all of my other systems combined. The fan kicks on about once every five minutes… very annoying. Also, the drive is finnicky, and if it is not removed properly, it takes a lot of work to get the USB channel reset.

Other than that, works as expected.

]]> By: Ricardo Silva http://www.killdeal.info/lacie-301352u-2tb-2big-quadra-2-disk-raid-hard-drive/comment-page-1/#comment-18590 Ricardo Silva Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:29:17 +0000 http://www.killdeal.info/lacie-301352u-2tb-2big-quadra-2-disk-raid-hard-drive#comment-18590 Drive is very quiet and seems to work beautifully and fast. However, there was a problem after 4 months of purchase that one of the drives went bad, fortunately I had a back-up using time machine. <br />After this incident I cannot recommend this drive at all because all the trust I had in LaCié just went down the drain.... Just imagine failing completely after a few months of usage? Not good! <br />I have 2 of these drives and now I am afraid when they will fail again. (I have another cheaper non-branded drive for 2 years without failing... unbelievable). Drive is very quiet and seems to work beautifully and fast. However, there was a problem after 4 months of purchase that one of the drives went bad, fortunately I had a back-up using time machine.

After this incident I cannot recommend this drive at all because all the trust I had in LaCié just went down the drain…. Just imagine failing completely after a few months of usage? Not good!

I have 2 of these drives and now I am afraid when they will fail again. (I have another cheaper non-branded drive for 2 years without failing… unbelievable).

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