Trans Intl. has introduced its MiniXpress 825 portable hard disk drive, with USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and two FireWire 800 interfaces. The drive chassis is available for as little as $99 depending on configuration.
The MiniXpress uses a Hitachi-built Serial ATA (SATA) 2.5-inch hard disk drive mechanism and is available in 100, 120 and 160GB capacities. The drive chassis uses Oxford Semiconductors’ 924DSB chipset to interface the drives with the external ports.
The aluminum chassis is fitted with an anti-shock mechanism and ships with FireWire 400, FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 cables and power adapter. The bare chassis without any drive inside is available for $99.
With a 100GB drive that operates at 7200RPM, the drive costs $279; the 120GB 5400RPM drive is priced at $269 and the 160GB 5400RPM drive costs $328.