LaCie has introduced an updated version of its Biggest FW800 RAID, a external storage device with hardware RAID controller. It’s available in 1 terabyte (TB) and 2TB versions for $1,299 and $1,699 respectively.
The Biggest FW800 RAID features FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 connectivity. It sports four hard disk drive mechanism arrayed in either RAID Level 0, 0+1, 5 or 5+spare configurations. Each drive is hot-swappable and can be automatically rebuilt if it’s replaced. An LCD panel shows you the array’s operating status.
New to this refreshed design is the use of internal Serial ATA (SATA) hard disk drive mechanism, which offer better performance than before, according to LaCie. The case of the Biggest FW800 RAID ha also been redesigned; it’s now silver and features lockable hard disk drawers.
In related news, LaCie has added USB 2.0 to its external 1TB SATA RAID. The two-disk RAID system is called the LaCie Two Big eSATA & USB, and connects to a Mac or PC using either an external SATA (eSATA) controller card or USB 2.0. A RAID selector switch lets you format the system either in Fast mode (RAID Level 0, striping) or Safe mode (RAID Level 1, mirroring). Available for pre-order today, the Two Big eSATA & USB is made in 500GB and 1TB versions for $399 and $599 respectively.