Hardware

Computer | Storage

Long-term Field Test: 01.02.2014 until date


LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 1 TB

External Hard Disk Drive 1 TB with Aluminium Casing

Practical Experience with this HDD since 1 February to 25 May 2014
In the meantime I have purchased a second Porsche Design P'9220 but with 2 TB capacity.

Photo: external Hard Disk Drive LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 1TB in the original packaging

Photo: external Hard Disk Drive LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 1 TB in the original packaging

Purchasing

Almost every three years I look for a new external hard disk drive because the old ones will never run for much years, maybe one or two longer.
Before I lost data I better buy timely a new one and copy all data on it …

01.02.2014: I have purchased my first external hard disk drive “with Porsche Design”!
It´s an external hard disk drive from LaCie with Porsche Design named P'9220 Mobile Drive (with USB 3.0 | USB 2.0). The price: 99.99 EUR.
Other models with plastic case are ten euros cheaper but it is absolutely worthy that price!

I have bought it in a department store called Saturn Electro.
Address: Zeil 106–110, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
This department store is in a shopping mall named “My Zeil” on the shopping mile “Zeil”, wellknown in the Rhine-Main area.

My Sony VAIO Notebook has no USB 3.0 ports but USB 2.0 therefore it is compatible.

Photo: external Hard Disk Drive LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 1 TB in original packaging

Photo: external Hard Disk Drive LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 1 TB in original packaging

Equipment

  • LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 1 TB
  • USB 3.0 cable (USB 2.0-compatible)
  • Quick Install Guide
  • Complete Software Suite: LaCie Private-Public, Backup Assistant

Photo: LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 1 TB external Hard Disk Drive

Photo: Box Content LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 1TB

Specifications

LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive

Capacity: 1 TB (also available with 500 GB, 1,5 TB and 2 TB)

Interface: USB 3.0 port (USB 2.0-compatible)

Interface Transfer Rate:
USB 3.0: up to 5Gb/s
USB 2.0: up to 480Mb/s

Size: 77 x 130 x 18 mm

Weight: 260g / 9.2 oz

System Requirements:
Computer with a USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 port (for optimal performance, the drive must be connected to a USB 3.0 host port)

Latest version of Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7, Windows 8 / Mac OS® X 10.5 (Intel only), 10.6, 10.7, 10.8

Minimum free disk space: 600 MB recommended

Practice

Photo: Bottom side of two Porsche Design P'9220 external hard disk drives with pasted felt pads

Photo: Bottom side of two Porsche Design P'9220 external hard disk drives with pasted felt pads

First Action Immediately after Unpacking

By unpacking this beautyful device I am noticing the very sharp-edged case and this reminds me of my felt pads bulk pack from the hardware store. This bulk pad contents this felt pads in several sizes, also in a small format properly for my hard disk Drive.
So I take a few of them and paste it under the casing to protect my little white gloss painted desk against scratches.
You get scratches already by slide this casing on the desk. Have a look on my image with the modified bottom of the cases on the right side.

Usage worthwhile also with older Computers

My Sony VAIO notebook unfortunately has no USB 3.0 ports, but three USB 2.0 ports. The possible speed of the hard disk drive I cannot use with it, but I am planning to buy a new notebook in the maybe next year.

But anyway saving and loading files or running portable apps e.g. Firefox Portable or Notepad++ is comfortable fast and silent.

This Hard Disk Drive will be warm at longer copy actions but never hot

After the startup procedure first of all I have copied all data from the older hard disk drives to this new one as a backup. Although this procedure has needed hours cause of my notebook has no faster USB 3.0 but much slower USB 2.0 ports only, it became warm to the touch only. That´s surely by curtesy of the three millimeter thick aluminium casing!

Pros

  • cool design – word-for-word cause the aluminium case cools the heat harddisk effective
  • metal case – solid and perfect to deflect the waste heat from the drive
  • very silent – the fan from the notebook is much louder than two of these drives
  • energy-saving USB 3.0 Chip enables operation w/o power supply even at USB 2.0 ports
  • no vibrations – smooth operation courtesy of neat build quality and aluminium casing
  • manual – very good descriptions not only for professional IT specialists
  • installation process – very easy if you follow the install instructions on the short manual
  • software – very easy to use light version of a backup software called Genie Timeline

Photo: LaCie P'9220 1 TB external Hard Disk Drive

Photo: Topview onto the LaCie P'9220 1 TB external Hard Disk Drive with the typical thin slot for the white LED (left side on the photo)

Cons

  • very sharp edges (risk of injury for your skin and your varnish)

Photo: LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 1 TB external Hard Disk Drive

Photo: the bottom of the LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 1 TB. At this time still without the felt pads.

Photo: external hard disk LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 1 TB

Photo: external hard disk LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 1 TB

Conclusion

This external hard disk drive has never disappointed me. It works fast and silent.

Recommendation

As soon as I can use it with a new notebook which supports USB 3.0 it will imagine me incredible speed.

If you have an unvarnished wooden work desk not a gloss painted desk the very sharp-edged casing makes no visible scratches.
Otherwise you can use e.g. an old book or mouse pad as bottom layer to protect your desk against scratches.
The smart and nice way is using felt pads as I show it on the page Practice.

With these facts in mind you have a very trustworthy device with a very cool design.

Alternatives

If you don´t like this device (design, sharp edges, capacity, weight) please have a look on this page for alternative devices.

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