- Verbatim goes USB3.0 to augment eSATA in new SSD drive. Image: simonrobic
Compact and bijou – with some added extras thrown in for good measure
By PAUL QUIGLEY
ECM Plus +++ The sleek and elegant Verbatim eSATA/USB 32Gb Pocket SSD is a god-send for content creators and manipulators – the size in the hand is far-outweighed by the size of the generous capacity legroom inside the packet itself.
The cable, as with all drives, is the Achilles heel, in that without it, as with the baby-sized flash usb pen drives around, without the cable, the eSATA/USB-based drive is rendered somewhat helpless, given that it has an eSATA connector on the body of the unit. That said, the fact that it will connect to either eSATA or the plentiful USB drive slots is a major boon. Oh did I mention, it’s USB3.0 – so that means it goes like stink.
This cutesy little number is sexy, sleek and an all round-boon for big data content shifters of all persuasions.
Speedwise, having been used to nippy SCSI and SATA drives over the years, the Verbatim SSD is surprisingly nimble, with no ostensible propensity to be sluggish, in fact quite the opposite, and the real boon is yet to come.
Silence.
This drive makes no noise whatsoever – it’s quiet as the proverbial mouse and has no moving parts so is fantastic for quiet environments. Also, for energy-conscious people, the drive is cool as a cucumber and makes no untoward hot drive syndrome, unlike the HDs of yesteryear.
That said, the aluminium case it comes in is coolness personfied, so it’s no surprise that this little device manages to keep the warm in and still go like the clappers even when shifting big files back and forth.
A nice touch also is the inclusion of backup software, a version of Nero to be precise, which is bundled along with the drive already in a directory on the SSD.
Then, with a nice velvety bag to slide the drive into for portability, it’s an all-round god-send for the mid-size file movers and shakers.
Then there’s the weight: now most of you will have heard of the concept of weighlessness especially in the context of space flight, but this little beauty is almost the personifcation of weighlessness tech – apart from the case, aluminium is light anyway, the whole thing is mere ounces and feel almost as if its an empty case, it really is that light.
So, a lightweight in the physical sense yes, but far from a lightweight in what it provides to data content-hungry people today.
In conclusion, a great performer, reliable and highly recommended.
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