TIGARD, OR — LaCie (www.lacie.com) has introduced the third generation of its d2 storage product. The all-aluminum d2 Thunderbolt 2 is 10 percent smaller than its predecessor and has a capacity of up to 6TBs. The d2 Thunderbolt 2 is equipped with two Thunderbolt 2 ports as well as a USB3 port. LaCie plans on shipping the unit later this month, and will also offer a USB3-only version at a slightly lower cost in October.
The d2 Thunderbolt 2 can be configured with 7,200rpm Seagate drives with capacities of 3TBs, 4TBs and 6TBs. The company is also offering an SSD upgrade kit that allows users to quickly and easily add 128GBs of SSD memory. According to LaCie, the spinning disk drives can provide playback speeds of up to 220MB/s, while the SSD offers professionals up to 1,150MB/s performance.
The hard drive has no fan, helping to keep the operating environment quiet. Heat is dissipated via the all-aluminum body. The SSD has a thermo-regulated fan that only goes on when needed. Rubber bumpers on the bottom of the unit help protect the device from shocks.
Pricing is as follows: 3TB/$299; 4TB/$399; 6TB/$499. The SSD option is $299. LaCie and Apple will be among the first to offer the units later this month.