Hardware

Computer | Storage

Long-term Field Test: 26.04.2014 to date


LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 2 TB

External Hard Disk Drive 2 TB with Aluminium Casing

Photo: external Hard Disk Drive LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 2TB in the original packaging

Photo: external Hard Disk Drive LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 2TB 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 …
Another reason for a new harddisk can be the capacity of the older ones.

Now I want a new external hard disk drive to store all of my television films downloaded from Save.tv on one big drive.

Therefore I go again to my favourite 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.

26.04.2014: Perchance I see the last exemplar of a LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 with two terabyte capacity in the shelf! Until that point in time I doesn´t know about a P'9220 with twice as much capacity of my 1st exemplar bought at 1st feb 2014! Ten minutes later it is mine. Smiley: cool
The price: 169.99 EUR. Other models with plastic case are about ten euros cheaper but it is absolutely worthy that price!

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 2 TB still in the original packaging

Photo: LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 2 TB still in the original packaging

Equipment

  • LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 2 TB
  • USB 3.0 cable (USB 2.0-compatible)
  • Quick Install Guide
  • Complete Software Suite: LaCie Private-Public, Backup Assistant

Photo: box contents external hard disk drive LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 2 TB

Photo: LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 2 TB – original packaging opened, box contents

Specifications

LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive

Capacity: 2 TB (also available with 500 GB, 1 TB and 1,5 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: 600MB 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

Precautionary Measures right after Unpacking

While unboxing this beautyful device I remember the action with my first external hard disk drive from LaCie with Porsche Design which I had purchased on 1 Feb 2014. Therefore I take eight little felt pads and paste them 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 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

Cons

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

Felt pads as you can use to protect your hardwood floor by sticking one of them under every chair leg are available commercially as mixed pack with felt pads in several sizes. Maybe you have such a mixed pack or leftovers? Then take the smallest of these and paste 6 to 8 pieces on the bottom side, evenly spread. It protects your varnish and the air between the desk and the bottom of the device eases heat sink. And yet this tuning is barely visible – see the photo below.

Photo: LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 Mobile Drive 1 TB + 2 TB

Photo: both LaCie Porsche Design P'9220 hard disk drives were given felt pads onto the bottom side

Conclusion

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

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 you can see on the pictures above.

Recommandation

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

Alternatives

In the meantime, it is no longer worth buying it because it is a discontinued model. Here I name current alternatives.

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