OWC / Other World Computing 2TB Mercury Elite-AL Pro Quad Interface External HDD w/ eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, & USB2 Ports
Compact and portable, the 2TB Mercury Elite-AL Pro Quad Interface External HDD w/ eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, & USB2 Ports from OWC is an external storage solution with a high-storage capacity and superb data transfer speeds. This enclosure contains a 2TB Hitachi Deskstar 7K3000 hard drive that spins at a fast speed of 7200rpm, has a fast SATA drive interface, and a huge storage capacity of 2TB. In addition, this drive utilizes an Oxford 924 bridge chipset for increased speed and has a 64MB buffer that works to that same end.
For connecting the drive to your computer, you have numerous options. You can use one of two built-in FireWire 800 ports, the eSATA port, the FireWire 400 port, or the USB 2.0 port. The USB 2.0 port is also backwards compatible with computers that have older USB ports. You can transfer data at speeds up to 1.5 Gbps via the eSATA port, 800 Mbps via a FireWire 800 port, 400 Mbps via a FireWire 400 port, and 480 Mbps via the USB 2.0 port.
This external hard drive comes formatted for Mac computers and is plug-and-play via the USB 2.0 port; however, you can reformat the drive to work with Windows as well. While you can easily use it to store additional files or backup your hard drive, you can also use it as an external boot drive for your Mac computer. Along with the drive, you'll receive the following software: Intech's Hard Disk SpeedTools Utilities, ProSoft's Engineering Data Backup, NovaStor's NovaBACKUP, Carbon Copy Cloner, and over 1.5 GB of other free programs.
- High-Capacity, High-Performance
- Storage capacity of 2TB on an SATA drive that spins at a fast 7200rpm and that also utilizes a high-speed Oxford 924 bridge chipset as well as 64MB of cache
- Data Speeds
-
With one USB 2.0 port that's backwards compatible with older USB ports, one eSATA port, two FireWire 800 ports, and one FireWire 400 port, experience data transfer rates between the your drive and your computer at the below speeds:
eSATA: up to 1.5 Gbit/s or 150 MB/sec
FireWire 800: up to 800 Mbps or 100 MB/sec
FireWire 400: up to 400 Mbps or 50 MB/sec
USB 2.0: up to 480 Mbps or 60 MB/sec
USB 1.1: up to 12 Mbps or 1.5 MB/sec
- Portable
- The variety of interfaces and the compact, shock-resistant design allow you to use the drive with a wide variety of computers and take it with you wherever you go
- Bootable Startup Drive for Macs
- You can also use the unit as an external startup drive for your Mac computer with any of the interfaces
- Mac Formatted But Windows Compatible
- Formatted for use with Mac computers but can be reformatted for use with Windows PCs
- ProTools
- Compatible with ProTools
- Warranted
- Three-year limited warranty
A Little Lagniappe Software
- Prosoft Engineering Data Backup 3
- Data Backup allows you to easily backup files to FireWire and USB drives, network drives, CDs and even DVDs. Make schedules so you don't need to 'think' about backing up your files. It does it for you. It's compatible with Mac OS X v10.2.8 or later
- Carbon Copy Cloner
- CCC 3 features an interface designed to make the cloning and backup procedure very intuitive. In addition to general backup, CCC can also clone one hard drive to another, copying every single block or file to create an exact replica of your source hard drive. It is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 or later
- NovaStor NovaBACKUP
- Feature rich, NovaBACKUP provides a powerful backup solution. Built-in support for hundreds of the most popular storage devices and a step-by-step backup and restore wizard makes NovaBACKUP extremely easy to use. It is compatible with Windows 2000 or later
- Intech SpeedTools Utilities
- SpeedTools consists of a suite of utilities managed by an application which controls the launching, documentation and version control of each individual component utility, such as Disk Defrag and QuickBack. Installing and removing the suite is easy and can also be customized if you want to pick and choose which utility components to install. The suite is compatible with MacOS 10.3.9 and later
Go To
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 2TB |
| Drive Interface | SATA (Serial ATA) |
| Chipset | Oxford Semiconductor 924 |
| Drive Speed | 7200rpm |
| Buffer | 64MB |
| Port |
1x eSATA 2x FireWire 800 (9-pin) 1x FireWire 400 (6-pin) 1x USB 2.0/1.1. (5-pin) |
| Transfer Rate |
Max Data Transfer Rates: eSATA: up to 1.5 Gbit/s or 150 MB/sec FireWire 800: up to 800 Mbps or 100 MB/sec FireWire 400: up to 400 Mbps or 50 MB/sec USB 2.0: up to 480 Mbps or 60 MB/sec USB 1.1: up to 12 Mbps or 1.5 MB/sec |
| Sustained Transfer Rate | Not specified by the manufacturer |
| Format |
Pre-formatted for Mac OSX Reformatting required for Windows |
| Shock |
65G 2 mS (operating) 175G 2mS (non-operating) |
| Vibration |
1.0G (5 - 300Hz) (operating) 5.0G (5 - 500Hz) (non-operating) |
| MTBF | 1,000,000 hours |
| System Requirements |
Macintosh System Requirements: Mac OS 8.6 to 9.2.2, Mac OS X 10.0.x or later and an available USB 1.1 or FireWire 400 port Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later and an available USB2.0/1.1, FireWire 800/400 port, or eSATA port Windows System Requirements: Windows 98SE or later and an available FireWire 400 or USB 2.0/1.1 port Windows 2000 or later and an available USB 2.0/1.1, FireWire 800/400, or eSATA port Linux Requirements: Linux compatible via supported USB and FireWire interfaces If using the unit as an external startup drive for Macs: With eSATA: Supported but requires a bootable eSATA host controller With USB 2.0: Apple officially supports USB 2.0 bootability on all Intel processor based desktop, laptop, and tower models With FireWire 400: All FireWire Equipped Apple Computer models since 2001 support booting this drive via FireWire when a proper, supported OS has been loaded onto this Drive. Booting via FireWire requires Mac OS 8.6 or later or any version of Mac OS X With FireWire 800: All Apple models equipped with a FireWire 800 port support booting this drive when a proper, supported OS has been loaded onto this Drive. Booting via FireWire 800 is also supported in all FireWire 400-equipped Mac models since 2001, when connected with OWC's FireWire 800/400 Expansion Card. |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Mounting | Upright on a Stand |
| Power Requirements | 3Amp 100 to 240v 50/60hz US/International Auto Switching |
| Environmental Requirements |
Temperature: 41° to 131°F / 5° to 55°C (operating) -40° to 149°F / -40° to 65°C (non-operating) Relative Humidity: While operating: 8 - 90% RH (Non-condensing) While not-operating: 5 - 95% RH (Non-condensing) Load/Unload Cycles: 300,000 |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 1.5 x 9 x 4.6" / 3.81 x 22.86 x 11.68 cm |
| Weight | Not specified by the manufacturer |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 8 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to set up (8)
- Easy to use (7)
- Large capacity / good size (7)
- Quiet (6)
- Attractive (5)
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional storage (7)
- Back-up (5)
- Photo storage (5)
- Video (4)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Power user (8)
- Primary use:
- Business (6)
- Computer Platform:
- Mac (7)
Reviewed by 8 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-8
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 2TB Mercury Elite-AL Pro Quad Interface External HDD w/ eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, & USB2 Ports:
Best price and drive out there for beginners and professionals.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Portable
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 2TB Mercury Elite-AL Pro Quad Interface External HDD w/ eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, & USB2 Ports:
Got my Lightroom catalogs off of my laptop and reclaimed mucho internal drive space. Works great.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- Photo Storage
Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 2TB Mercury Elite-AL Pro Quad Interface External HDD w/ eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, & USB2 Ports:
This product has a build quality that is solid. I use two of these drives for my photography workflow. One is used as my working RAW image drive and the other is a cloned backup. Also, the design matches your MAC computer devices perfectly.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- Video
Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 2TB Mercury Elite-AL Pro Quad Interface External HDD w/ eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, & USB2 Ports:
OWC has been a reliable brand for storage for myself and my company. I enjoy the strong build of the product. I have dropped a smaller model and when I plugged it into my computer I had no issues and has been working fine ever since.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Photo Storage
Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 2TB Mercury Elite-AL Pro Quad Interface External HDD w/ eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, & USB2 Ports:
I am a photographer, always shooting and uploading, always running out of space....looks like I won't be running out of space for quite a while! haha
I have tons and tons of images and am always looking for a hard drive I can trust. So far so good! This hard drive has the space I need, the speed I need, and there is nothing about it that I don't like.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Video
Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 2TB Mercury Elite-AL Pro Quad Interface External HDD w/ eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, & USB2 Ports:
I use it profissionaly. This Hard Disk Drive is very fast and quiet. With all those multiple conection choices, no costumer will be dissapointed if one purchase this unit. As far, I did not find absolutely nothing that would me think twice about recomending or purchasing another unit. By the way, I am just about to place another order.
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- Photo Storage
Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 2TB Mercury Elite-AL Pro Quad Interface External HDD w/ eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, & USB2 Ports:
Well made, fast, just great units. This company's drives were highly recommended to me by a few people, and also having read positive stuff online. Though not having to avail myself of it, their tech support was also highly touted. Recently have had to deal with the support of one hard drive company who I will not name though their brand begins with an L, and the tech support was awful. Usually about a week between each email, sometimes asking me to try something I already had emailed them that I previously did.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy To Set Up
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 2TB Mercury Elite-AL Pro Quad Interface External HDD w/ eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, & USB2 Ports:
Easy to switch and shelf SATA hard drives. I love these as a system
- Primary use:
- Business
Displaying reviews 1-8
Cables & Adapters
- Price: $9.99
Host Adapters
- Price: $24.95
Hubs & Adapters
- Price: $22.24
Surge Protection
- Price: $11.49
What's in the Box
- 36" High Quality Double Shielded eSATA Connecting Cable (eSATA - eSATA)
- 36" High Quality Double Shielded FireWire 800 connecting cable (9-9 Pin cable)
- 36" High Quality Double Shielded FireWire 400 Connecting Cable (6-6 Pin)
- 36" High Quality Double Shielded USB 2.0/1.1 Connecting Cable
- External AutoSwitching 100/240v 50/60Hz Power Adapter
- Vertical Stand
- Owner's Manual
- Software: Intech SpeedTools Utilities OEM (For Mac OS 8.6 - X only)
- Software: Prosoft Engineering Data Backup for Mac OS X v10.2.8 or Later
- Software: NovaStor NovaBACKUP for Windows 2000 or Later
- Software: Carbon Copy Cloner for Mac OS X 10.4 or Later
- Over 1.5 GB of Freeware/Shareware/Public Domain Software Installed
- 3-Year Limited Warranty
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