14 DAY TRIAL // Aleratec has just introduced its 1:11 USB Copy Tower SA duplication device, that copies the information from the master stick to 11 similar storage drives.
However, the duplication machine can do more than copying information: it can also compare data or erase 11 flash drives at the same time, thus sparing important time and hassle. The operation mode can be selected from a duplicator controller with a backlit LCD display. In fact, the integrated USB controller is the heart of the device, as it eliminates the need of a computer.
The front panel hosts four control buttons (up and down arrow, OK, and ESC) and an alpha-numeric display, that reflects the operating mode. Users can scroll up and down through the controller's functions, then select the desired operating mode by pushing the OK button. When the copy/compare or erase operations have been initialized, the display then reflects its progress.
The 1:11 USB Copy Tower SA supports asynchronous USB duplication, which means that once you plug in the source drive, you can load target flash drives into each channel. When the copying process is completed, you can add the next batch of 11 USB flash drives.
The synchronous duplication mode is also supported and lets users make 11 copies at the same time. When the duplication is completed, users can opt for a bit-by-bit comparison, to ensure that every copy is identical to the original. The comparison operation confirms that there have been no errors during duplication and that the information can be safely accessed.
The device is already available on the market and comes with an estimative retail price of about $1575. However, it is not intended for home / small office use, but rather for professionals who need fast and completely automated data duplication across a large number of flash drives.