14 DAY TRIAL // Having already been released on the European market, under the name of MiniStation Lite, Buffalo's USB 3.0 portable hard disk drive has now arrived in the United States, where it is ready to make waves with its combination of a large storage capacity and fast access speeds. The product also combines the benefits of the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard with Buffalo Tools, a set of PC performance-enhancement pieces of software, making it able to "store or back up massive amounts of high-resolution graphics, digital audio and video files, photos and other assets, in a compact and lightweight form, perfect for travel."
Through the USB 3.0 interface, the Buffalo MiniStation Cobalt will achieve the now infamous data-transfer rates ten times faster than those possible through the USB 2.0 connection. This, however, makes up only half of the device's functionality, the other half being the aforementioned PC performance-enhancement software. TurboPC, for instance, can boost file-transfer rates by up to 25% compared to other USB 3.0 devices, by making use of the computer's high-speed RAM.
Secondly, the Buffalo Backup Utility can allow one HDD to back up one or multiple PCs. The drive also features the ECO Manager software, which cuts power to the drive when it is inactive. There is also the RAMDISK tool, which creates a RAM disk on the Windows PC, essentially a fast environment used to handle files. Finally, the SecureLock software provides password protection and data encryption.
"Buffalo continues to deliver on the promise of producing high quality, high performance storage solutions that push the technological envelope," Ralph Spagnola, vice president of sales at Buffalo Technology, said. "With the new MiniStation Cobalt USB 3.0, we are continuing a tradition of innovative, high-speed storage solutions that consumers have come to rely on year after year."
The MiniStation Cobalt HD-PEU3 will be available in storage capacities of up to 640GB starting with April. The price tags have not been revealed, but, in Europe, the 500GB model sells for 120 Euro, whereas the 640GB device costs 150 Euro.