14 DAY TRIAL // Toshiba's storage solutions' roadmap doesn't seem to have been that severely affected by the recent disaster that struck its home country of Japan, given the fact that they've just released two new additions to their lineup of external USB 3.0 HDDs.
The two new products in question are the STOR.E STEEL S and STOR.E ALU 2S, both of which provide plenty of storage space, while in the same time leveraging the high data transfer rates enabled by the USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed USB) interface.
It's interesting to mention that both the STOR.E STEEL S and STOR.E ALU 2S are available in a 2.5-inch version, that offers a maximum storage capability of up to 1TB, but also a higher level of portability, given the fact that models under 750GB measure 120.3 x 77.0 x 11.7mm, while models over 750GB measure 120.3 x 77.0 x 14.5 mm, the overall weight being, nevertheless, the same, namely just around 175 grams.
The STOR.E ALU 2S, on the other hand, will also be available in a more desktop-oriented version, featuring a 3.5-inch HDD and being capable of delivering up to 2TB of storage space.
Naturally, since it packs a thicker, larger HDD, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the 3.5-inch STOR.E ALU 2S from Toshiba is also a bit bigger, measuring 189.7 x 112.0 x 32,3mm and weighing a whopping 1170g (probably also due to the fact that this model is powered by a dedicated mains adapter, while the rest are powered directly via USB).
The STOR.E STEEL S and STOR.E ALU 2S will be available during the first quarter of 2011 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, but the company has not provided any pricing details for these drives, the final price tag most likely depending directly on the storage capability provided by the drive and on whether we're talking about a 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch HDD model.