LaCie Upgrades "Rugged" Line: USB 3 & Thunderbolt 2, up to 2TB HD & 500GB SSD

LaCie has upgraded their iconic "Rugged" line of portable drives and challenges WD's most recent bus-powered portable drive by offering Thunderbolt 2 and USB 3 in the same water, dust and drop resistant package. With the SSD versions, the LaCie Rugged is stated to perform up to 387 MB/s. With the standard hard disk version performing up to 122 MB/s. The goal with these models, especially the SSD versions, was to allow photographers, videographers and other "power users" can transfer 100GB in less than five minutes, and enjoy zero lag when accessing files, viewing photos or editing videos.

"[The LaCie Rugged] is MIL-compliant, which means that data is protected even during accidental drops of up to 2 meters (6.6 feet). During transit, users can attach the removable cover to provide IP 54-level protection against dust and water. Whether the LaCie Rugged falls off a desk or accidentally gets caught in the rain, the user can stay confident that their data is still accessible. The SSD version goes a step further with resilience against vibration and shock. Both versions are tough enough to be shipped for reliable delivery to clients or partners. Included software even protects files from prying eyes with AES 256-bit encryption."

The Rugged is designed to be the on-the-go solution for photographers and videographers. It is lightweight and capable of taking hits, making it ideal for those who travel a lot and don't want to baby their storage devices.

The whole drive is surrounded in a rather ostentatious orange (brand color, and the only color in which it will be available) rubber padding. Underneath that padding is an additional layer of protection in the form of a thick aluminum body. Compared to other portable drives, the 500 GB SSD version is, as expected, extremely light. It's no wonder it can survive a drop of 2 meters, since it's so well protected and doesn't weigh much.

As mentioned, the Rugged is also protected from the elements. While LaCie was showing me the drive, they mentioned that even if you were in the desert and your computer gets fried by the blowing sand, you can rest pretty easy knowing your hard drive won't succumb to those elements. You also don't have to worry about rain (barring total downpour) or the occasional drop from the desk to the floor.

The Rugged has both USB 3 and Thunderbolt connection areas, so you aren't roped into one system and you don't have to fear a client/coworker/friend needing access to your drive but not having a Mac. Also, if you somehow break the built-in thunderbolt cable you can still access your files via USB.

I got a chance to try out the LaCie Rugged for a quick run through ahead of a full review (which will be coming soon). I decided to see if the 500 GB SSD would give me the speeds LaCie was boasting. I tested it on the latest MacBook Pro Retina:

Thunderbolt:

USB 3:

I may not have gotten the 387 MB/s promised on the box, but I came pretty darn close. The read speed was extraordinary, especially on USB 3.0.

You can see how the size compares to the WD 4TB in size (just as a reference):

What's also quite nice is that this new LaCie Rugged is protected by a three-year limited warranty, which includes comprehensive, complimentary web-based resources, expert in-house technical support and worldwide repair and/or replacement coverage.

So what's it going to cost you and when can you get it? The LaCie Rugged will be broadly available mid-June in 1TB for $219.99 and 2TB for $299.99. The SSD versions will be available early-July and 250GB SSD will retail for $299.99 while the 500GB SSD can be purchased for$499.99, which isn't bad considering the costs of other SSD units.