Here are the Portable Drive Checklist Standards for choosing the ideal portable or external drive:
High reliability and shock protection to keep data safe
Fast data transfer rate
High maximum capacity
Long operational life, backed by a THREE-YEAR warranty
Reasonably priced
Easy to use; plug-and-play installation
Usable with USB 2.0, Firewire, or SATA interfaces, or in a docking bay
Convenient portability in a handheld package that stands vertically
But...very few external drives meet all eight standards Almost all high-capacity external hard drives fall short because they are too fragile and unreliable. How fragile? Consider the Maxtor 5000DV, whose instruction manual states:
“Do not bump, jar, or drop the drive”
Furthermore, Fujitsu Corporation warns its hard disk drive users of the following in a recent warranty statement:
“ A drop onto a hard surface from as little as ¼-inch (6 mm) can cause defects on the surface of the drive, so extreme care must be exercised when handling disk product.”
Because of such fragility, most external drives should never be moved. Even if your drive simply sits on your desktop, you must take extra precaution to prevent an accidental drop or even a small knock. If this vulnerability is a concern to you, there are portable hard drives that use a more durable laptop bare drive internally; however, these are expensive, limited in capacity, and often are designed with sufficient durability.
Finally, while most external or portable hard drives are compatible with popular USB 2.0 or Firewire interfaces, very few offer Serial ATA (SATA) connectivity. This is a significant compromise, considering SATA is projected to become the most popular interface in the next two years because it offers over two times the transfer rate of USB 2.0 or Firewire.
So, Olixir Set Out to Develop the Perfect Drive
We developed an “external portable hard drive”, the Mobile DataVault 3DX, with the following benefits:
High Durability & Reliability to Keep Your Data Safe
Provides 1,200G of patented shock protection in a high-impact case, which keeps your data protected from knocks, bumps, or accidental drops. Uses high-quality internal drives by Hitachi or Maxtor. This drive is over 425% more shock protected than over 35 other models!
Mega Capacity Compared to Other Portable Drives
Choose from 120 to 400/800* GB -- larger than most other portable drives, DLT tapes, and equivalent of hundreds of CDs and thousands of floppy disks.
High Data Transfer Rate
With 8 MB Cache, 7200 RPM, and up to 40 MB/s sustained transfer rates, this drive can move a Gigabyte data in less than 25 seconds.
Amazing Reliability Backed by a Three-Year Guarantee!
We confidently provide a three-year warranty, including drops! Most portable and external drives have just a one-year warranty.
Award-Winning Backup Software
Includes Dantz Retrospect backup and disaster recovery software that provides added protection for your data.
Easy Installation and Use
Plug-and-play with Windows 2000/ME/XP, Macintosh OS 8.6, and Linux.
Small Handheld Package That Stands Vertically
At 4.4 x 7.5 x 1.4 inches, this drive is about the size of a VHS tape. It is over 40% smaller than many popular external drives.
Ultra Flexible Interface
Use INTERCHANGEABLY with USB 2.0, Firewire, Serial-ATA, and PCMCIA cables, or plug into a 5.25" docking bay!
Reasonably priced
By using a 3.5” bare drive internally, this external hard drive offers more capacity than “rugged” portable drives, yet is less expensive.
Don't take our word for it
This external hard drive is widely considered to be one of the best in the world by publications such as Tom's Hardware Guide. The excitement stems from its ability to meet all eight criteria of the Portable Hard Drive Checklist Standards and its unsurpassed versatility.
(See below for specifications, and right-hand column of this page for other useful information, including how to purchase.)
FREE External Drive Report
Find out how the Mobile DataVault 3DX stacks up against over 35 other external an portable hard drives, without having to check out numerous websites or going to the store. Click here to fill out the registration form, and we'll email you a FREE copy of this report.
* 400/800 GB refers to native/compressed capacity. Compression achieved through backup software is typically 2:1, but may vary depending on file type.
Back View of the Mobile DataVault 3DX
Back of chassis plugs into USB 2.0 or Firewire ports of any server. Second Firewire port allows for daisy-chain expandability.
The Mobile DataVault 3DX has been reviewed by the following publications:
(Please note that some are clickable to the online version of the review; others are only available in print.)
Product Image
Compare us to Competition
Click here to receive, by email, your FREE External Drive Report. This report compares over 35 external drives in the market, saving you time from having to shop around.
Applications
This drive has been purchased worldwide by end users and companies of all sizes for applications, such as:
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Backup and disaster recovery
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Video editing and storage
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Transporting data
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Consolidating data from CDs, tapes, etc.
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Medical/dental record storage
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High-resolution image storage and editing
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Video surveillance
•
Digital photo storage
•
Digital content creation/graphic arts
Capacities/Performance
Native Capacities: 120, 160, 250, 400 GB Note: With software compression, you can typically achieve 2X the native capacity.
The Mobile DataVault 3DX 250 GB drive can store up to:
19 hours of DV video 250 hours of MPEG video
250,000 digital photos 62,500 MP3 files
The Mobile DataVault 3DX performs at: 7200 RPM/8 MB Cache
Ultra-Flexible Interface
Use with the following cables (interchangeably):
USB 2.0/1.1
Firewire
Serial ATA (SATA)
Or plug into a:
5.25" Docking Bay
Note: Cables and docking bay can be used interchangeably--See FAQ for more information.
Other Popular Olixir Products
FastRestore SE Backup & Disaster Recovery System for small enterprises;
100% replacement for midrange tape backup
Alternative to Tape Libraries:
--Rackmount available
--Multi-terabyte capacity (via RAID)
--Uses rugged, portable drives for rotation and offsite archiving
--Firewire 800, gigabit ethernet (NAS) or SCSI interfaces
--For ultimate security
Technical Specifications
Physical Dimensions: 7.5 X 4.45 X 1.4 inches Weight: 1.85 lb
Shock Protection
Shock dampening using patent-pending technology. This drive will withstand a non-operating shock impact of 1,200G (2.0 ms).
Interface
Centronics interface that connects to:
- USB 2.0 cable
- Firewire cable
- Serial ATA cable
- PCMCIA cable
- 5.25" Databay
The interface can be used interchangeably with any cable above.
Cables can be bought separately by contacting Olixir.
Internal Hard Disk Drive
Storage Capacity: 120 GB, 180 GB, 250 GB, 400 GB
Rotational Speed: 7200 rpm
Buffer Size: 8 MB
Average Seek Time: 8.5 ms typical.
Data Transfer Rates
USB 2.0: Approx. 35 MB/s sustained; 480 Mpbs burst.
Firewire: Approx. 40 MB/s sustained; 400 Mbps burst.
Serial ATA: Over 40 MB/s sustained; 1500 Mbps burst.
Power Requirements
12V DC; 5V DC.
Approvals
CE & FCC
Warranty
Mobile DataVault 3DX Warranty: 3 Years
Box Contents
• Mobile DataVault 3DX Hard Disk Drive
• User's Manual
• Easy install hardware instructions
• Typically purchased with either USB 2.0, Firewire, SATA cable and an external 12V power cable (as a kit) or with a push-button ejection docking bay
