Review: ToughTech Duo QR

Intel's new Thunderbolt I/O technology has been crashing through Apple's product line like a… well, you know. The promise of 10-gigabit/second data transfer speeds has creative pros shakin' in their sleek, well-aligned boots. However, at this writing, only one Thunderbolt storage product has shipped: Promise's Pegasus RAID, a 4-drive array that starts at a cool $999. It's wicked fast, but at 15 pounds it's not exactly portable...

This is the new ToughTech Duo QR from CRU-DataPort.

They're the guys that bought WiebeTech in 2008. It's a portable two-drive RAID 0/1 unit that uses 2.5-inch laptop-style drives and sports eSATA, FireWire 800, and USB interfaces. Never mind that alphabet soup of jargon though, let's see what it can do.

The Duo packs a lot of features not normally seen in small portable drives, or RAIDs for that matter. The first thing you notice is that it feels just plain solid. The Duo uses a one-piece metal chassis, and though it's smaller than that broken Zip drive in your closet, it's got a heft to it that reassures you its lock socket isn't just an air vent.

The next thing you notice is that there's no power cord. Yes, the Duo supports Bus Power over FireWire, even with fast 7200 RPM hard drives. This means you can plug in on the go without needing an AC adaptor, a huge boon for mobile pros. (You'll still need AC power for using eSATA or USB, but one is included in the box, complete with international plugs.)

Unlike many portable RAID devices, the Duo lets you change the RAID mode anytime as needed. In RAID 0 mode, the two drives work in sync to increase space and speed. RAID 1 mode sacrifices those benefits but increases reliability by writing an exact duplicate of the first drive onto the second drive in real-time. Most other portable RAIDs are factory set in RAID 0; if one drive fails, bye-bye precious data.

The Duo also lets you swap internal drives without tools. Drives are held in place with trick screwless drive carriers. (Mounting holes and screws are still provided if you're nutty about vibration.) Replacing an internal drive is as simple as pushing one button to release the tray and another to release the drive mechanism. This makes multi-drive rotating backup schemes a cinch, just like with the big-boy RAIDs.

FireWire 800 is great for compatibility and bus power, but this sucker really screams over eSATA, maxing out at a wicked fast 162 megabytes per second. Maximum write speeds for each interface are shown in the graph below.

I ran that test using 500 GB 7200 RPM drives; you can use SSDs instead and get transfer speeds only previously seen with PowerBook 5300s using alien technology.

Though no Mac ships with eSATA, if you have a MacBook Pro with an ExpressCard slot (current 17" models and some older 15" models) or any Mac Pro with a free PCI Express slot, you can easily and inexpensively add an eSATA card.

Still hung up on Thunderbolt? The only comparable Thunderbolt device coming out anytime soon is the LaCie Little Big Disk later this summer. Unlike the Duo, the Little Big disk only supports RAID 0, does not let you remove the drives, and does not have any interfaces other than Thunderbolt. No FireWire, no eSATA, not even crappy ol' USB. Need to swap a file with an older MacBook Pro? (Or a current Mac Pro?) Little Big Disk says "deal with it, nobody wants your file anyway."

Instead, you can get a ToughTech Duo QR today and enjoy all of those features. Need Thunderbolt compatibility in the future? Pick up a forthcoming Thunderbolt-to-eSATA adapter later this year and enjoy the same speed as a native drive.

Drawbacks? Just one, the price: at $399 without drives, it's not exactly cheap. Still, for what you get: removable drives, multiple modes, bus power, and excellent portability, it's the only game in town.

Who? CRU-DataPort
What? ToughTech Duo QR
Where? Tech Superpowers
When? Shipping Now
How Much? $399 plus drives

Vitals: Portable 2-bay 2.5" RAID 0/1 enclosure. Two Firewire 800 ports, USB/eSATA combo port, DC-in port, Kensington security slot. (Firewire 800 ports support bus power and Firewire 400.) LCD display: supports RAID configuration, temperature monitoring, and SMART monitoring without a computer connection. Drives removable without tools. Cables for connecting USB, eSATA, Firewire 800 and 400 included. AC adapter with international plugs included.

Images courtesy of CRU-DataPort.

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	Review: ToughTech Duo QR Paulo Rodrigues's blog Login or register to post comments Intel's new Thunderbolt I/O technology has been crashing through Apple's product line like a… well, you know. The promise of 10-gigabit/second data transfer speeds has creative pros shakin' in their sleek, well-aligned boots. However, at this writing, only one Thunderbolt storage product has shipped: Promise's Pegasus RAID, a 4-drive array that starts at a cool $999. It's wicked fast, but at 15 pounds it's not exactly portable... This is the new ToughTech Duo QR from CRU-DataPort. They're the guys that bought WiebeTech in 2008. It's a portable two-drive RAID 0/1 unit that uses 2.5-inch laptop-style drives and sports eSATA, FireWire 800, and USB interfaces. Never mind that alphabet soup of jargon though, let's see what it can do. The Duo packs a lot of features not normally seen in small portable drives, or RAIDs for that matter. The first thing you notice is that it feels just plain solid. The Duo uses a one-piece metal chassis, and though it's smaller than that broken Zip drive in your closet, it's got a heft to it that reassures you its lock socket isn't just an air vent. The next thing you notice is that there's no power cord. Yes, the Duo supports Bus Power over FireWire, even with fast 7200 RPM hard drives. This means you can plug in on the go without needing an AC adaptor, a huge boon for mobile pros. (You'll still need AC power for using eSATA or USB, but one is included in the box, complete with international plugs.) Unlike many portable RAID devices, the Duo lets you change the RAID mode anytime as needed. In RAID 0 mode, the two drives work in sync to increase space and speed. RAID 1 mode sacrifices those benefits but increases reliability by writing an exact duplicate of the first drive onto the second drive in real-time. Most other portable RAIDs are factory set in RAID 0; if one drive fails, bye-bye precious data. The Duo also lets you swap internal drives without tools. Drives are held in place with trick screwless drive carriers. (Mounting holes and screws are still provided if you're nutty about vibration.) Replacing an internal drive is as simple as pushing one button to release the tray and another to release the drive mechanism. This makes multi-drive rotating backup schemes a cinch, just like with the big-boy RAIDs. FireWire 800 is great for compatibility and bus power, but this sucker really screams over eSATA, maxing out at a wicked fast 162 megabytes per second. Maximum write speeds for each interface are shown in the graph below. I ran that test using 500 GB 7200 RPM drives; you can use SSDs instead and get transfer speeds only previously seen with PowerBook 5300s using alien technology. Though no Mac ships with eSATA, if you have a MacBook Pro with an ExpressCard slot (current 17" models and some older 15" models) or any Mac Pro with a free PCI Express slot, you can easily and inexpensively add an eSATA card. Still hung up on Thunderbolt? The only comparable Thunderbolt device coming out anytime soon is the LaCie Little Big Disk later this summer. Unlike the Duo, the Little Big disk only supports RAID 0, does not let you remove the drives, and does not have any interfaces other than Thunderbolt. No FireWire, no eSATA, not even crappy ol' USB. Need to swap a file with an older MacBook Pro? (Or a current Mac Pro?) Little Big Disk says "deal with it, nobody wants your file anyway." Instead, you can get a ToughTech Duo QR today and enjoy all of those features. Need Thunderbolt compatibility in the future? Pick up a forthcoming Thunderbolt-to-eSATA adapter later this year and enjoy the same speed as a native drive. Drawbacks? Just one, the price: at $399 without drives, it's not exactly cheap. Still, for what you get: removable drives, multiple modes, bus power, and excellent portability, it's the only game in town. Who? CRU-DataPort What? ToughTech Duo QR Where? Tech Superpowers When? Shipping Now How Much? $399 plus drives Vitals: Portable 2-bay 2.5" RAID 0/1 enclosure. Two Firewire 800 ports, USB/eSATA combo port, DC-in port, Kensington security slot. (Firewire 800 ports support bus power and Firewire 400.) LCD display: supports RAID configuration, temperature monitoring, and SMART monitoring without a computer connection. Drives removable without tools. Cables for connecting USB, eSATA, Firewire 800 and 400 included. AC adapter with international plugs included. Images courtesy of CRU-DataPort. Submitted by Paulo Rodrigues on Wed, 08/24/2011 - 10:33 Public Content