When you browse through Super Talent’s list of online products, you won’t find a category for hard drives even though the company’s new Super Talent 500GB USB 3.0 Storage PODis just that. However, taking a closer look at this unique device, you’ll understand why it’s featured side by side against the extreme performance flash drives. Perhaps this is why the company doesn’t add the word “hard drive” to its title and trades it for the trendier, more ambiguous “POD” title.
The most important thing to take away from the Super Talent USB 3.0 Storage POD is the fact that it is bus-powered. This feature allows the device to not only achieve portability, but also separate itself from most hard drives that anchor you to limited locations with cumbersome power adapters. There are also no USB drivers to install so you can start using it the moment you plug it in.
According to the COO of Super Talent, “No longer should an external USB drive seen as second-class storage. Now you can upgrade the storage capabilities of your existing system without opening the case and in a convenient form factor that you can take with you anywhere.”
While the Storage POD is backward compatible for USB 2.0, it is more than ready to take on SuperSpeed potential. When used with a complete USB 3.0 connection, it can clock sequential read speeds at 90MB/s, which is triple the speed of 2.0 devices. At speeds that compete with a SATA interface or internal hard drive, the 3.0 POD doesn’t have to be reserved for special projects or backup data. Instead, such specifications move the device up in the ranks of digital importance to everyday storage that acts like an integral part of your computer.
Super Talent’s 3.0 Storage POD has a sleek appearance that makes it look more like a smartphone than a hard drive. The nearly reflective black casing and single circular LED indicator reinforces a minimalist-chic design trend in electronics. It’s light enough to carry in a pocket, backpack or purse at 200 grams (which is just less than half a pound).
The 500GB external drive supports Windows and Linux and it works as a USB 2.0 device for Mac systems.
Super Talent’s product release is drawing near—it’s available starting early January for $99. The price is rather affordable considering the storage capacity and on-the-go functionality.
So whether you’d define it as part hard drive, part flash drive or both, one thing is certain; it’s definitely worth checking out.
Are you into the idea of a bus-powered Super Talent Storage POD? What’s your favorite feature?