LaCie has always made downright stunning external storage devices. No matter if you are an Apple or WinTel… or even a custom UniTel user, LaCie will complement your system as few other options can. So much so that they do not just compliment a system but actually enhance it. This is because their beauty, elegance, and unique styling is simply unmatched. This goes double for their latest ‘Apple exclusive’ LaCie Mobile SSD series.
The one area where LaCie was sometimes ‘iffy’ was in the performance they offered. This was always the weak link of LaCie because they were at the mercy of the storage manufactures they had to purchase their internals from. Since Seagate purchased them, this became a moot issue, and anyone still on the fence about LaCie needs just look at the LaCie Mobile SSD series and realize just how powerful an option LaCie has become.
In the case of the LaCie Mobile SSD series, LaCie has taken all their knowledge of beauty and paired it with excellent internal components. In this case, LaCie is using the extremely potent Seagate BarraCuda SSD (and its very, very potent Phison S10 controller) and paired it with the ASMeida ASM253CM USB to SATA bridge IC. This combination is not only fast enough to be used as an Operating System drive but makes worries over TRIM and ‘slowdowns’ that plague USB based NAND storage devices moot. Put simply this combination works and works well. So well this ‘Apple exclusive’ device is replacing our Crucial MX500 w/ ASM1153 based USB enclosure as our ‘troubleshooting toolbox’ drive. It should replace yours too. It will last a long, long time. It will save you time and effort. It even looks more professional.
Even if you do not need a dedicated PC diagnostic flash drive, as typical fast external storage the LaCie Mobile SSD series should replace your existing ‘thumb drive’ and ‘portable drive’ and even ‘external backup drive’. It is just that good, that flexible, and that good looking… with almost no downside to using it. The only minor issue is you will be paying a slight premium for all its features. Though even here the typical ‘Apple Tax’ is easily overlooked. It is only a few dollars extra and you do get one sophisticated device whose beauty is only exceeded by its performance. As such even if you never, ever buy Apple product’s this should be the exception to your own rule.
The Review
LaCie Mobile SSD 500GB
This sure is not your granddaddy's flash drive that is for sure. Excellent good looks. Excellent performance. Even a great warranty. There is very, very little to dislike about the LaCie Mobile SSD series. So much so that it easily justifies its asking price… even with an ‘Apple Tax’ included.
