Image Courtesy: LaCie

If a 800GB storage solution with Raid 0 configuration from G-Tech isn’t enough for you, maybe LaCie’s F800 2TB HDD would kindle a desire of owning one of these shockingly huge units (in terms of storage). LaCie’s F800 comes in three storage capacities – 1TB, 1.6TB and 2TB – with four disks for the 2TB model to total up to its respected capacity. As it’s the case with all such hard drives of this magnitude, the F800 is designed and targeted at audio/video professionals that would need such a massive amount of storage for raw formats. Instead of configuring the disk drive with Raid 0 at default, LaCie smartly gives you the choice of picking the configuration to your preference. These configurations include Raid 0, 0+1, 5 and 5+hot spare.

The F800 is equipped with four ATA drives (each 5000GB) to total up to 2TB with max-sustained transfer rates of 55MB/sec, according to LaCie. It’s also compatible with all major operating systems except Linux. Furthermore, you would be able to connect the drive and transfer files back and forth via Firewire 800 and USB 2.0 connectivity options. LaCie says the operating temperature of the unit is 0 to 35 Deg. Celsius with 200W of power consumption and 100 to 250V of AC power input.

From the outside, the F800 storage unit closely resembles a small form factor PC with an appealing color scheme and a desirable look all around.

Initial Thoughts: With the use of four ATA hard drives and maximum transfer speeds of 55MB/s, the drive is a competitive performer in the market. Perhaps one of the most interesting and useful options of the unit is the Raid configuration. One of the preliminary things that we didn’t prefer with G-Tech’s 800GB was the option for Raid 0 as its sole option. It simply made the drive unreliable albeit with better performance.

With that said, the price of the unit would undoubtedly make you think twice about opting for this solution. According to LaCie, the price for 1TB is $1499.00, 1.6TB is $2299.00 and 2TB is $2999.00. Although LaCie’s F800 drive undoubtedly proposes new features that are better than what some of its competitors presents, the price ensures its targeted consumer base to be serious professionals that demand such a costly setup.