CES 2009

We're noticing more and more solid-state drives enter the mainstream market; the Intel X-25M drive's blazing fast transfer speed and completely unaffordable price tag felt bittersweet, but the prices aren't quite as bad for lesser quality drives like the Patriot Warp V.2. SSDs are popping up more often in the world of Netbooks, but we rarely see standalone external SSD.

Luckily, G-Technology made good use of this year's Macworld Expo by introducing a new family of external solid-state hard drives. Both the G-Drive mini SSD and the RAID 0/1 G-RAID mini SSD use 2.5-inch internal SSDs that benefit from higher performance scores, vastly increased durability, less power consumption, and an overall quieter operation. The new drives are ready to use with Macs right out of the box thanks to the HFS+ preformatting, and since SSDs lack moving parts, on-the-go data mongers can easily throw the drives in their equipment bag without fear of destruction.

The G-Drive mini is available in up to 250GB capacities, and users have the option of connecting to their computers via FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0. The drive is powered by the USB bus as well, so no external power is required to access your data. Finally, G-Technology reports a 60 megabytes per second write speed and 75 megabytes per second read speed. Thankfully, both drives are available now and come with a three-year manufacturer's warranty, and prices for each start at $599 for the mini and $1,299 for the G-Raid mini.

Western Digital used this year's Macworld Expo to add two new products to its line of storage devices. The new My Passport and My Book drives are both preformatted for Mac's HFS+ Journaled, allowing Mac users to take quick advantage of their plug-and-play design. Per usual, the drives get a ding right off the bat for their lack of FireWire, a feature that the Mac community demands for quick access to large format images and video. Both drives are available for purchase now, check out the details below:

The My Passport for Mac is similar to the My Passport Studio we reviewed in mid 2008. The external HD works with the Apple Time Machine hardware to schedule automatic backups and features an external shock-resistant body to resist the abuse of daily carry. The drive is entirely powered through the USB bus, but older computers with low-powered USB ports are out of luck. We're disappointed that Western Digital didn't include the option for external power, as the folks over at Iomega did. Unfortunately, hardcore editors are also at a loss, as the drive still doesn't have a FireWire port. The drives are available in 320GB ($130) and 500GB ($180) capacities, which averages to about $0.40 per gigabyte, one of the lowest figures out of most external hard drives on the market today.

The My Book Mac Edition is for users that need extra storage at home. Western Digital brags about its efforts to clean up our planet by utilizing "Green Power" technology that works with your computer to minimize the power that funnels into the drive. The enclosure also cuts down on noise and power consumption by eliminating an internal fan, and a fully recyclable package design fills out the eco-friendly initiative. Compared to the My Passport's impressive three-year warranty, the My Book's one-year seems puny, and we're anxious to test the longevity of the device. Western Digital offers the 1TB My Book for $180.