Review: LaCie 1 TB d2 Quadra Hard Drive

[I wrote this review, with additional revisions here, for a major electronics purveyor's Web site.]

“No problems so far,” written 3/26/2010

Pros:
Easy to setup, High capacity, Easy to use
Best uses:
Backup, Additional storage
Describe yourself:
Casual user
Primary use:
Personal

I know starting my review with the headline “no problems so far” doesn’t convey much confidence. But before I bought the d2 Quadra, I did a lot of research into an external hard drive for my ancient PowerBook, and it seemed like for every review I found praising a hard drive, another was posted in which the consumer complained the drive failed out of the box.

In the end I went with the d2 Quadra primarily because I felt it was the best VALUE. I thought the Western Digital and Seagate external hard drives were more aesthetically pleasing. But I didn’t like the idea of having to use the WD software (necessary, I believe, if one wants to take advantage of the drive’s energy saver option). And I didn’t like that the Seagate drive had only one orientation, according to a reviewer who wrote that the drive’s base doesn’t allow it to fully rest on its side.

The d2 Quadra was several dollars cheaper than the WD and Seagate drives I looked at. I consider LaCie a pretty reliable brand. I have another external LaCie drive, a small, portable model that’s a few years old now that I still use . And I liked the d2 Quadra’s PORTABILITY, or FUNCTIONALITY, with its four interface options (eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0). I expect this hard drive will be around when my computer meets its demise, so COMPATIBILITY with future computers I might get was a must.

The d2 Quadra is UGLY, however. The weight and noise, which other reviewers have mentioned, haven’t bothered me, however. I keep it upright and plugged in on my desk. I was easily able to create three partitions on it. Every few days I turn on the d2 Quadra, connect my laptop via FireWire 400, and do a Time Machine backup as well as a Clone update with SuperDuper!

Which reminds me of another great feature of this hard drive: its SIZE. I can’t comment on how much of the advertised space is actually accessible to me because I’m nowhere near reaching the limit. With 1 TB at my disposal, I don’t have to worry about running out of disk space.

Incandescent vs. Compact Fluorescents

60w incandescent bulb.

Philips 14w Universal Marathon compact fluorescent bulb (40-50w equivalent).

Philips 16w A-shape compact fluorescent bulb (50-60w equivalent).

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) have gotten a boost from different quarters recently. I’ve noticed, however, that many people still have reservations about the quality of the light given off by CFLs. My first CFL was from IKEA, and I found out, along with many other consumers, that its light was truly soul-sucking.

After reading a discussion on purchasing “non-killer” fluorescent lightbulbs, I felt prepared to give them another try. For one, I learned that the quality of a CFL differs from brand to brand. A CFL’s color rendering index (CRI) is also important. The higher a bulb’s CRI, the better its ability to render visible colors. (The sun has a CRI of 100.)

One brand people seemed to recommend consistently was Philips. So I got the Philips Universal Marathon ($9.50) and the Philips A-shape bulb ($10.50) (from online retailer EFI). Both bulbs boast “Alto” technology, meaning less mercury content and thus less hazardous waste when they are disposed of.

L-R: 60w incandescent, Philips 14w CFL, Philips 16w A-shape CFL.

I’m pleased so far with both bulbs, which I use in my bedroom. I took some pictures and have posted them here. Although it’s hard to tell by the pictures, I haven’t noticed a difference in the light given off by the CFLs. I highly recommend them. And the cost shouldn’t be a deterrent. They are pricey, but they should save one money in the long run.

Homemade Air Conditioning and Alienation in New Jersey

I was looking online for some tips on cooling off (it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity, as they say) and found a university student’s account of building an air conditioner using nothing but a garbage can, a large fan, copper tubing, vinyl tubing, zip ties, clamps, and water. MacGyver would be proud.

Today, green blog Treehugger covered how to build a solar-powered air conditioner. Treehugger also linked to the blog lifehacker, which also posted instructions on making your own air conditioner (similar in design to the university student’s but with a “closed-circuit” system that reuses water).

I’m happy to learn that even something as unwieldy and technically incomprehensible as an air conditioner has a cheap, homemade counterpart. Of course one shouldn’t expect such units to cool one down as much as a commercial unit, but the savings in cost (on the unit itself and electricity) might make this an option worth exploring for some.

And here’s a completely unrelated quote:

“And I thought that one natural effect of life is to cover you in a thin layer of … what? A film? A residue or skin of all the things you’ve done and been and said and erred at? I’m not sure. But you are under it, and for a long time, and only rarely do you know it, except that for some unexpected reason or opportunity you come out–for an hour or even for a moment … as when you were a kid.

And you think: this must’ve been the way it was once in my life, though you didn’t know it then, and don’t really even remember it–a feeling of wind on your cheeks and your arms, of being released, let loose, of being the light-floater.”

-The Sportswriter, Richard Ford

A good book on alienation in contemporary life, set in the New Jersey suburbs outside New York City. I first read Ford in the New Yorker. His short story “Quality Time” is one of my all-time favorite pieces of literature. The story is reprinted in one of his recent collections, and I’d highly recommend it.

Smart Cards for Public Transportation

While looking at credit cards, I came upon Citibank’s SmarTrip Mastercard — a Metro farecard and credit card in one. The Metro (in the D.C. metropolitan area) released the SmarTrip farecard a few years ago, and I definitely prefer them over the plastic farecards one usually buys. For one, the SmarTrip card, which is made of heavy, stiff plastic, is more durable. The card gets you through the turnstile more quickly, no swiping over and over again while a line of impatient passengers builds up behind you. You can also add value to it online, as the card is registered to your information. Though that might present privacy concerns (future episode of Law and Order?).

Apparently New York City’s MTA will begin experimenting with smart farecards in the spring. Newsday reports that these farecards will be credit cards or key-chain tags.

A9.com Maps

I’ve been looking for apartments on Craigslist and found the Web site A9.com Maps to be helpful. A9.com Maps, a subsidiary of Amazon, provides images of selected cities, block by block. The photos are taken from the street, from a perspective perpendicular to the flow of traffic on the street. Both sides of a block are usually documented.

Not all blocks have been covered (on the Web site, you can choose whether or not you want to see which blocks have been covered — otherwise you just get a street-level map image). I also found the interface a little confusing. And, of course, if you’re interested in seeing a place outside of the 24 cities currently listed on the site, the service isn’t going to do you much good.

But in terms of just getting a general sense for a neighborhood, in a city that I’m already familiar with, it’s nice to know what’s in the direct vicinity of a listed apartment. Is the neighborhood more industrial? In transition? Very trendy? Do the streets look uncomfortably deserted? Are there any trees?