USB 3.0 splashed down in earnest this past week at IDF in San Francisco, but aside from a webcam and a few prototype devices on theshow floor, we've yet to hear of any real groundbreaking USB 3.0products. Until now. Freecom, a lesser known maker of external harddrives and the like, has today confessed that it has a USB 3.0 externalHDD in the pipeline, and unless we're missing something, that makes itthe first to do so.
The Hard Drive XS 3.0 doesn't look all that special on the outside.It's just a plain portable HDD, with a regular exterior and no realflash to speak of. But as with beauty, it's the inside that counts. Asthe planet's first HDD to utilize SuperSpeed USB technology, this drivecan reportedly transfer data at up to 130MB/sec, and it's also thesmallest 3.5" desktop HDD available. Users can stuff up to 2TB withinthe enclosure, and as with every other USB 3.0 HDD that'll arrive indue time, this one is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0 equipment.
The Hard Drive XS 3.0 will be available in Europe from mid-Novemberin 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB capacities, with prices starting at 119 Euros for1TB. If you're look to add USB 3.0 capabilities to your existing PC, aController Card for desktops will be offered for 25.95 EUR while anExpress Controller Card will be sold for notebooks is 29.95 EUR.
