Elgato is announcing the Elgato Thunderbolt SSD, a portable high-speed storage solution. The Elgato Thunderbolt SSD combines a fast and reliable solid-state drive with Thunderbolt technology. Housed in a nicely designed metal enclosure, the high-speed drive draws its power directly through the Thunderbolt port without needing a separate power supply. The device will be available in February.
Pairing a speedy Solid State Drive (SSD) with the unrivaled bandwidth of the Thunderbolt interface, the Elgato Thunderbolt SSD — as any Thunderbolt SSD — offers significantly higher performance than any portable FireWire or USB storage solutions. The Elgato Thunderbolt SSD draws its power directly through the Thunderbolt port, so it doesn’t require an external power supply, which makes it a nice addition for a portable computer equipped with Thunderbolt ports.
The metal enclosure looks really grew; Elgato claims it also ensures optimal heat dissipation. As this design doesn’t need a noisy fan, it operates completely silently.
As Elgato doesn’t seem to have saved on performance nor on enclosure specs, it is a mystery why the company has decided to fit only one Thunderbolt port on this drive. Elgato’s thus becomes the second Thunderbolt device not to deliver on one of Thunderbolt’s attractive design options: the ability to daisy chain devices. [UPDATE: It's no longer a mystery. Elgato explained if you want to go bus-powered all the way, single port is the only option.]
The Elgato Thunderbolt SSD is available in February and can be purchased from Elgato (www.elgato.com), Apple, and selected retailers for 399,95 Euro (120 GB version) and 649,95 Euro (240 GB version).
