Dane-Elec tipped its hand by showing off several new USB 3.0 compatible external hard disk drives, with storage sizes ranging from 500GB up to 2TB.
In addition to the HDDs, Dane-Elect also will launch the industry's first USB 3.0 solid state drive (SSD). The company's "So SuperSpeed" line starts with the 500GB HDD model available for $149.99; with 500GB, 750GB, 1TB, 1.5TB, and 2TB HDD models also for sale.
Dane-Elec also has 80GB and 160GB USB 3.0 external SSDs, priced at $399.99 and $799.99, respectively. Dane-Elec is best known for Compact Flash and SmartMedia cards for use in MP3 players and digital cameras, so HDD and SSD products are still in the company's niche product range.
The manufacturer hopes to become the first company to release USB 3.0-powered devices on the U.S. market, aiming for a Dec. 11 product launch.
Manufacturers continue to show interest in the USB 3.0, as the specification promises speed increases up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. Buffalo, Freecom, and Active Media revealed USB 3.0 HDDs and SSDs, with future product announcements expected as the year comes to an end. Hewlett-Packard, NEC, Intel, and NXP Semiconductors also support USB 3.0, and are developing USB 3.0-powered products.
It's good to see companies pushing USB 3.0 technology, but it remains unknown how many consumers will be ready for it. USB 3.0 has the ability to transfer 1GB of data in just 3.3 seconds, while it takes 33 seconds for USB 2.0 to transfer the same amount.
Most USB 3.0 products will be released in 2010, but several companies are looking to sneak their next-gen products in before the end of the year.
