After being rolled over by a one-ton commercial truck, the new SimpleTOUGH hard disc drive from Hitachi reportedly continues to function.
In other words, the hard drive lives up to its name, at least according to Hitachi's marketers. On paper, the SimpleTOUGH withstands free falls of up to 9.8 feet, and its also water-resistant. A USB cord is permanently attached, and folds around the lip of the drive for stowage. Shock resitance is 400G in use and 1,000G non-operating, which isn't mind-blowing considering the 1,500G resistance Samsung recently touted.
The SimpleTOUGH is one of three new Hitachi products coming from SimpleTech manufacturer Fabrik, which Hitachi acquired in February. The SimpleDRIVE looks similar to the tough drive, but without as much bulk or protection. It's available for $89.99 for 250GB, $109.99 for 320GB and $139.99 for 500GB, while the SimpleTOUGH costs $10 more for each storage increment.
A third product, the SimpleNET, is a $79 network adapter for USB drives. After connecting it between the drive and the router, the drive appears on the network.
At the time of the Fabrik acquisition, Hitachi GST President Steve Milligan called the move "the cornerstone for the next phase of Hitachi's business transformation." He didn't eleaborate at the time, but the new drives appear to be fruits of the acquisition. These look like solid, reasonably-priced products -- though Hitachi isn't talking about write speed and other specs.
