OWC Unveiled Voyager Q Hdd Docking Stations, Quad-Interface Included

When I first heard of hdd docking station, I was thrilled and excited about the simplicity of accessing an internal 3.5-inch form factor hard drive with plug-n-play ability. Forget the external enclosure unit, a bare drive docking unit is the best hdd accessory ever invented and you better believe it. The increasingly popular hard drive docking station is everywhere now, and even OWC has joined the bandwagon.

Just yesterday, OWC announced a Quad-interface Blu-ray toaster, and today Mac accessories specialist has equipped similar technology on its Voyager Q docking drive. They have dished out nine new hard drive docking bundles, offering both Quad interface – eSATA, USB, Firewire 400/800 — and USB/eSATA models, available in a docking bare unit or bundled with storage drives from 500GB to 2TB capacities. Like the iStarUSA's xAGE 902 we reviewed early this month, it's also compatible with 2.5-inch form factor laptop drives.

All models are currently available from macsales online store. A bare docking unit will set you back $98, slightly higher than the iStar with similar features; while the 2TB version, presumably bundles with the newly announced WD green caviar, will cost you $380.

February 26, 2009, Woodstock, IL — Other World Computing (OWC®) http://www.macsales.com , a leading Mac and PC technology company, announced today nine new OWC Voyager Hard Drive Docking Bundles that come complete with the NewerTech Voyager hard drive dock; a high performance, SATA hard drive with options including the most energy efficient operation and/or highest capacity drives available on the market up to 2.0TB; and a $200 retail value disk utility software bundle consisting of Intech SpeedTools/Prosoft Data Backup 3/NovaStor NovaBackup. Priced starting at $109.99, the Voyager Hard Drive Docking Bundles feature either the NewerTech Voyager Q, the only "Quad Interface" FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, & eSATA hard drive docking station on the market or the NewerTech Voyager S2 USB 2.0/eSATA interface model, for Plug & Play compatibility with both Windows and Macintosh systems.

The OWC Voyager Bundle is a Plug and Play easy to use external hard drive solution that works with both Macs and PCs straight from the box. Simply insert the included 3.5" SATA I/II hard drive (up to 2.0TB) into the NewerTech Voyager compact docking base and select the fastest interface supported by the connected computer to backup and store data; archive multiple smaller drives onto the OWC Voyager hard drive; or even create a bootable clone of the primary hard drive. Because there isn't anything to install or configure, Voyager saves users the time and inconvenience of installing a hard drive into a computer or an external hard drive enclosure, which may have limited interface choices and slower speeds.

Voyager Docking Station Makes Swapping Hard Drives as Convenient as USB Memory Keys

With the combination of a high performance 3.5" SATA I/II hard drive along with a NewerTech Voyager docking station, consumers can enjoy the same type of convenience as a flash memory or USB key, but with the much greater storage capacity offered by a hard drive. Plus, with its custom, stylish design, weighted base and drive eject lever, the NewerTech Voyager makes inserting, using, and removing the included hard drive a safe and effortless procedure.

Drive Options with Most Energy Efficiency & Highest Capacity Available On Market

Voyager Bundles feature hard drives that deliver best-in-class performance, boasting options with the largest capacity hard drives and best energy efficiency on the market. Voyager 1.0TB Bundles feature the Hitachi Deskstar 3.5" hard drive that delivers the best energy efficiency on the market, with up to 43% less idle power consumption over previous generation 1.0TB hard drives. Users with massive storage needs can select the Voyager Bundles that feature the 2.0TB Western Digital Caviar Green hard drive, the largest capacity, eco-friendly single 3.5" hard drive available on the market.

Real-World Applications for OWC Voyager Bundle:

Photographers/Videographers: Keep photos and videos archived and organized by using a separate drive for each volume of work.

Small Business: Backup important files at the end of day and keep the drive either off-site or in a fire-proof safe. Keep multiple drive backups from any specific date.

Computer Technicians: Easily backup client data to separate disks before working on the computer without the need to utilize a hard drive enclosure.

Home Users: Save pictures, financial records, scanned legal documents (such as birth certificates), and other personal documents. Backup data to a separate drive and keep the drive in a safe or safe deposit box.

All Users: Have the piece of mind of a complete backup plan. The included software creates a bootable clone of the primary hard drive at regular intervals, so if the computer or power goes down, productivity doesn't go down with it. Boot to another computer and keep on working.

Nine OWC Voyager Hard Drive Docking Bundles available priced starting at $109.99:

Voyager S2 "Dual Interface" (USB 2.0 & eSATA) Bundle Models:

OWC Voyager S2 500GB Bundle with Dual Interface: 500GB Hitachi Deskstar hard drive, NewerTech Voyager S2 SATA I/II hard drive docking station with Dual Interface for eSATA and USB 2.0. Bundle includes all connecting cables and $200 value disk utility software. Priced at $109.99.

OWC Voyager S2 1.0TB Bundle with Dual Interface: 1.0TB Hitachi Deskstar hard drive, NewerTech Voyager S2 SATA I/II hard drive docking station with Dual Interface for eSATA and USB 2.0. Bundle includes all connecting cables and $200 value disk utility software. Priced at $137.99.

OWC Voyager S2 1.5TB Bundle with Dual Interface: 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda hard drive, NewerTech Voyager S2 SATA I/II hard drive docking station with Dual Interface for eSATA and USB 2.0. Bundle includes all connecting cables and $200 value disk utility software. Priced at $189.99.

OWC Voyager S2 2.0TB Bundle with Dual Interface: 2.0TB Western Digital Caviar Green hard drive, NewerTech Voyager S2 SATA I/II hard drive docking station with Dual Interface for eSATA and USB 2.0. Bundle includes all connecting cables and $200 value disk utility software. Priced at $339.99.

Voyager Q "Quad Interface" (FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0 & eSATA) Bundle Models:

OWC Voyager Q 500GB Bundle with Quad Interface: 500GB Hitachi Deskstar hard drive, NewerTech Voyager Q SATA I/II hard drive docking station with Quad Interface for FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA. Bundle includes all connecting cables and $200 value disk utility software. Priced at $149.99.

OWC Voyager Q 750GB Bundle with Quad Interface: 750GB Hitachi Deskstar hard drive, NewerTech Voyager Q SATA I/II hard drive docking station with Quad Interface for FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA. Bundle includes all connecting cables and $200 value disk utility software. Priced at $169.99.

OWC Voyager Q 1.0TB Bundle with Quad Interface: 1.0TB Hitachi Deskstar hard drive, NewerTech Voyager Q SATA I/II hard drive docking station with Quad Interface for FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA. Bundle includes all connecting cables and $200 value disk utility software. Priced at $184.99.

OWC Voyager Q 1.5TB Bundle with Quad Interface: 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda hard drive, NewerTech Voyager Q SATA I/II hard drive docking station with Quad Interface for FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA. Bundle includes all connecting cables and $200 value disk utility software. Priced at $229.99.

OWC Voyager Q 2.0TB Bundle with Quad Interface: 2.0TB Western Digital Caviar Green hard drive, NewerTech Voyager Q SATA I/II hard drive docking station with Quad Interface for FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA. Bundle includes all connecting cables and $200 value disk utility software. Priced at $379.99.