Other World Computing has introduced a new 500 GB model in its Mercury On-The-Go line of portable hard drives. The 500 GB edition features three interfaces—USB 2.0 FireWire 400, and FireWire 800—and a 5,400 rpm drive. But, perhaps best of all for a portable drive, the 500 GB drive can be powered off a host computer’s FireWire or USB bus…although USB 2.0 operation still needs an AC adapter.
The 500 GB On-The-Go drive uses the Oxford924 chipset, and ships with NovaStor NovaBackup for Windows and Prosoft DataBackup III for Mac OS X (the drive is also compatible with Mac OS X Leopard’s built-in Time Machine backup facility). It also includes USB 2.0 and two FireWire cables, and a 110-220V auto-switching power supply for USB 2.0 use.
OWC also offers other On-The-Go models with a variety of interfaces, including eSATA, as well as some versions with 7,200 rpm drive mechanisms, although the 500 GB edition is currently only available as a triple-interface model. The 500 GB drive is available now for $359.99.
