Imation's Odyssey is an external drive platform consisting of two primary components: A docking device, which connects to the PC via USB (2.0), and individual Hard Disk Drive (HDD) cartridges that can be inserted into and removed from the docking station as needed and accessed from the PC in the same manner as a normal hard drive (including drag and drop file moving and access, etc.). The platform is offered both to Windows (2000/XP/2003) and Mac OS X (10.3+) platforms; but be aware that the vendor lists 512MB RAM as a system requirement for both environments.

The docking device itself is about 5.25 x 7.8 x 2 inches in dimensions; and features a "soft load" mechanism that allows both for the loading of cartridges with one finger, and, according to the vendor, prevents accidental ejections. The USB 2.0 connection supports data transfer rates of up to 36 MB/sec, and is backward compatible to USB 1.1. The docking station is powered by an external power supply (included).

The cartridges are now available in capacities of 40, 80, 120, and 160 MB and consist of 2.5 inch SATA drives encased and sealed in a shock and static resistant enclosure. Specifically, the vendor notes that the data integrity of the drives survives a drop from a height of up to 1 meter to a concrete surface; and the anti-static cartridge is rated with Electro Static Discharge (ESD) protection for up to 5000 volts. Drive contents can be write-protected by means of a mechanical switch.

The vendor bills the platform as providing "infinite storage" to its users; both because of the removability of the drives, as well as the vendor's claim to support forward compatibility in the docking station for larger Odyssey drive cartridges in the future (since the cartridges themselves are based on standard 2.5 inch SATA drives). Though only the 40 - 160 MB cartridges are available as of this writing, a 250 MB cartridge is additionally listed on the vendor's Web site. The drives and the docking station both ship with a three year limited warranty (parts and labor).

Future internal versions of the docking station are expected to fit into 5.25 inch half-height, 3.5 inch full height, and slimline drive bays.

An additional feature of the platform is EMC Retrospect backup software, which is included with the purchase price. EMC Retrospect features password protection for the drives as well as 256-bit AES encryption of drive data.

The Odyssey platform is available now, in capacities ranging from 40 to 160 MB and prices ranging roughly from $189 to $299 (price includes the docking station, a single drive, EMC Retrospect).

Contact Imation for further information.

product submission by EITPlanet Staff

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