I noted the release of the [re]Drive last month — this hard drive is probably the most energy efficient external hard drive available. I was glad to be able to get a hold of one for testing.

The first thing I noticed about this drive, was the packaging, which was minimalistic enough to bring a smile to my face. The box contained no unnecessary plastic and cardboard inserts. Instead there was just a few pieces of tape holding the USB and power cords in place.

The drive itself rested securely in a corrugated recycled cardboard shell. The drive’s “Quick Install Guide” was actually printed on the inside of the box — a clever idea.

My previous hard drive actually died two days before the [re]Drive arrived, so I’ve been using the [re]Drive quite a bit! What I like most about this drive is that it turns itself off automatically. This is an important feature in terms of energy savings. The drive seems to turn itself back on quickly enough, because I didn’t notice any access time lag.

The [re]Drive actually contains an efficient 500 gigabyte Western Digital drive. It has a Energy Star qualified power adapter.

The [re]Drive’s design was created for SimpleTech by Stuart Karten Design (SKD), a Los Angeles based industrial design firm. The external casing is made out of renewable bamboo. It’s an aesthetically pleasing choice, that I’m sure will wear well over the years. The drive’s chassis is made with recycled aluminum. It has an undulating surface that increases the drive’s ability to passively cool itself. Matt McRae, vice president of marketing at Fabrik, said that even the extra pieces of aluminum that are carved off during the manufacturing process are recycled into future products.

The [re]Drive sells for about $160.

Link: [re]Drive

A company called Fabrik has released an external hard drive called the [re]Drive that it is said to be the world’s most energy efficient. The drive’s cover is a sheet of bamboo — this is good choice for a drive casing, given bamboo’s tensile strength and durability. The drive’s chassis is made with recycled aluminum. It has an undulating surface that increases the drive’s ability to passively cool itself. Matt McRae, vice president of marketing at Fabrik, said that even the extra pieces of aluminum that are carved off during the manufacturing process are recycled into future products.

Fabrik has also attempted to minimize the packaging by using just a small amount of recycled corrugated cardboard. Most of the interior packaging, such as plastic bags and thick manuals, has been eliminated, with just a few pieces of tape holding the extra cords in place. The drive rests securely in another corrugated cardboard shell.

The company chose an energy-saving drive from Western Digital, although future versions may contain drives from other manufacturers. There is no on-off switch — instead, the drive turns itself on and off as required. The drive uses Turbo USB 2.0 to connect to your PC, promising 25% more transfer speed than USB 2.0 alone. The drive comes with an Energy Star-qualified power adapter. The drive itself is 500 gigabytes for and sells for about $160.

Link: [re]Drive