techPowerUp! News :: Walton Chaintech Announces APOGEE Pronto eSATA Drive

Monday, June 22 2009

Walton Chaintech Announces APOGEE Pronto eSATA Drive

Reacting to users’ demands for portable, high speed storage, Walton Chaintech has announced its new APOGEE Pronto eSATA drive. Modeled after APOGEE's award-winning SSD design, the Pronto uses the eSATA port instead of the USB 2.0 port for its file transfers. This product specifically targets users who require better performance and capacities than conventional flash pen drives but do not require speeds to run software and operating systems like SSDs.

The APOGEE Pronto eSATA has dualistic connectors, supporting both the eSATA and USB ports. This flexibility allows users to use the Pronto as a simple high capacity storage device, while also supporting read/write speeds of 90/50MB/s respectively, about three times faster than conventional flash pen drives. Available in 32G and 64G capacities, the Pronto supports users to store a multitude of different file types, from multimedia to office documents or any combination of both.

If users are looking for a product that holds more information, has faster data transfer speeds than conventional USB flash drives, look no further than the APOGΣΣ Pronto eSATA drive.

Source: Walton Chaintech

posted by btarunr - 1:08 PM | Related News

User comments

by h3llb3nd4 (June 22nd - 1:10 PM) - Reply

ohh...
and the cost?
I hope it's not too expensive!!

by Weer (June 22nd - 1:26 PM) - Reply

The primary function of thumb drives is access. If they're limited to anything but USB, their main pivot of functionality will be taken from them.

by Mussels (June 22nd - 1:49 PM) - Reply

Pronto :D good name!

weer, they have both. just like every other one of these drives, the USB2.0 port will be used for power when the E-sata is used, and when its not, the USB port works as a standard flash drive.

by Weer (June 22nd - 2:10 PM) - Reply

by: Mussels
Pronto :D good name!

weer, they have both. just like every other one of these drives, the USB2.0 port will be used for power when the E-sata is used, and when its not, the USB port works as a standard flash drive.

You're right, I didn't see that. Still, the functionality of e-SATA is too limited. If one wants e-SATA, they would do best with a larger drive.

by InnocentCriminal (June 22nd - 2:14 PM) - Reply

If I had a laptop with eSATA I'd just get a 64GB version and leave it in constantly.

by Mussels (June 22nd - 2:16 PM) - Reply

by: Weer
You're right, I didn't see that. Still, the functionality of e-SATA is too limited. If one wants e-SATA, they would do best with a larger drive.

hmmm... 300MB/s vs 30MB/s. Dunno, i can see some uses for E-sata on a portable drive.

by DanishDevil (June 22nd - 4:02 PM) - Reply

Is this the answer to my question here?

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96666

Or do you need to connect it like this?

http://www.elitebastards.com/hanners/ocz/throttle/images/inuse_esata_tn.jpg

I guess it wouldn't be that smart of an idea to release a drive with a single connector that combined eSATA and USB like the one in my thread because I'm not sure if you'd be able to plug it into a regular eSATA port. I know you won't be able to just plug it into a USB port.

by [I.R.A]_FBi (June 22nd - 4:16 PM) - Reply

the Pronto supports users to store a multitude of different file types

How innovative!

by BazookaJoe (June 22nd - 6:58 PM) - Reply

Agreed, but this is what really sells it for me...

"from multimedia to office documents or any combination of both"

I just cant wait to get some pr0nz and some spreadsheets on the same drive!

by PP Mguire (June 22nd - 8:23 PM) - Reply

It probably works the same as my external from Eagle.

It has a built in USB cable but also supports eSATA. It comes with a small power port that gets power from USB via a cable and also plugs into your eSATA port. You cant use the built in cable and eSATA at the same time. I guess there is a conflict in the internal controller lol.

Having a eSATA high copacity thumb drive helps though if you dont wanna carry around a drive.

by indybird (June 23rd - 5:23 AM) - Reply

If this is around $100 I might pick one of these up and just use it as a system drive, I mean why not eh? It is essentially a solid state drive...

-Indybird

by Poisonsnak (June 23rd - 10:04 PM) - Reply

by: DanishDevil
Is this the answer to my question here?

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96666

Or do you need to connect it like this?

http://www.elitebastards.com/hanners/ocz/throttle/images/inuse_esata_tn.jpg

I guess it wouldn't be that smart of an idea to release a drive with a single connector that combined eSATA and USB like the one in my thread because I'm not sure if you'd be able to plug it into a regular eSATA port. I know you won't be able to just plug it into a USB port.

You have to connect it like in the 2nd link. Judging by the pictures this drive is a re-branded OCZ Throttle.

http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/flash_drives/ocz_throttle_esata_flash_drive

Same case shape, same bump by the mini-usb connector, same cap, probably even the same jmf601 controller.

Nothing wrong with that though, I have a throttle and it's very fast, 30MB/sec either direction on USB, and the read speeds on eSATA are a little faster at about 60MB/sec. Compare this to most USB-only flash drives, you'll find that most of them have decent read speed but 5MB/sec write speed which is brutal.

by DanishDevil (June 24th - 12:51 AM) - Reply

I can't wait until somebody releases one that has the option of an eSATA USB combo port. It just bugs me that I need a cable for something that's already plugged flush into the computer. And it bugs me enough to not buy one.

Am I weird? :p

by Mussels (June 24th - 5:28 AM) - Reply

by: DanishDevil
I can't wait until somebody releases one that has the option of an eSATA USB combo port. It just bugs me that I need a cable for something that's already plugged flush into the computer. And it bugs me enough to not buy one.

Am I weird? :p

e-sata doesnt provide power - needing a USB port for power is gunna stick around, unless you want a mains power brick instead.

by DanishDevil (June 24th - 6:02 AM) - Reply

Read the link I posted above. There are laptops that combine an eSATA and USB port. What I don't know is if they can both operate at the same time, but I don't see why not.

by Mussels (June 24th - 6:04 AM) - Reply

by: DanishDevil
Read the link I posted above. There are laptops that combine an eSATA and USB port. What I don't know is if they can both operate at the same time, but I don't see why not.

different voltages? Sata runs at 0.5V (signalling, no power) while USB runs at 5V.

by DanishDevil (June 24th - 6:14 AM) - Reply

But I have used a USB flash drive in the combo port, unplugged it, and used my eSATA HDD in it 10 seconds later, and both performed perfectly.

The eSATA leads are on the top of the horizontal "bridge" inside the connector, while the USB leads are on the bottom. They work independantly, so what I'm asking is if someone could come out with a drive that has that port on it (in addition to a USB port for compatibility with computers without the combo port) so I could plug it into the combo port and have it be powered by the USB and transfer through eSATA.

by Mussels (June 24th - 6:25 AM) - Reply

by: DanishDevil
But I have used a USB flash drive in the combo port, unplugged it, and used my eSATA HDD in it 10 seconds later, and both performed perfectly.

The eSATA leads are on the top of the horizontal "bridge" inside the connector, while the USB leads are on the bottom. They work independantly, so what I'm asking is if someone could come out with a drive that has that port on it (in addition to a USB port for compatibility with computers without the combo port) so I could plug it into the combo port and have it be powered by the USB and transfer through eSATA.

but who would bother selling a device that <1% of PC users can use?

by DanishDevil (June 24th - 3:38 PM) - Reply

Well those ports are standard in all Dell Studio laptops, and they seem to be getting more popular. It would be nice for them to get more popular, since USB 3.0 is far away and powered eSATA disappeared. I wish I were better with electronics, or I'd make one myself.

by Mussels (June 25th - 6:15 AM) - Reply

being popular in a dell laptop, is still... a very very tiny market share. its even less popular than e-sata itself on laptops.

by Luke (June 26th - 11:12 PM) - Reply

all the new lenovo laptop have esata on them so this could be useful

Post your own comment

Username:
Password:
Register Here!