SimpleTech (Re)Drive
Manufacturer: SimpleTech USA Part number: R500U
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Made from bamboo and recycled aluminum, the SimpleTech (Re)Drive is the most environmentally friendly external hard drive we've tested. It works well as a USB 2.0-only storage device and offers a unique ownership experience.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ![]() | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 11/07/2009 |
CNET editors' review
SimpleTech (Re)Drive - Reviewed by: Dong Ngo
- Edited by: Matthew Elliott
- Reviewed on: 08/13/2008
The good: Environmentally friendly design and packaging; unique and compact design; fast performance; useful software bundle; stays cool and quiet during operation.
The bad: No FireWire or eSATA connections; one-year warranty is quite short; Turbo USB 2.0 works only on PCs.
The bottom line: Made from bamboo and recycled aluminum, the SimpleTech (Re)Drive is the most environmentally friendly external hard drive we've tested. It works well as a USB 2.0-only storage device and offers a unique ownership experience.
The SimpleTech (Re)Drive will help protect your data and the planet. Housed in a casing of renewable bamboo and recycled aluminum, the external hard drive features a pleasing design--like something you might see inside the pages of Dwell. The drive's packaging also leaves little to waste: no plastic bag, no CD, no extra paper--the installation instructions are printed on the inside of the cardboard box. It lack FireWire and eSATA connections, but in CNET Labs' testing, the (Re)Drive still managed to register decent throughput performance thanks to its Turbo USB 2.0 software. You can find the (Re)Drive for about $150, which is quite reasonable for a 500GB hard drive. Thanks to its unique look, speedy throughput, and the eco-friendly materials used in both the drive itself and its packaging, we recommend the SimpleTech (Re)Drive to anyone looking for a USB-only external hard drive. In fact, we hope it encourages other vendors to follow suit in creating gadgets that deliver form and function to the end user while creating minimal impact on the environment.
| Drive type | External hard drive |
| Connector options | USB 2.0 |
| Available capacities | 500GB |
| Capacity of test unit | 500GB |
| Drive speed | 7,200rpm |
| Cache | 16MB |
| Dimensions (LWH) | 7.5 x 4.8 x 1.6 inches |
| Notable design features | Eco-friendly, bamboo casing |
| OSes supported | Windows XP, Vista, Mac OS X |
| Software included | Turbo USB 2.0, Fabrik BackUp Now |
| Service and Support | One-year warranty |
Design and features
Unlike most other pieces of consumer electronics that come hermetically sealed inside plastic blister packs, the SimpleTech (Re)Drive arrives in a refreshingly simple and easy-to-open box. The drive comes with virtually nothing but the essentials: the cardboard box, the drive, a USB 2.0 cord, and a power cord. The cords are taped to one side of the box, and the installation instructions are printed on the other side. The little piece of adhesive tape and two small plastic patches that keep both ends of the drive from being scratched are the only nonbiodegradable packaging materials you'll find within the box.
Remove the SimpleTech (Re)Drive from its packaging and you'll find that its casing is made of renewable and recycled materials. The top and bottom sides of the device are two pieces of bamboo that look and smell just-off-the-mill fresh. The sides of the device are made of recycled aluminum that also works as a heat sink, enabling the device to be fanless. The device feels solid, is heavy, and looks like a small gourmet-cheese-cutting board.
Like most external hard drives, the (Re)Drive is very easy to set up. The process involves only connecting the hard drive into a computer using the included USB cable and plugging it into the wall. As the (Re)Drive doesn't come with a CD, all of its software applications, including Turbo USB and ArcSoft TotalMedia Backup and Record (for both Windows and Mac), are stored on the hard drive itself. The drive also comes with Fabrik Online backup service that offers 2GB for free and unlimited for $4.95/month.
Preformatted for Windows, the drive will work as soon as it's plugged in, but only in regular mode. You'll then be prompted to install the Turbo USB software if you want to use it in Turbo mode, which takes just a few seconds to install and promises a 25 percent performance increase over regular USB 2.0. The drive needs to be repowered or replugged in to switch between regular and Turbo USB mode. From our experience, there's no reason why you shouldn't use it in Turbo mode. Note that Turbo USB 2.0 is not supported by Macs, but SimpleTech does say it's coming soon, sometime toward the end of the year. For now, the (Re)Drive is the first external hard drive we've tested that features Turbo USB 2.0.
The SimpleTech (Re)Drive also works with Macs, but out of the box, you can only read information off of it. In order to do both reading and writing, you will need to reformat from NTFS into Mac OS X's file system, HFS+. Make sure you copy the original content of the drive onto the computer's hard drive before reformatting. Otherwise, you won't be able to use the included backup software.
We didn't try the online backup service, but we did the ArcSoft TotalMedia Backup and it worked very well on both Windows XP and Vista (we didn't try the Mac version). You can back up preselected data (My documents, My photos, etc.) or select certain folders or the entire the hard drive to back up. You can also back up directly to multiple types of media including hard drive, external hard drive, and optical media. The software's interface is easy to use and very intuitive.
The (Re)Drive doesn't have a power switch, but it senses the power current from the USB cord and will power on by itself. This means that if you turn off your computer, or when the computer goes in sleep mode, the (Re)Drive will turn off by itself and turns itself back on when needed. This is a very nice feature that, according to SimpleTech, could help save up to 30 percent of energy compared with other 500GB hard drives. Note that the power from the USB cord is only enough for the drive to turn itself on and off, it requires a separate power adapter to operate. However, the power adapter itself is very small and bears the Energy Star certification that, by the claim of SimpleTech, saves up to 10 percent compared with other power cords.
Cost per gigabyte
At 30 cents per gigabyte, the $150 SimpleTech (Re)Drive delivers average value for an external drive. The Vox V1 is cheaper in this regard, but it's much bulkier and comes with a big power adapter. All things considered, we find the (Re)Drive well-balanced between features and cost per GB.
| Model | Capacity | Est. street price | Cost per GB |
| Vox V1 | 750GB | $235 | $0.18 |
| SimpleTech (Re)Drive | 500GB | $150 | $0.30 |
| Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus | 250GB | $90 | $0.36 |
Performance
The SimpleTech (Re)Drive offers very decent performance compared with other external hard drives in its class. In CNET Labs testing, in regular USB 2.0 mode, the drive registered 151.8Mbps and 153.4Mbps for write and read tests, respectively. In Turbo USB 2.0 mode, the drive failed to deliver the promised 25 percent bump, but the drive's write score did increase to 160.6Mbps, a 6 percent jump. Its read scores increased 7 percent, to 163.8Mbps.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
| Read | Write |
The drive also performed very smoothly, quietly, and stayed cool during the testing process.
We did notice, however, that with a PC running Windows Vista Ultimate, when the computer goes out of sleep mode, the drive would occasionally need to be unplugged and plugged back in to be recognized by the system again. The issue was rather random--it didn't happen every single time, nor did it happen with all machines we tried it with--and it might be because of the OS' power management rather than the drive itself. We talked to SimpleTech about this and they couldn't replicate that on their side. It's important to note that this sleeping issue doesn't affect the integrity of data stored on the hard drive.
Service and support
SimpleTech backs the (Re)Drive with only a one-year warranty, which is disappointing when you consider the company backs its Signature Mini drives with a three-year policy. Its toll-free technical support is available from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PT. At the company's Web site, you can find FAQs as well as drivers, software updates, and manuals.
User reviews
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USB Port Hog
by MillenniumHawk on February 10, 2009
Pros: Small, thin, and compact
Cons: My PC didn't recognise the drive when it got plugged in. Read the user manual and recommended that I plug in BOTH of the USP connectors to the PC. What? is this a joke? One device needs to take up 2 USB ports on a PC?
Summary: Went to their website and under the FAQ, it said the same thing that the manual said, which was to plug in both USB connectors. Even if this method worked, ...
Summary: Went to their website and under the FAQ, it said the same thing that the manual said, which was to plug in both USB connectors. Even if this method worked, why does a portable drive requrie 2 USB ports? The drive comes with the pin for AC Adaptor, but the AC Adaptor is not supplied with the drive, nor does it say what kind of AC Adaptor is required. Making more work for the users! In the end, I had to send it back to Simple Tech. Returning is also not easy. They make you work yet again! I had to get Return Merchandise Authorization. This is a crock! I don't mind going green, but that doesn't mean that I should settle for a product that requires more power source and the competitors' and deal with rude customer support jerks! Don't waste your money and don't get duped with going green. I don't like the product and I recommend others not to buy any products from Simple Tech that require the usage of 2 USB ports.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A Worthless Product
by NotSimple22 on March 26, 2009
Pros: I can't say, because I can't get it to work at all.
Cons: PC won't read the drive. Impossible to get in touch with support for help.
Summary: Where do I start. Judging by another review on here, SimpleTech products are crap. I won't be buying anything else of theirs. Installation and supposed to be quick and ...
Summary: Where do I start. Judging by another review on here, SimpleTech products are crap. I won't be buying anything else of theirs. Installation and supposed to be quick and easy, just plug in the USB, plug in the AC and viola! you're ready to go. But unfortuately it wasn't that easy.
My computer won't read the drive. I tried uninstalling and re-installing and then it showed up but when I rebotted my PC the next day, again the drive wasn't there according to my PC. Bundled software from "ArcSoft" which comes with the drive only confused matters.
I called ArcSoft support and they didn't know anything about the SimpleDrive. I called SimpleDrive's support and was on hold for 15 minutes and then got disconnected! I'm ready to take this piece of garbage back and demand a refund.
I bought it because it was on clearance, and apparently it was on clearance because nobody wants to buy these things! I'll stick with the more expensive, more reliable and reputable drives from now on. I make my living from my PC and reliable back-up is essential.1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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When it fails, they send you the cheaper model!
by jmyers1979 on October 30, 2009
Pros: None. It failed with minimal use within 2 months.
Cons: It's poor quality, customer service is horrible. 2 and 1/2 months for a replacement, then they substituted a cheaper model!! And were rude on the phone. I would rather use 5 1/4" floppys for a backup then deal with these clowns ever again.
Summary: This drive was a POS. I bought it, lost all my data that was on it, and when I returned it to SimpleTech (now Hitachi) it took 2 1/2 ...
Summary: This drive was a POS. I bought it, lost all my data that was on it, and when I returned it to SimpleTech (now Hitachi) it took 2 1/2 months to have them send me a replacement. And the replacement? The significantly cheaper Simple Drive!! I called, and they gave me some BS about how the value of the drive is at their discretion, meaning - screw you, we got your money, be happy with the garbage we send you. I have a couple of friends with the same drive - 2 out of 3 failed. When I sent it to data recovery - which was impossible due to the catastrophic hardware failure - they said they were getting about seven of these drives in DAILY. SimpleTech must get "simple" from the people putting together these pieces of crap. Seriously, avoid like the plague.
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It's a 1TB Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.B
by rarevision_dot_com on October 18, 2009
Pros: Bought this from Fry's for $79 (at the store, not mail order). Pretty cheap for a 1TB disk. The actual drive inside is a Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.B, model HDT721010SLA360. Only time will tell how reliable it is inside this weird enclosure.
Cons: Looks like we're back to putting electronics in wood cabinets. Wood isn't a very good conductor of heat, so I wouldn't be surprised if these drives fail quickly. This means the drive's only good for transporting data. Don't back anything up on it.
Summary: I mean, it's $79. If you don't like the case, take out the drive and install it inside the computer.
Summary: I mean, it's $79. If you don't like the case, take out the drive and install it inside the computer.
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Both drives I purchased became defective in one year.
by cmarvel58 on September 11, 2009
Pros: The look shiny and nice.
Cons: I lost all of my data on a 500Gb. An awesome loos of technical work. Theis company does not care and their product is defective
Summary: I bought a MAxtor and it loads quicker and so far so good.
Summary: I bought a MAxtor and it loads quicker and so far so good.
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Correction for the cost per gigabyte for Vox V1 drive
by BillF350 on May 5, 2009
Pros: The CNET review was helpful to have a cost per gigabyte for a few drive options.
Cons: The CNET review indicated a cost per gigabyte for the Vox V1 that is pretty far off the mark (probably a calculator typo). Note: Forced to give a Star rating, so chose 2.5 stars.
Summary: Cost per gigabyte is dollars divided by gigabytes:
$235 divided by 750GB = $0.31 per GB
The review listed a cost per gigabyte that matches a street price of only $...Summary: Cost per gigabyte is dollars divided by gigabytes:
$235 divided by 750GB = $0.31 per GB
The review listed a cost per gigabyte that matches a street price of only $135 (probably calculator typo). The Vox V1 actual cost per gigabyte of $0.31 is actually greater than the SimpleTech (Re)Drive. Read other reviews.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: SimpleTech USA
- Part number: R500U
- Description: Introducing SimpleTech [re]drive, the energy-efficient, resource-conscious external hard drive made with renewable, naturally grown bamboo and recyclable aluminum, the most recycled metal on the planet. These durable materials come together to create a unique design that looks and stays cool, without noisy fans. Add to that a low-power hard drive and Energy Star power adapter, and you've got a storage and backup solution that keeps your grid demands to a minimum. It's delivered with award-winning Fabric backup software, including 2GB free online backup (Fabric Ultimate Backup Service, 2GB free). SimpleTech [re]drive is also a speedy, reliable drive that's plug n' play simple - perfect for giving you more room to store and protect your precious files from life's little disasters.
General
- Device Type Hard drive - External hard drive
- Width 4.8 in
- Depth 7.5 in
- Height 1.6 in
Hard Drive
- Capacity 500 GB
- Interface Type Hi-Speed USB
- Features TurboUSB technology
Performance
- Interface Transfer Rate 480 Mbps
Storage Controller
- Type None
Storage Controller (2nd)
- Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
- Interfaces 1 x Hi-Speed USB - Mini-USB Type B
- Compatible Bays None
- Compatible Slots x None
Power
- External Hard Drive Power Source Included AC adapter
- Power device type Power adapter
Miscellaneous
- Compliant Standards Plug and Play
Environmental Standards
- EPA Energy Star Compliant Yes
Software / System Requirements
- Software type Fabrik Local Backup Software
- Min Operating system Apple MacOS X 10.3 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & support type 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year, Technical support - Unlimited
Manufacturer info
- SimpleTech USA
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse SimpleTech USA products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.simpletech.com/
- Address:
1830 East Warner Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92705 - Phone: 1-949-477-7700
- Email: support@simpletech.com
- Fax: 1-949-756-8289








