Some users require storage solutions beyond traditional offerings. Both Seagate and Western Digital continue expanding the capacity of their hard drives, but not all computers can accept them. That's where companies like LaCie step in, which has just launched its new 2big Dock based on the Thunderbolt 3 interface, with options ranging from 12 to 20 terabytes.
At the time we thought 640 kilobytes of RAM were enough. Then we moved on to the "excess" of hard drives, and today an average computer doesn't leave the factory with less than 500 gigabytes, unless it uses a solid state drive. The point is that we always find a way to fill our memories and storage media. Some tasks require a formidable amount of space, but if the expansion options on the computer are limited (something especially true on Apple systems), an external interface is needed.
A Complete Expansion Platform
So we arrive at LaCie with its new 2big Dock, whose maximum capacity is a not inconsiderable 20 terabytes. However, it would be very unfair to see the 2big Dock as a simple external hard drive. Actually, it's a complete expansion platform. It delivers a USB 3.0 hub (with a classic port in the front and a Type C at the back), a DisplayPort, two Thunderbolt 3 ports (compatible with daisy-chain), and dedicated readers for the two most popular card formats, CompactFlash and SD. LaCie confirmed that the ports can be used for recharging batteries and mobile devices. The maximum speed via Thunderbolt 3 is 440 megabytes per second, and it works in RAID-0 or RAID-1.
Obviously, the LaCie 2big Dock uses Seagate hard drives (IronWolf Pro variant), and comes with a five-year warranty on its three models (12 TB, 16 TB, and 20 TB). I understand that Thunderbolt 3 can present a problem for some users, but LaCie mentions a Thunderbolt 2 converter that is sold separately. The price of the 2big Dock is not yet known, and it will arrive on shelves within a couple of months.
