ADATA is a company known for producing "stylish" storage solutions from USB flash drives to external hard drives. The new ADATA Nobility N004 Dual Interface Flash Drive is a standard 2.5-inch SSD with a built-in USB 3.0 port for use as either an internal boot drive or an external storage drive. Is this latest storage solution a truly versatile convenience or a foolish idea in pretty packaging? Keep reading to find out.
ADATA Nobility N004 SSD Specifications:
* Capacity: 64GB/128GB/256GB
* Color: blue
* Dimensions: 100mm x 70mm x 10mm
* Weight: 87g
* Interface: USB 3.0 and SATAII Dual Interface
* System requirements:
o Windows98/ 2000/XP/ Vista /7
o Mac OS X 10.4
o LinuxKernal 2.4 or later
* Included Accessories: USB3.0 cable
* MSRP: $154.99 for 64GB model
Build and Design
ADATA takes pride in being the first company to bring a USB 3.0 and SATA II dual interface solid state drive (SSD) to the market. On face value alone the new Nobility N004 is indeed an innovative hybrid of a USB flash drive and a SSD.
The USB 3.0 port (backward compatible with USB 2.0) is built into the side of a standard 2.5-inch notebook hard drive enclosure. This means that you can use the Nobility N004 as an internal drive to replace your laptop's old hard drive or you can use the USB port to make the SSD into an external flash drive. I've seen a lot of different designs for internal and external storage drives and I can honestly say this is my new favorite design.
I'm indifferent about the blue polished metal enclosure with a spiral design etched into the top of the enclosure, but the overall design is simplicity at its finest. If you want to use the N004 as an internal drive, do it. If you want it to be an external backup drive, do that instead. This all-in-one solution works for everyone!
My one and only complaint about the design of the Nobility N004 is the location of the activity light. The blue LED activity light is only of use when you're using the SSD as a USB flash drive. The activity light lets you know if the drive is reading or writing data so that you don't unplug the USB cable while it's working. The light is located on the end of the drive enclosure opposite the SATA connection and not on the same side as the USB 3.0 connector. As a result, it's difficult to see the light unless you position the drive just right. It would have made far more sense if the activity light was located next to the USB port so that you can see it before you unplug the drive.
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