The Dualie is a portable hard drive and a docking station for your iPhone or iPod. It connects to your Mac via USB, enabling you to sync or otherwise manage either device while it’s in the dock. But it’s also powered via AC adapter, so you can recharge your phone or audio player even when your computer’s switched off.
Behind the iPhone/iPod dock sits a 500GB hard drive. Connecting via USB, the drive can be removed and carried around just like any other portable drive. When used without the Dualie dock, the drive offers USB and FireWire 800 connections--no power supply required. The Dualie even has two extra USB ports on the back, giving you a hub to connect additional USB peripherals.
Currently, the Dualie is exclusive to Apple Stores and Apple’s website. And Dualie looks the part, with both the dock itself and the hard drive sporting a brushed aluminum and rubber finish. Your iPod touch or iPhone looks right at home there. It’s perfectly compact too, with a footprint just under 4 inches square. In our QuickBench tests, the drive proved admirably speedy when used alone, but docking an iPod or (especially) an iPhone slows it down by up to 25 percent. It’s best to make sure only the hard drive is docked when transferring large files.
It’s a little expensive, but multi-functionality makes Dualie an excellent addition to any Mac owner’s desktop.
Dualie
COMPANY: Buffalo Technology
CONTACT: www.dualie.net
PRICE: $169.99
REQUIREMENTS: Mac OS 10.4 or later, USB or FireWire 800 port
Excellent, space-saving concept. Attractive, robust design.
A bit expensive for what you get. Transfer speeds bog down while an iPhone or iPod is docked.
