LaCie Launches ‘Porsche Design’ Portable Hard Drive To Fill New MacBook’s Solitary USB-C Port

Apple announced its uber-thin MacBook yesterday to much fanfare. The device measures just 13.1mm at its thickest point and tips that scales at drool-worthy two pounds. Apple even managed to throw in a Retina display, “all-day battery life,” and Intel’s power efficient Core M processor that doesn’t require a fan.

But in Apple’s never-ending quest to make all of its devices as thin as possible, it gave up all traditional ports including Thunderbolt 2, USB 3.0, and HDMI — it even had to forgo the SD slot. In its place is a solitary USB-C type connector. And wouldn’t you know it, just a day after the new MacBook announcement, Seagate and LaCie have stepped in with the first device that will fill that USB-C port: the LaCie “Porsche Design” Mobile Drive.

The LaCie Mobile Drive has been redesigned to incorporate a USB-C port on the drive itself. In addition, both ends of the included cable features a USB-C connection so it doesn’t matter which end plugs into the drive (or your MacBook) and given the reversible nature of the USB-C port, you also don’t have to worry about inserting the cable upside down. For those that would still like to use the LaCie Mobile drive with a device other than a MacBook, a second cable with a USB-C connector on one end and a full-size USB 3.0 connector on the other end will also be included in the box.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that this new storage solution features a pass-through for power to the notebook, which could be a problem for mobile users low on juice. If you recall, the MacBook’s single USB-C connector is not only used for attaching peripherals; it’s also used for recharging the device. The only way that a MacBook owner would be able to charge their notebook and use the LaCie Mobile Drive at the same time would be to buy a $79 “Multi-port” adapter from Apple, and use LaCie’s USB-C to USB 3.0 connector — talk about a mess a cords and adapters!

Apple's $79 USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter

The LaCie Mobile drive will be available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities, and should launch in time for the MacBook’s April 10 launch date. Unfortunately, pricing is not available at this time.