What you need to know
- Western Digital's SanDisk brand has announced a new high-capacity and high-speed storage solution.
- The new modular SSD storage can be used at the office or on the move.
- Individual mag storage options range from 1TB to 4TB.
Videographers, photographers, and anyone else who generates a ton of data now have a new option in the world of mass storage. Western Digital has announced a new modular SSD ecosystem that is designed for high levels of storage both in the office and on the move.
The new PRO-BLADE system comes in three parts; an NVMe SSD mag, a portable SSD enclosure for when you're on the go, and a desk-based version for keeping on a desk in the office or at home.
Starting with the PRO-BLADE SSD Mag, the storage comes in capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB and will ship next month. Pricing is reasonable, with that 4TB option costing $599.99.
A versatile NVMe SSD mag that powers the ultimate modular SSD ecosystem. The PRO-BLADE SSD mag allows users to scale the storage they need in an instant whether in the studio or on location. By loading the PRO-BLADE SSD mag into the portable PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT enclosure users can create a powerful portable SSD. When loading up to four SSD mags into the super-fast PRO-BLADE STATION desktop enclosure, users can build their most versatile media workflow yet. The PRO-BLADE SSD mag is ready for any location, delivering up to 3m drop and 4,000lbs crush resistance for on-the-go reliability. The PRO-BLADE SSD mag is offered in 1TB ($179.99 U.S. MSRP), 2TB ($289.99 U.S. MSRP) and 4TB ($599.99 U.S. MSRP) and is expected to begin shipping in June 2022.
You'll need something to put that SSD Mag into, of course, and that's where the PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT comes into play. The portable enclosure offers connectivity via USB-C at up to 20Gbps and can be bought empty or with storage attached. The empty version costs $69.99 and will again be ready for sale next month.
A premium portable and modular SSD for ultra-fast workflow scalability. Pair multiple, lightweight PRO-BLADE SSD mags with the PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT portable USB-C™ (20Gbps) enclosure for up to 2000MB/s read and write speeds.2 The PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT device enables people to easily swap out PRO-BLADE SSD mags so they can carry terabytes of storage without excess bulk. Attach a PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT enclosure to a USB-C compatible camera rig for high-res recording directly on to the loaded PRO-BLADE SSD mag. Simply swap between SSD mags to keep rolling without interruption. The PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT portable SSD enclosure will be available in 0TB ($69.99 U.S. MSRP), 1TB ($239.99 U.S. MSRP), 2TB ($359.99 U.S. MSRP) and 4TB ($659.99 U.S. MSRP) and is expected to begin shipping in June 2022
The desk-based version, dubbed the PRO-BLADE STATION, won't be available until later this year and no pricing has been announced as yet. We do know that it'll connect via Thunderbolt 3 and be designed specifically for real-time video editing all the way up to 12K. Expect this one to be pricey!
Optimized for professionals looking for the fastest way to ingest, copy, and edit their content, the PRO-BLADE STATION desktop system lets pros load up to four PRO-BLADE SSD mags at once creating a powerhouse Thunderbolt™ SSD device. The desktop SSD enclosure utilizes a Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) interface so they can load and swap up to four high-capacity PRO-BLADE SSD mags at once for simultaneous offloading, real-time 4K/8K/12K editing, and super-fast copies. The PRO-BLADE STATION allows pros to take on their most demanding workloads yet with an exceptionally modular and scalable SSD workstation that empowers creativity. The PRO-BLADE STATION desktop SSD enclosure will be available late 2022 in the United States with pricing to be announced closer to product availability.
It's clear that these products are designed with a very specific audience in mind and for those people these products could be among the best Mac storage options available. They even manage to look pretty great, something storage solutions aren't always capable of. We'll just need to see the price of the PRO-BLADE STATION to make a final judgment on that. There's no doubt one of these things would look pretty sweet sat beside a new Mac Studio, though!
