Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Drobo launches new USB Type-C storage device, calls it “world’s first”

drobo 5 bay external storage unit usb type c 5c
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Manufacturer Drobo launched on Tuesday a storage device based on USB Type-C connectivity called the Drobo 5C. It is essentially an external storage device that can sit on a desktop and play host to up to five 3.5-inch hard drives that are sold separately. It is not considered a network-attached storage device because there is no network connectivity offered by the device, just the single USB Type-C interface.

If you are not familiar with USB Type-C, it has nothing to do with speed, but rather the physical connection itself. Standard USB connectors must be inserted into the port a specific way, which can be annoying when fumbling to plug a wall adapter into a smartphone or tablet in a dark room. USB Type-C uses connectors that can be inserted into compatible ports either up or down. They are quite thin and rectangular, too, kicking out the odd shapes currently used on mobile — except for the latest iPhones — devices, and game controllers.

Recommended Videos

The new storage device is backed by Drobo’s BeyondRAID technology. This system will protect your data when drives fail by rerouting the information to the remaining drives, enabling full access without disruption. It provides self-healing for the total capacity and what the company calls “virtual hot-spares.” Users can even switch from single to dual-disk redundancy with just one click in the provided software.

“Drobo takes the upfront guess work out of determining the amount of capacity you require,” the company states. “Buy the capacity you need today, and when you need more storage, simply replace your smallest drive with a larger one and immediately use that capacity in seconds. You can even mix and match drive brands, capacities and speeds.”

Drobo does not say what is inside the box hardware-wise, only that it features an internal battery so that the Drobo 5C unit remains up and running for a while when the power goes out. The chassis and cover are completely made of metal, and a Kensington Lock Port keeps the internal hard drives safe from thieves — lock not included. Each drive bay includes an LED indicator showing the state of the hard drive — green/yellow/red.

The unit itself measures 5.9 (width) x 7.3 (height) x 10.3 (diameter) inches and weighs 8.5 pounds without the installed hard drives. It comes with a USB 3.0 cable with a standard Type-A connector on one end and a Type-C connector on the other end so that it can be connected to any desktop or laptop that does not have a USB Type-C port.

According to Drobo, this unit will replace the original four-bay unit that hit the market nine years ago. Since that initial release, Drobo storage products reportedly have increased 10 times in read/write performance, increased 32 times in storage capacity, and decreased in price by 33 percent. Thus, because the Drobo storage line has a long history, customers owning the second and third generation Drobo 4 units will get a $50 discount when purchasing the new Drobo 5C for a limited time.

Finally, users can configure the Drobo 5C for MacOS 10.10 and higher (HFs+), or Windows 7/8/10 (NFTS). It is available for $349 though the company’s online store serving the United States and Europe, and through other online vendors such as Amazon, Newegg, MicroCenter, TigerDirect, and more.

Buy on Amazon

Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
At basically $105, the Ryzen 5 7600X is the best gaming CPU to buy right now
The Ryzen 5 7600X sitting among thermal paste and RAM.

I don't usually get my hopes up for Black Friday CPU deals, but I found one that's just too good to pass up. Right now, you can get the Ryzen 5 7600X -- still one of the best processors for value-focused gaming -- for basically $105. No, that's not the actual price listed on Newegg where you'll find the deal, but there's a lot going on with this sale.

For starters, the CPU itself is marked down by 24%, bringing the $299 list price down to $225. Not a great deal for a last-gen chip. However, you can save an additional $30 by using the promo code BFEDY2A33, and more importantly, you'll get a free Kingston NV3 1TB hard drive with the order. That's a PCIe 4.0 SSD that normally costs $90.

Read more
This Asus laptop with Copilot+ is $350 off at Best Buy
Asus Vivobook S 15 CoPilot+ front view showing display and keyboard.

You can do quite a bit of gaming on the go these days, thanks to all the handheld consoles and gaming laptops that are on the market. Regarding the latter, we’re always on the lookout for top discounts on the gaming gear we all want to own, which leads us to this wonderful discovery:

For a limited time, when you purchase the Asus Vivobook S 15 with Copilot+ at Best Buy, you’ll pay $550. At full price, this model sells for $900. We tested this PC earlier this year, and our reviewer said the following: “The Asus Vivobook S15 is the best large-display Copilot+ laptop so far in an old-school form factor.”

Read more
This gorgeous Mac mini hub exacerbates the power button placement problem
M4 Mac mini with Satechi hub on a desk.

Satechi, known for its high-quality tech accessories, is updating its Mac mini hub for the new M4 model. Like previous hubs, it allows Mac mini owners to expand their storage and ports while preserving airflow, wireless signal, and performance. It looks awesome, but this time, the design highlights the problematic nature of the new Mac mini's placement of its power button.

With previous Mac mini models, the power button was at the back, making it easily accessible even when it was in a Satechi hub. The new button placement on the bottom of the PC, however, may prove even more annoying for anyone who wants to buy this accessory.

Read more