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CES: Verbatim unveils little portable drive that's big

The ultra-compact SSD-based external portable drive is superfast and offers up to 128GB of storage.

Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews
CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.
Dong Ngo
Verbatim's USB 3.0 SSD portable drive is arguably the most compact SSD-based external drive to date.
Verbatim's USB 3.0 SSD portable drive is arguably the most compact SSD-based external drive to date. Dong Ngo/CNET

LAS VEGAS--I reviewed the Lacie FastKey a month ago and thought it was as compact as a portable drive could be. I was proven wrong today.

Verbatim announced at CES 2011 its own version of a portable drive that's based on a solid-state drive. It's called the Verbatim USB 3.0 External SSD. It is even smaller than the FastKey and offers up to 128GB of storage (as opposed to 120GB that the  FastKey has).

Verbatim says this new ultra-slim portable drive supports transfer rates of up to 190MB/sec when used with the USB 3.0 connection, thanks to its 8-channel I/O standard. The drive comes with just one Mini-USB port that works both as power and data connections.

Like all USB 3.0 drives, the USB 3.0 External SSD is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1. The drive is housed in a rugged brushed aluminum chassis and includes a carrying pouch.

The new Verbatim USB 3.0 External SSD portable drive is set for release in the first quarter. It's available in capacities ranging from 32GB to 128GB, with the 128GB version costing around $550.