Should the desktop hard drive be a simple storage device or a work of art? LaCie makes an argument for the latter with the Christofle Sphère, a USB 3.0, 1TB, silver-plated hard drive that is spherical, as its name implies. The French hard-drive maker worked with the legendary silversmith from its home country to create the ultimate piece of shiny desk candy. And it’s some expensive candy.
At $490, the Sphère will run you more than five times the cost of a comparable-capacity hard drive sans silver. If you're willing to invest that kind of dough, remember, your hard drive maintenance will now include not only regular backups and virus scans but also silver polish—you wouldn’t want to tarnish the stored photos, videos, and other precious memories inside your objet d'art, would you?
—Glenn Derene
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