What's the difference between this mini and the thunderbolt?

If I understand the question, the only difference between the two drives is that the one you are referencing has a USB 3.0 port, and the other has a Thunderbolt port. The drives themselves are identical. If you have a computer with a USB port, of any generation, the drive with the USB 3.0 port will work well with it. The drive is fastest when it's plugged into a USB 3.0 port, but is backwards compatible with a USB 2.0 port. The drive with the Thunderbolt port will work only with a computer that also has a Thunderbolt port. Thunderbolt is faster than USB, but is not yet in really wide use. Step one: Determine which ports your computer has. The LaCie drive itself is a gem, regardless of which port it uses. (P.S. Some drives have BOTH USB and Thunderbolt connectivity.)

Is this a solid-state (flash storage) drive?

I searched Amazon for a LaCie solid state (SSD) external portable drive and was brought to this page. Most of the reviews don't mention SSD and it appears that all the reviews for the several different models of this LaCie external drive are combined together. So, 4 people said no, this is not about drives with SSD, and then one person said yes. Far more people are not going to have an SSD model because it's WAY more expensive. Most people will prefer to get one that is in the $150-$250 price range at most. The ones with SSD cost a lot more than that. And worth it too if you have the money because they are so fast, no comparison. If i scroll up from this Question section, this is what is at the top of the auction page but again these same questions and reviews will show up no matter which model you search for, with a different name at the top: LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 SSD 1TB Portable Hard Drive LAC9000602

can i have a new macbook pro. can i get either the thunderbolt usb-c or the usb-c?

A USB-C hard drive is compatible with Thunderbolt 3 ports on a Mac, so this will work. Also works of course with USB-C ports, and older USB 3.0 ports using supplied cable.

How does usbc differ from the thunderbolt usb-c option? i see thunderbolt usbc is more expensive

USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 share the same physical connection type (USB-C). USB-C devices can be connected to Thunderbolt 3 ports, as TB3 supports USB-C devices. However, TB3 drives cannot be connected to USB-C ports on computer. So, this USB-C drive will connect to USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 3 ports, or using included cable, USB 3.0/2.0 ports.

Brand	LaCie
Product Dimensions	2.6 x 8.6 x 13.51 cm; 335.66 g
Item model number	STFR4000800
Manufacturer	LaCie
Series	Rugged USB-C
Colour	Orange
Form Factor	2.5-inch
Computer Memory Type	DIMM
Hard Drive Size	4000 GB
Hard Disk Description	Mechanical Hard Disk
Hard Drive Interface	USB 3.2
Hard Disk Rotational Speed	5400 RPM
Wireless Type	802.11a
Number of USB 2.0 Ports	1
Voltage	1 Volts
Power Source	USB powered
Hardware Platform	Mac, PC
Operating System	Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Windows 7
Supported Software	Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks
Are Batteries Included	No
Lithium Battery Energy Content	4.9 Watt Hours
Lithium Battery Packaging	Batteries only
Lithium Battery Weight	0.85 Grams
Number Of Lithium Ion Cells	1
Number of Lithium Metal Cells	1
Item Weight	336 g
Guaranteed software updates until	unknown

LaCie Rugged USB-C 4TB, Portable External Hard Drive, for PC Mac iPad & iPhone, Data Rescue Services (STFR4000800)

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