Skip to main content Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming Tech Radar Pro TechRadar the business technology experts Search TechRadar View Profile België (Nederlands) Deutschland North America US (English) Australasia New Zealand Expert Insights Website builders Web hosting World Password Day Best website builder Best web hosting Best office chairs Expert Insights Want to literally see how a hard drive works? Then check out Buffalo's very special limited edition Skeleton external HDD Efosa Udinmwen Buffalo celebrates 50 years with an HDD so cool, you’ll forget about SSDs When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Buffalo) Buffalo Skeleton Hard Disk turns file storage into living, moving art Want to see your data being read in real-time? This drive delivers it visually Not just storage, it’s a show - only 50 units available To mark its 50th anniversary, Buffalo has introduced a special edition external HDD dubbed the Skeleton Hard Disk (HD-SKL). This drive reimagines the company’s 1998 skeleton model and offers a rare peek into a hard drive in action - something even the best SSD options can’t provide. Through its transparent window, users can watch the magnetic head move as it reads and writes data, enhanced by a companion Windows app called "SeekWizard." The software allows the drive to perform demonstration seek patterns - such as sequential and random seeks - transforming the HDD into a visual showcase of mechanical data retrieval. You may like Seagate reportedly sold two billion GBs worth of storage to two of the world's largest tech companies Western Digital introduces 26TB WD Red Pro HDDs for RAID and NAS systems at a surprisingly low price Hundreds of the world's largest hard disk drive have mysteriously gone on sale online as refurbished model - should you buy them? A special edition to bring back memories Founded in 1975 by Makoto Maki, Buffalo is celebrating its evolution from an audio-focused firm to a major player in PC peripherals. Its original Skeleton Hard Disk, released in 1998, had a 4.3GB capacity and featured a transparent cover. The 2025 special edition is limited to just 50 units, and while the design nods to nostalgia, the HD-SKL features a high-end aluminum chassis, precisely milled and anodized in matte black, echoing the style of the 3533 yarn drive player Buffalo launched in the late 1970s. Inside, the HD-SKL offers 4TB of storage and connects via USB 3.2 Gen 1, with backward compatibility down to USB 2.0. It also supports the Micro-B port. The drive comes preformatted in exFAT for broad operating system support, though USB-C users will need to supply their own adapter. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Weighing around 1.5kg and measuring 126 × 185 × 115 mm, it’s bulkier than today’s sleek portable SSDs - but its appeal is clearly different. The product is scheduled to ship in June 2025 for at 100,000 yen (about $688) following a lottery-based sale ending May 25. You might also like These are the fastest external HDDs you can buy right now And these are the best business laptops available today Race to 100TB HDD heats up as Seagate acquires HAMR-specialist Efosa Udinmwen Freelance Journalist Efosa has been writing about technology for over 7 years, initially driven by curiosity but now fueled by a strong passion for the field. He holds both a Master's and a PhD in sciences, which provided him with a solid foundation in analytical thinking. Efosa developed a keen interest in technology policy, specifically exploring the intersection of privacy, security, and politics. His research delves into how technological advancements influence regulatory frameworks and societal norms, particularly concerning data protection and cybersecurity. Upon joining TechRadar Pro, in addition to privacy and technology policy, he is also focused on B2B security products. Efosa can be contacted at this email: udinmwenefosa@gmail.com You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Seagate reportedly sold two billion GBs worth of storage to two of the world's largest tech companies Western Digital introduces 26TB WD Red Pro HDDs for RAID and NAS systems at a surprisingly low price Hundreds of the world's largest hard disk drive have mysteriously gone on sale online as refurbished model - should you buy them? Beyond 100TB, here's how Western Digital is betting on heat dot magnetic recording to reach the storage skies Seagate teams with Nvidia to build an NVMe hard drive proof of concept, more than 3 years after its last effort This purple, liquid-cooled NVMe SSD from Solidigm looks like a limited-edition Lego data center set Latest in Pro Companies are becoming more accepting of robotics in the workplace, survey finds - but for how much longer? 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