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Vantec NST-260SU-BK External Enclosures
Customer Reviews for VANTEC NST-260SU-BK Aluminum 2.5" USB2.0 & eSATA External Enclosure - Retail
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Price: $28.99
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Review Summary (133 Reviews): Rating + 4
OverallLast 2 WeeksLast 6 Months
Excellent Rating + 5 99ReviewsExcellent
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newegg
11%
Average Rating + 3 4ReviewsAverage
newegg
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Poor Rating + 2 10ReviewsPoor
newegg
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Very Poor Rating + 1 6ReviewsVery Poor
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Reviewer Product Review
BillyBob
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/22/2010 9:56:11 AM

Rating + 5 3 years running... 5 thumb up!


Pros: very reasonable cost, full range of accessories - including carrying case, solid reliability

Cons: none

Other Thoughts: Over the past 3 years, I have married these cases with Seagate Momentus 2.5 drives - for a total of about 6 drives. They have performed excellent.

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Rugger
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/4/2010 3:43:58 PM

Rating + 5 Great case, excellent price!


Pros: Great case for the money! I threw in my Wester Digital 320 gig in it and it worked with no issues! Came with a a usb cable, eSATA cable, carrying case and a eSATA addon card for your home pc!

Cons: None really.

Other Thoughts: I had a 320GB SimpleTech USB 2.0 external drive that lost it's 2.0 capabilities and would only work in 1.0 mode. I also had a friend that had the 500GB version of the SimpleTech and it did the same thing. I took the drive straight out of the SimpleTech case and installed it into this case with no loss of data.

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V
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/24/2009 1:16:44 AM

Rating + 5 Bad reviews probably denote incompetence


Pros: Works without a hiccup with my new WD Scorpio Black 160GB 7200RPM HDD. The eSATA connection works with my only on-board eSATA port but the enclosure also comes with an internal SATA-eSATA hookup that uses a PCI expansion slot on your chassis. I choose to use this to connect the enclosure because I have other components that use eSATA.

Not having to carry an AC adapter is very nice. Two USB ports are more than enough to power the 7200RPM HDD.

The enclosure is also very sturdy and beautiful.

Cons: The cables are extremely thick and longer than they need to be. This is a problem because they are too big to fit in the carrying case without straining its seams. Therefore I carry them separately.

It does not come with any sort of stand even when it claims to be able to stand on its side. It would fall over very easily if you try it. This is purely an aesthetic con, for it would look much nicer standing up.

Other Thoughts: Those who give this a bad review because their computers do not recognize it probably do not know how to use their own systems, or they just gave up too easily. On mine, after I connect the enclosure I have to go into WIN7's Device Manager, right-click "disk drives," and select "scan for hardware changes" before the OS recognizes it. As this is not a commonly used function many people may not know about it, but it exists.

Make sure you "disable write caching" (Google it) if you are using eSATA. If you don't you could corrupt your data when you disconnect it as eSATA devices do not have the same "Safely Remove Hardware" function as USB devices. This decreases performance slightly but it's kind of necessary.

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noordinarydan
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/16/2009 11:39:17 AM

Rating + 5 Great


Pros: eSata works well, nice build.

Cons: None.

Other Thoughts: My notebook has separate eSata and USB ports and this enclosure is the solution I need. If you have a powered eSata port on your notebook/pc, I believe there are single cable solutions available.

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Douggerj
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/13/2009 8:13:45 AM

Rating + 5 Great enclosure


Pros: Great enclosure - high gloss black metal construction with hard plastic end pieces and blue LED. Inside - the PCB attaches to the 2.5" SATA HDD with four screws along the full length of the drive - none of that rattling around you see with other (cheaper) enclosures. As a bonus it does both USB and eSATA and includes a bracket for your desktop to add eSATA to it provided you have a SATA port to spare inside your desktop. Carrying case is made of ballistic nylon type material and roomy enough for drive with cables - I can actually fit two drives and one cable set in it no problem. Highly recommend this enclosure if you don't mind spending a few extra bucks for quality - compliments my Dell Studio XPS 1645 Obsidian Black laptop very well. The drive I used was the 2.5" SATA 500GB 7200.4 Seagate.

Cons: Uhhh - It wasn't free but I hear the dems may be coming out with a cash for clunkers program for MFM and ESDI drives soon so stay tuned ;)>

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

eByte
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/10/2009 9:02:07 AM

Rating + 5 Nice Unit


Pros: Good Quality construction. USB 2.0 works, eSATA works. No need for a power adapter. Comes with a eSATA to sata PCI Bracket.

Cons: eSATA could be new standard of 6 Gbps.

Other Thoughts: Nice Case. Comes with install CD if needed. Comes with all the cables you may need.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/6/2009 10:14:02 AM

Rating + 5 so far so good


Pros: This is an attractive little enclosure and feels solid. I slapped in my spare 2.5" sata hard drive and it was good to go in minutes. I've only tested the USB connection so far, but it works just fine.

Cons: none

Other Thoughts: for the esata connection you apparently need to connect the usb cables or an external power device to power the drive. that's just the nature of the esata standard and is not a con.

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/15/2009 4:34:28 PM

Rating + 5 fantastic product


Pros: Looks great, never gets to hot. Works great with my WD320.

Cons: Gets tight if you try to fit USB and an eSata cable in the case with the HD.

Other Thoughts: I didn't like the Y-USB cable that was included.

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Skillz
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
6/26/2009 11:36:48 AM

Rating + 5 Love it


Pros: Very sleek design, almost as big as the hard drive itself. Very solid feeling and a very long USB cable.

Cons: Wish there was a way to turn off that annoying blue light.

Other Thoughts: I've had a few of these enclosures from the 3.5" version to the PATA 2.5" version. I love them. Vantec makes solid stuff.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
5/16/2009 2:31:47 PM

Rating + 5 This is the one to buy


Pros: Fast, excellent build quality for the price. Comes with a nice case + eSATA extras. Quality USB Y-Cable. Bright blue LED on the front displays HDD activity.

Cons: Unstable when placed in a vertical position. A simple nudge could knock the enclosure over resulting in HDD damage. Still looks great when placed horizontal though.

Other Thoughts: I initially bought the Eagle iNEO I-NA202U enclosure and it failed within a week of ownership. I RMA'd it and bought this instead. Glad I did.

Its amazing to me that only 10 bones separates the difference between a quality and a shoddy product.

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Blind Tiger
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
5/12/2009 9:19:09 PM

Rating + 5 Sleek Enclosure


Pros: Sleek, stylish design. Upright orientation. Solid build quality. Classy blue Vantec light when powered on. Great to have USB + eSATA connectivity and optional DC input.

Cons: none thus far

Other Thoughts: Installed a Western Digital Scorpio Black 320 GB drive for expanding my PS3 capacity. Drive fits well and runs smooth & quite. Doubt I will have any cooling issue w/aluminum casing. Drive runs off 1 USB port power.

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nav
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
4/13/2009 12:10:51 PM

Rating + 1 did not work with 160GB drive :(


Pros: Nice look...

Cons: I had a similar problem with this enclosure as another review. It does not work with my 160BG drive. As per the other reviewer "Be careful when you buy this one, the new ones doesn't work with 160GB drives. If your enclosure is having Initio chipset, then definitely it wont work with 160GB drives."

Other Thoughts: I wonder if it works with the new 500GB drives?

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Pedro
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
4/2/2009 9:22:06 PM

Rating + 5 Great Enclosure


Pros: Nice looking enclosure. USB transfer speeds higher than my previous experiences with enclosures (30MB/s). Comes with all the cables and even a bracket to add eSATA capability to your desktop. The 30MB/s figure actually came from my laptop (HP dv6700t x64 Vista Home Premium) and a WD1600BEVS 160GB 5400rpm hard drive. I just used a 4.5GB file in my tests. My desktop only got about 20MB/s with the same setup, which is all I've experienced in the past with other enclosures.

Cons: Only substantive con: eSATA was only 40MB/sec. My last eSATA enclosure was 45MB/s with the same hard drive. But that last enclosure (different brand) was defective because the USB part didn't work.

Small gripes: Indicator light stays on and is supposed to flash off rapidly for transfer indication. It barely dims during transfer making it hard to tell if it is busy ("Can I unplugg you now?")
Other small gripe

Other Thoughts: I was skeptical from my previous enclosure problems (although Newegg went above and beyond the call of duty to make things right). But this one worked great right from the start. I was extremely pleased with my choice on this enclosure. And I spent hours reading reviews as I was worried about power issues (due to problems with my last enclosure of a different brand) with my laptop's USB ports. But this one worked fine with a single USB cable. And there was a lower frequency of reviewers complaining about power with this VANTEC, so I gave it a shot, and I'm glad I did.

To other reviewers: PLEASE post specifics of your specific hard drive and system! Then readers can get an idea of what drives worked with this enclosure and which system (laptop/desktop, brand, OS) was used.

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Falcon
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
3/5/2009 12:43:17 PM

Rating + 5 Works with WD160


Pros: eSata and USB

Cons: No power supply with unit so you must connect the USB cable with the eSata cable to get eSata speeds.

Other Thoughts: Other reviews say this won't work with 160 drives if you have Initio chipset. This is wrong. I have the Initio chipset and am using a WD 160GB 7200RPM sata II drive without problem. If you use eSata port you must connect the eSata cable first then connect the USB cable (needed to supply the power) if you connect the USB first it defaults to USB usage.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

COF
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/17/2009 10:45:23 AM

Rating + 4 Good Case


Pros: Easy To Install HDD And Set Up. Works Great With USB and the included eSATA cable is convenient.

Cons: Did not come with a front panel eSATA adapter, but that shouldn't prevent anyone from buying it. And if you don't want to ues USB Power you will have to buy a separate power adapter.

Other Thoughts: Great Value, Rugged Enclosure, All in All a great product, and as always New Egg is Great.

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(O_O)}}><
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/7/2009 7:34:28 PM

Rating + 5 SUPER SLICK


Pros: Very nice speeds are fast looks great love it . new egg is the best if you by computer parts from any where else you are stupid .

Cons: n/a

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/18/2008 11:52:55 AM

Rating + 5 Great Enclosure


Pros: Looks Great
Stays Cool
Reasonable Transfer Speeds over USB 2.0
Complete with travel case
Works great with the WD Scorpio Blue 500GB

Cons: None Yet

Other Thoughts: I own a Vantec Nexstar 3 for my 3.5" SATA II hard drives I had to try this one for 2.5" drives. My only reservation was previous reviews stating the case did not support capacities above 160GB. I decided to go for it and it works perfectly with the WD Scorpio Blue 500GB SATA II drive.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Drakeula2004
Tech Level: high
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/1/2008 4:23:23 PM

Rating + 5 marvelously stupendous


Pros: Beautiful, Shiny, Quiet, Cool (literally and physically), Small (in a good way), and works flawlessly.
This thing is much smaller than the pictures make it look. My Western Digital Scorpio WD3200BEVT 320 GB HD works perfectly and gets detected super fast even with USB 2.0.
I love that feature of it that shuts the device off upon clicking safely remove in Windows XP--haven't tested Vista or Mac yet.
Booted without a hitch in my computer and I will test it over the next few weeks on several other computers.
I like the additional USB port on the cable which allows you to plug in another device--this will come in soo handy at work when working on laptops.
Case zips up which will help prevent dust/lint/muck from getting into the ports and cables (major plus for me).

Cons: Did not come with a screwdrive.

Other Thoughts: Install is really easy--just read the instructions because the pictures skip some steps.
Pictures do this thing no justice. Had I seen one prior to buying it, I would've never hesitated in the 1st place--I actually purchased this as a last resort--Man I regret that decision--should have bought this 1 from the start.
Carrying case looks a little bit awkward once USB cable is inserted but, at least it fits. Images of the case don't show everything--It actually has 2 nice pouches for the device and the cable(s?).
Finish did have some lines in it--but I could care less about this and don't consider this a con.
Too many good features.
I don't normally write hasty reviews but, unless I run into some major compatibility issues later on, I will consider the best of my 13 External enclosure purchases by far.
Read all instructions before using because they are well written and have some nice tips as well as troubleshooting.

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Tito
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/15/2008 3:12:48 PM

Rating + 5 Great for backing up my laptop


Pros: The drive can be powered through the USB cable without a need for a power brick. It is a good looking case.
The included carrying bag works very nicely for storing and transporting the enclosure and included USB cable.
The performance on USB 2.0 is quite good.
The installation is very straightforward, although it is somewhat of a tight fit.

Cons: None for my intended use.

Other Thoughts: I use this external enclosure to backup my MacBook. I travel with the included carrying bag, the enclosure, and the USB cable. The drive can be powered using two USB connectors on the laptop, which allows me to use it without having to carry a power brick for the enclosure.

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superfish
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/10/2008 7:48:29 PM

Rating + 5 Nice design, great looking, everything works as expected


Pros: First of all, it has a very cool looking. I've tested this enclosure with my Fujitsu MHY2250BH 250GB 5400RPM SATA mobile hard drive. Installation procedure was smooth and easy.

First connected with eSATA with a 5V USB power supply. Transferring data is lighting fast and the measured sustaining transfer rate is around 49MB/s. This made me very satisfied.

I used the supplied USB cable to connect it on my Dell notebook. The device was detected right away and everything was still working fine.

Cons: None. But if I have to list one, the surface of the enclosure appears very easy to get scratched, a little like earlier version of iPod Nano.

Other Thoughts: Shipping cost was a little too high (ground UPS charged me $8) in comparison to the product price itself.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Brian Stanfill
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
10/21/2008 10:53:51 PM

Rating + 4 Supports 500GB WD Scorpio Blue


Pros: My enclosure uses the JM20339 chipset (printed inside the enclosure... on the chipset).

On a whim I tested it with a 500GB Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000BEVT 500GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s notebook hard drive (from Newegg) -- and it works. Formats to roughly 465GB and works nicely with Windows XP, Vista, and on my Mac in OS X 10.5.

Two long screws on the outside open the device; four short screws on the inside secure the drive to the circuit board. It is the most securely built notebook hard drive enclosure I've used to date. I'm certain it would survive road traffic.

I like the USB mini-b connection (as opposed to an attached cable). I can carry ONE cable to power this enclosure, my GPS device, a digital camera, and a multi-format card reader.

Until PoeSATA standardizes the market, the eSata connection on this enclosure is useless as a mobile connection port. Not only do you require the eSata data cable, but you must find 5v power somewhere else. Useless.

Cons: That it has eSata instead of Firewire 800 bums me out. The finish shows fingerprints and scratches easily--merely aesthetic. The supplied USB cable has the incredibly unnecessary and annoying extra power plug, making the ensemble very clunky. Most modern laptops and desktops supply 5v to the USB bus. Buy a short, USB-A to mini-b cable to replace the stock one.

Other Thoughts: I'm glad the enclosure supports the 500GB hard drive. I was ready to buy the Western Digital MyPassport 500GB enclosure/drive combo (WDMES5000TN), but this saved me some money. Now I'll stick another Scorpio Blue in my Mac Book Pro and have nearly a TB of mobile storage. Excellent!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/10/2008 6:22:36 PM

Rating + 5


Pros: Works, Easy to hook up, includes all popular Card types

Cons: Red LED is always lit, which is no big deal.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/26/2008 7:39:01 PM

Rating + 2 Stopped working after few months


Pros: Comes with a really nice bag.

Cons: stopped working after a few month, will attempt to spin up the drive but fails with few clicking noise. I always use two usb connections but apparently it could not supply enough power. I RMA the internal drive thinking that was the problem but the replacement does the same thing. Hookup directly to motherboard and the replacement drive works fine...

Other Thoughts: Not sure what happened there after a few months. Will try getting a ac adapter and see if that helps...

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

DilberWannaBe
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/22/2008 7:55:51 PM

Rating + 5 Great Enclosure


Pros: Easy install; speed of eSATA ; convenience of USB and its ubiquity when needed

Cons: None

Other Thoughts: I use a portable hard drive to shuffle files from work and home; close to a 100GB. It took me all of 5 minutes to mount a Seagate Momentus 7200.2 ST9200420AS 200GB 7200 RPM Notebook Hard Drive in this enclose and I was up and running. Since the enclosure uses USB for power, there's no power brick to carry. I get the benefits of the 3.0Gb/s eSATA connection in typical use. But if I need to connect the drive to a PC that doesn't have a eSATA port, the USB data access is a great fall back, and provides acceptable performance.

The case does get a little warm; but since the case itself is the heatsink to cool the drive, that's expected. I stand mine up rather than lay it flat so there's more air flow around the case. Highly recommended

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RyansInc
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/24/2008 4:58:35 PM

Rating + 5 Great Enclosure


Pros: nice material. easy construction. perfect for putting factory PS3 hdd in after upgrading(matches the console). great product

Cons: none.

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AK
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/13/2008 1:58:17 PM

Rating + 1 Don't buy it


Pros: The only pro I can say is the E-sata connection, but the enclosure didn't last long enough for me to try it.

Cons: The USB port is by far the worst I have ever used. This is the second enclosure I have went through. The first time the USB port lasted a few uses, this time I was able to use it once. This enclosure is NFG and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Mike Tatum
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
6/26/2008 7:49:53 AM

Rating + 4 Pleased


Pros: Pleased to find that I received a JM chipset so it worked well with the Samsung 320GB drive I slipped into it. Overall, performance seems great. The enclosure is solid in construction and the design is aesthetically pleasing. The zippered carrying case prevents the drive from slipping out.

Cons: I was a little disappointed to find that this enclosure isn't toolless. I own another Vantec enclosure that is so I was under a false assumption when purchased this one. Not a big deal since I don't plan on switching drives a great deal but nonetheless it is a pain when you do. The zippered carrying case is bulky and not padded well considering it's size.

Other Thoughts: All it all, it is a great enclosure with a unequally matched carrying case.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

drozkie
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
6/19/2008 11:34:06 PM

Rating + 5


Pros: This thing looks great and is very sturdy. Works perfectly. The aluminum does its job and the tight fit of the drive inside allows for good heat seperation. Comes with a nice case that will actually fit 2 of them if you take the cables out.

Cons: None so far.

Other Thoughts: I have a matching 3.5" Vantec enclosure and they are a good match. Not really a pro or con, but the LED on both are VERY bright.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
6/5/2008 6:43:59 AM

Rating + 4


Pros: I love these enclosures for my 2.5 drives! I have bought 3 of these cases for work and play. Comes with an eSATA bracket that I put in my PC. All the cables I need and a nice case.

Cons: No external power. Supposed to use the included USB for extra power when using eSATA, but I don't really care for that. Probably just going to buy a compatible power adapter.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
6/2/2008 5:14:22 PM

Rating + 5 Nice Design fast performance


Pros: USB/ eSATA connection. Fastest in eSATA connection mode. USB passthrough power supply is nice so you don't need to have an AC adapter, just plug it in AND you don't lost a USB slot, you can plug into the back of the USB adapter. Very nicely designed

Cons: None

Other Thoughts: eSATA is so much faster than USB 2.0, it needs to be pushed more.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
5/31/2008 11:41:06 PM

Rating + 5 Sexy


Pros: Beautiful. Has eSata. Comes with eSata cable. Sturdy USB cable. No external power required. Sturdy construction.

Cons: Slightly annoying, none of my USB ports are underpowered so having the extra part to the cable is a tad annoying but this approach is a lot nicer than the alternative having a separate cable.

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PuTaNg
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
4/30/2008 4:58:45 PM

Rating + 4 Very NiCe


Pros: The case is very nice and sturdy, came with cool goodies, carrying case, eSATA cable and eSATA pci slot adapter. Every thing works great no problems yet.

Cons: The case is very sleek and shinny, finger prints are a pain in the you know what. I just keep it in the carrying case at all times.

Other Thoughts: I got me a retractable USB cable and just leave it in it at all time. works great, except the cable cost nearly as much as the case.

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kozzney
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
4/9/2008 8:13:06 PM

Rating + 5 Awesome


Pros: Works perfectly with my Hitachi 120GB 5400RPM driver. Use it for backup with Microsoft Synctoy 2.0.

Cons: My laptop doesn't have eSATA...

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Dodes
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
4/2/2008 12:05:14 AM

Rating + 5 Good enclosure for the money


Pros: I bought this enclosure to house the stock 5200RPM Fujitsu SATA hard drive that came in my 2.1 GHz MacBook when I bought it. Installation was incredibly simple: Slide the tray out of the enclosure, slide the hard drive into its connector (don't use too much pressure), secure the hard drive onto the slide with 4 screws, then slide the slide back into the enclosure and add 2 more screws to keep the slide from coming back out. It's done a good job so far of keeping the hard drive very cool. Sturdy, no loose parts, stays together well. Comes with a carrying pouch and every accessory you could possibly want for this thing. Bonus: a well-done user manual thats WRITTEN IN READABLE ENGLISH!!!

Cons: No ventilation holes (but with as cool as mine has stayed so far, they don't look necessary). Very bright blue activity LED on the front - doesn't bother me but may bother some - it's a matter of taste, I think. A fingerprint magnet - the shiny aluminum looks great, just be sure to either pick this thing up by its edges or to wash your hands frequently. The LED side and the ports side both seem to be laminated with some sort of film that looks cheap and, on mine, peeled a little on the edges. It may come off on its own in the future.

Other Thoughts: Offers both USB2.0 and eSATA connections. I use only the USB, but it comes with a special cable because the hard drive requires the power only 2 USB ports can provide. So, whenever I plug it into my macbook, both USB ports are beinng used (although one of them has a special adapter on the back that allows you to plug a low-powered USB device into). From reading the user manual, I gather you can get by using just one USB cable, but the manual said that the 2nd connection is for when the Hard Drive needs more power than is available from one USB port.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/17/2008 8:18:20 AM

Rating + 5 Works Great


Pros: + Nice and compact
+ Comes with a wallet to hold the enclosure
+ Have three 2.5" of them now with USB 2.0 & eSTATA
+ Have two 3.5" with USB 2.0

Cons: + None

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Mor
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/6/2008 11:16:17 PM

Rating + 5 Nice unit, runs cool


Pros: Compact, firm and sturdy. AbFab on the screws included, 4 for the drive, and 2 for the cap. Real Bonus is the E-SATA port on it WITH the Cable AND the E-Sata Head it wold let you put in your desktop.

Cons: FINGERPRINTS the polished surface on it makes it ideal for showing the slightest smudge.
Also, the "Y" cable with the power tap and data, as others have said, you can just plug the one into the other (power tap is a pass through) and it works. This is a 3rd 2.5" enclosure for me and the first ones had a straight cord, no "Y", too bad NewEgg quit carrying those!

Other Thoughts: I tested it with a straight cord from one of the other drives, no issues, so I scratched my head and tested non-pass-through end of the 'Y' only, it worked. you may need to run the power tap on an OLD laptop, but even there a powered hub negates that. Good thing it's pass-through, wouldn't chew up a port this way.

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Jimmy
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
2/25/2008 6:18:45 PM

Rating + 3 BEWARE!!!!


Pros: Decent looking case and comes with nice carry pouch.

Cons: No power supply included if you want to take advantage of the esata interface. You'll have to find a 5 volt, 1 amp adapter for it. The usb "y" cable can't be used to power the unit with esata because it tries to use that for the interface. BOTH ends will need to be used most likely since each usb port by design provides only 500ma of current while most drives need upwards of 1000ma, so if you only use one plug, you could potentialy permanently damage the usb port or motherboard. The case ends look metal but are plastic and can break easily... be careful putting this together. Hard drive MUST be formatted prior to use, good luck while using usb.

Other Thoughts: Charge more for the package AND include the power adapter as these are not easy to find with these specs. What good does esata do for speed if the drive has no power!!! They should also include some partition software as some drives like toshiba's don't have downloadable setup software from the manufacturer's website.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
2/22/2008 4:03:09 PM

Rating + 5 Excellent


Pros: This unit works fantastically. The eSATA functions flawlessly, and the USB 2.0 works as well. I have had no issues with this enclosure, unlike many others I have tried. The aluminum case does a wonderful job of keeping the drive cool.

Cons: The USB caable included with the unit is a bit cumbersom, and the additional USB plug is not needed. I replaced it with a Belkin USB to Mini cable and it works great.

Other Thoughts: Fantastic funtionality for a good price. Go NEWEGG!

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MeLikesPie
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
2/18/2008 11:30:52 AM

Rating + 4 Addition to my previous review


Pros: see previous

Cons: see previous

Other Thoughts: I guess when I bought it, they weren't shipping it with an esata cable as they are now. Pity, I really would have liked to have one

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MeLikesPie
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
2/18/2008 11:29:12 AM

Rating + 4 Purty HDD Enclosure


Pros: Great design, works well, so far without fault. No drivers needed for installation and relatively fast for a USB drive. It's small size makes it slick poartable storage.

Cons: Cable is an awful bulky gray y-connector thingy. I would have like to have seen an esata cable come with it to use such a port. The carrying case that comes with it can not comfortably carry the enclosure and its cable.

The cable really detracts from this otherwise lovely product.

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crystaleyes
Tech Level: low
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
2/7/2008 2:31:13 PM

Rating + 5


Pros: Easy to install the hard drive, light isn't that blinding. I am very dumb when it comes to computer things and I figured it out and have it working.

Cons: None really

Other Thoughts: You may need to use 2 USB ports, but it does come with eSATA too.

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/29/2008 12:47:24 PM

Rating + 5 Easy to use, reliable


Pros: Slick appearance. Easy setup and use. eSATA very nice in addition to USB 2.0.

Cons: Screws to mount HDD to device were a little tight. Could be my HDD but it's not big deal.

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Eric
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/17/2008 8:03:55 PM

Rating + 5 Love this enclosure


Pros: Sexy, shiny black case. All stell (no plastic parts anywhere that I noticed). esata & usb. USB powered (via two ports).

Cons: Does not come with power cable (but one can be purchased separately). Included usb cable is drab grey, does not match drive.

Other Thoughts: The pictures on newegg make it look faded or grey on one side. It is not. It is shiny, reflective black all over, except for the chrome cheeks.

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hellraven
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/9/2008 5:09:31 PM

Rating + 5


Pros: Looks very professional, comes with a wallet to hold the enclosure, I use it with a 60GB 2.5" HDD as a huge pendrive. Haven't used the extra power plug yet and it works fine even copying and reading heavily.

Cons: none

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ajtish
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/9/2008 12:14:55 PM

Rating + 5 Now one of my favorite HD enclosures of all time


Pros: durable, I am rough on my electronics and this enclosure has held up well and still looks new after almost 6 months of use.

solid, the enclosure has a very solid feel. made of higher grade aluminum that protects the hard drive and dissipates heat

Cons: there are alot of screws involved with the enclosure, 4 to hold the HD to the circuit board, and 2 to hold the circuit board/HD into the enclosure. this is very nit picky

Other Thoughts: The data transfer speed over USB feels up to snuff and the aluminum enclosure dissipates heat well.

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RSM
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
1/5/2008 6:16:50 PM

Rating + 5 Great Item


Pros: Simple, Easy, IT WORKS! Nice carry case to protect your drive.

Cons: None

Other Thoughts: Highly Reccomend this enclosure.
I used this to house my original PS3 Hard Drive after upgrading to a 160 GB Drive.

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sirbrent
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/14/2007 3:24:36 PM

Rating + 5 Fantastic Product!


Pros: I love these enclosures, and also the Vantec 3.5" larger sibling product. I own several and each one has worked perfectly. The carrying case is a much appretiated addition. These enclosures look really nice and include all the bells and whistles: usb cable with extra usb port for laptops that dont put out enough power to operate the drive, eSATA cable and bracket, and the carrying case i mentioned. The drive even has a 5v plug, which i have never needed and ive used these on lots of systems... its nice to know its there if i ever need it. The build is of very high quality and its light and very compact. Installation of a hard drive is extremely easy.

Cons: These cons are very minor: The included eSATA cable is short, about 2.5 feet. Like nearly all external enclosures it does not support the S.M.A.R.T. feature (doesnt work in USB or eSATA mode).

Other Thoughts: I dont know if they actually work in SATA 3Gbps mode (but they definitely work in SATA 1.5 Gbps mode), but this is a non issue because at this time (and in the near future) the benefit of 3Gps vs 1.5Gbps is very very minimal to none. Hard Drives cant even perform fast enough to break the 1.5Gbps barrier. I do know from experience that I have bought some newer SATA 3Gbps 2.5" Hard Drives and they have worked out of the box on these enclosures and on my computers SATA controllers (using eSATA bracket included). Some reviews complain that eSATA doesnt work, It works perfectly, People need to educate themselves about their equipment, MOST onboard and many add-on SATA controllers dont support SATA "hotplug", so there are extra steps to make those systems work but it will work. Any problem getting it to work is not the enclosures fault, these work flawlessly.

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Joe - Chicago, IL
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/12/2007 11:31:44 AM

Rating + 5 Wish Everything Worked as Well as This


Pros: Rugged and durable Carrying Case holds the enclosure and the two sets of wires (USB & eSATA) nicely - tip: keep them in the twisty ties with some wire unwound. This packaging makes my external drive fit nicely in my computer bag - I carry two in my computer bag. Doesn't pull too much power from the USB drive. Stays a nice temperature - not too hot. Nice and compact, doesn't take too much desk space.
Be sure to get an eSATA pcmcia card and you will get AWESOME performance. I added two GB RAM and now this drive enclosure setup (VMware virtual pcs)I have runs faster than my PC.

Cons: There isn't one. AWESOME product

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Nick
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
12/1/2007 4:22:10 PM

Rating + 5 Works Great


Pros: Very compact. USB & eSATA. Has worked now for months with no problems.

Cons: None

Other Thoughts: It comes with a nice case but no room for the USB cable.

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FredB
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/30/2007 6:33:51 PM

Rating + 5 Works well with Hitachi 200Gb 7200RPM


Pros: Easy to install Hitachi 200Gb 7200RPM laptop drive. Everything fits together as it should. Took 7 minutes without a problem. Works well with USB port (don't have an eSATA port on my laptop yet).

Cons: none. all cables supplied. good instructions.

Other Thoughts: After this good experience, will probably get another set of this enclosure & Hitachi drive.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/28/2007 12:19:46 PM

Rating + 5 NIce Case


Pros: Solid, well built, easy to install hdd. Works well w/ Toshiba 120gb (hdd2d62).

Cons: (very nit-picky) the supplied chords are bulky in the carry case.

Other Thoughts: worth the extra bucks for a quality build.

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Martinex
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/27/2007 4:32:20 AM

Rating + 3 Nice....but


Pros: Beautiful hard drive. Fast and portable.

Cons: Only works with the manufacturers USB cable. Need external power for eSATA connection.

Other Thoughts: Overall I would rate this a good buy. I use it mainly to store mp3 files as a result I connect it to my desktop at home and my laptop at the office. This presents me with the essential problem. The unit's power requirements demand a Y-cable provided by the manufacturer. The cable is not sold separately. Vantive pointed me to a website that carries them. I purchase a couple of them. Neither one seems to work with the unit. To avoid the inconvenience of swapping cables I decided to install the eSATA card that comes with the unit. Unfortunately this requires an external power supply that does not come with the unit. Here's hoping I never lose that Y-cable.

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Sir Patrick
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/23/2007 10:17:19 AM

Rating + 5 Very nice enclosure


Pros: Very nice unit. Well built, easy to assemble and instantly recognized by XP and Vista. Sleek design with a handy carrying case makes it a complete package.

Cons: Passive heat dissipation due to the slim design... but this is the same with all enclosures w/o fans or heat sinks. Not really a "con" - just an observation

Other Thoughts: If you are looking for a nice looking, well built enclosure for home or business, take a look at this one.

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Tack
Tech Level: high
Ownership: more than 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
11/1/2007 6:32:30 PM

Rating + 5 Excellent Product


Pros: Works well.
Great Looking.
Case holds together nicely.
Price.

Cons: None that I have found.

Other Thoughts: I bought this and installed a Seagate Momentus 7200.1 ST980825AS 80GB 7200 RPM.
It has worked flawlessly with both the eSata and USB interfaces since I purchased it about a year ago.
I have never needed to purchase a power adapter. I usually plug in both USB adapters to make sure it has enough power. But I have used it with just the primary and had no problems.
And of course you need to attach the the power USB when using the eSata.

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Smurky
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
10/20/2007 9:46:13 AM

Rating + 5 Works as designed


Pros: E-Sata, USB

Cons: Needs USB for power when using E-Sata

Other Thoughts: I bought a new drive to install XP without reformat. Installed the Vista Drive in this case and using for storage

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/27/2007 6:29:15 AM

Rating + 5


Pros: Excellent enclosure, very well made. Works like it's supposed to.

Cons: none so far

Other Thoughts: READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! In order to use the eSATA port you have to also use the USB port on the enclosure. It draws power to spin the hard drive from the USB cable and transfers the Data through the eSATA cable.

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ColdMist
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
9/26/2007 7:36:46 PM

Rating + 5 Very good!


Pros: Beautiful black finish. Easy to set up. eSATA and USB. Great little carry case to hold everything.

Cons: Doesn't come with a 5v power option other than the 'y' USB cable, even though it does have a 5v round power port.

Other Thoughts: The eSATA internal/external adapter's cord is about 17", in case anyone wants to know. I put a 160GB WD hard drive in it. My P5W DH can power it up with any normal USB cable, but my nForce2 can't even power it up with both usb plugs attached. I have to use a 5v usb power wart to get it to work with that computer. (nForce2 had very weak USB power.) YMMV. I second the problem of having a laptop with usb ports on both sides of the laptop, and the 'y' split being just barely long enough to work.

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.:jC:.
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/24/2007 2:57:15 PM

Rating + 5


Pros: This enclosure is very well built; just like any Vantec enclosure I've owned in the past. Vantec has included a very nice overall package for which includes a eSATA bracket, eSATA cable, USB cable, and a carrying bag. This product package offers a high value for the asking price. Highly recommended.

Cons: The manual was not well documented in some parts; however, I think any one can figure out how to work/install this enclosure without the assistance of manual.

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martinexe
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
9/12/2007 3:33:25 AM

Rating + 5 It's about time


Pros: Appearance, interface options and ease of installation.

Cons: External power supply not provided.

Other Thoughts: I purchased this enclosure with a 160GB Western Digital Scorpio ATA 150. I was a bit worried at first after hearing about compatibility issues with other drives but this couldn't have been easier. I only used the USB interface so you'll have to get someone else's opinion about the eSATA operation but the USB interface has worked flawlessly. It's also one of the nicest looking cases I've seen. The only thing I would warn about is sitting the drive in an upright (vertical) position. The so called desktop mount is built into the case but the slightest jostle will send the thing slamming onto it's side. Just lay it down flat and save yourself some aggravation.

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Staybright
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/29/2007 6:24:10 PM

Rating + 5 Very Nice


Pros: I picked this unit up to work on a friends laptop after it crashed. As I needed to access the drive to try and recover as many files as I could I decided to remove the drive and access it from my laptop. His laptop had a SATA drive and I had no way to use it on my computer.
The Drive was quick and easy to install and I was up in running in under 5 minutes. This unit runs quiet an cool and data access time is outstanding. Both Hard drives I have run in this enclosure only required a single usb plug in for the two laptops that I have used it on.
I would also like to mention that, as usual NewEgg delivery was outstanding. They have yet to fail me in quick shipping.

Cons: I have yet to find any true cons with this unit.

Other Thoughts: Nice easy installation. Vantec and NewEgg have proven that they are tops in customer satisfaction.

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Reichling
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/21/2007 4:41:26 PM

Rating + 5


Pros: I bought this drive to put my old hard drive from my laptop into since I was replacing it. Easy install, Power over USB, can use USB for power and ESATA for data.

Cons: None

Other Thoughts: Comes with screws for case out so be careful removing from box.

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rich
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/14/2007 5:31:01 PM

Rating + 4 nice


Pros: Small w/ unexpected accessories. Works great with the Hitatchi 7k100 80GB 7200 RPM. Next day delivery from NewEgg no extra charge!

Cons: I'm a little worried about heat dissipation. The drive does not touch the aluminum casing so the air stagnates and heat builds up baking the drive. I would advise not to use for prolong periods of time. Another brand I bought here on NewEgg came with heat transfer foam which not only helps dissipates heat but also helps secure the drive. I bought this since I want the speed of esata.

Other Thoughts: There is some misinformation about the power cable and esata. It doesn't help the manual speaks nothing about them. The USB cable IS THE POWER CABLE, even when using esata. Vista recognizes it as a sata drive when I powered on. Almost 2x faster in 25GB transfer test on my machine. Be careful most internal sata ports are not hot swappable so if you do install the provided card, power off the machine. Also beware some front USB ports do not have enough power when using USB. I was hearing a light clicking noise and I plugged into the back USB ports and everything is working as expected.

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tsunami
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/11/2007 8:07:28 AM

Rating + 5 Great unit - Works on Hitachi 120gb and 250 gb 5400k


Pros: Exactly as advertised - worked first time with two different drives. Solid construction, holds disk securely, nice size. Bonus is included eSATA adapter and cable.

Cons: No power adapter included, requires two USB ports, configuration of USB cable is odd so it doesn't fit well with vertical USB ports on laptops (but it works)

Other Thoughts: I have read reviews and I confirmed with Vantec that there might be problems when used with Hitachi 160gb 5400k but this unit worked perfectly with both the 120gb and 250gb 5400k Hitachi drives.

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psjohnso
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
8/7/2007 2:17:54 PM

Rating + 5 Great Enclosure


Pros: Fast error free operation using USB, have not had a need to use the eSATA yet, but glad that option is there.

Cons: Only fits slim 2.5 drives. The hard drive I took out of my Toshiba laptop did not fit into this enclosure.

Other Thoughts: I have copied Gigs of data to this device and burned several DVD's of data from it and I have not had any problems.

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AlinBoston
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/31/2007 4:07:24 PM

Rating + 5 Very pleased


Pros: Solid construction, nice selection of accessories, lightweight

Cons: Runs a little bit hotter than I'd like

Other Thoughts: Wow - I'm so glad I read the comments on the other competing enclosures. I've bought a lot of external drives over the years, but this is my first 2.5" SATA purchase. This product mounts your drive securely (4 screws, so no rattles) and has simple assembly. My 160GB mechanism runs with just one USB port from my Macbook. The speed over USB seems fine (I haven't run benchmarks or tried ESATA yet). The little carrying case is actually very useful and has pockets for the little accessories. All in all, a very nice little product. Newegg Rocks!

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bassline
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/31/2007 11:28:17 AM

Rating + 5 Good Device


Pros: I love the finish, the drive doesn't rattle around like in other enclosures. the aluminum case lets the drive cool nicely.

Cons: my laptop doesnt have a place for the eSATA connector. none with the device. Note that i didn't use it with a hitachi drive.

Other Thoughts: newegg came through like always in record time.

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat low
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/28/2007 9:08:02 PM

Rating + 5 Worked great


Pros: Very easy to use and very easy to install.

Cons: None

Other Thoughts: Worked great with my Inspirion 1505. Was purchased to retrieve info from a HDD that had died. Enclosure was recognized within seconds of connection and worked very smoothly.

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Daniel
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
7/25/2007 4:34:54 PM

Rating + 5 Excellent enclosure


Pros: Great quality, sturdy, quick install. Comes with a nice little carrying case with a pouch for the enclosure to fit in. Works off of one USB slot and powers drive well.

Cons: The USB cable is tedious and bulky.
I recommend using another USB Cable without two ends.

Other Thoughts: Works great on my WD2500BEVS 250GB Hard Drive. These enclosures work well with one USB cable if the drive requires less than 1 amp. Works great on my MacBook Pro!

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N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
7/21/2007 11:39:38 AM

Rating + 5 it just works


Pros: straightforward install; works as advertised

Cons: none that I can see

Other Thoughts: no chance to test eSATA connectivity

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Penchum
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/19/2007 7:44:44 AM

Rating + 5 Best 2.5" Enclosure on market


Pros: Excellent design maximizes cooling while looking great. Transfers are fast both ways. Comes with everything you need.

Cons: None. Don't listen to whinny butts.

Other Thoughts: For sparcv9 and others who have written reviews below who claim a "High" tech level, they are not asking if you are "High" all the time! The USB cable IS the power cable. That is why it has the second USB pigtail for the extra power if needed. If I were Vantec, I wouldn't respond to your trash either.

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sparcv9
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/15/2007 3:26:42 PM

Rating + 4 WHAT! No USB Power Cable????


Pros: Though I haven't used the eSATA port yet, and probably will not, the USB side works like I expected to - backing up my docked laptops and to move files among my machines at work and home. Works well.

The carrying case is useful though the supplied screwy USB cable requires deft packing.

Cons: Missing Power Cable... It says in Vantec web site a power cable is included, and it says in the docs inside the box a power cable is included, but I didn't get one. I challenge anyone to find a suitable power cable for this device... I haven't found one yet. Don't know if the lack of a power cable is going to cause any problems while my laptops are running off the battery... I sent Vantec an email asking for a power cable, but they haven't responded after 5 days.

The supplied USB cable, well, I threw it in my useless cables box and bought a regular cable with a mini connector. The cable is bulky... Vantec, remember KISS!

Other Thoughts: With what I paid for this device (cost + shipping + new USB cable + effort to find a Power cable), I will NOT purchase another Vantec unit, and will go back to a Macally unit of one sort or another. My Macally IDE 2.5 HD unit is durable and has been working for several years without any problems.

The HD I installed was a 160 GB Seagate ST9160821AS... fit perfectly. Runs cool all day and combined, very quiet.

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Ompus
Tech Level: average
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
7/1/2007 2:33:41 PM

Rating + 5 Excellent


Pros: The aluminum exterior appears extremely strong. I think you could drive a car over it without damaging it.

It took 60 seconds to install a WD 250 GB drive, 5 seconds to plug it into my Macbook, and 5 seconds to see the drive recognized. The drive ran flawlessly off the USB. It was one of the most painless and fulfilling tech purchases in a long time.

Nice to see them throw in a eSATA adapter.

Cons: The glossy black finish looks nice, but I'm dubious of its ability to remain scratch free.

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Portable drive guy
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
6/30/2007 5:15:08 PM

Rating + 3 BEWARE - they changed the chipset - not for Hitachi


Pros: Good build quality, looks nice. It includes a power socket that may work with the power supply from other portable disks you may have (check voltage and polarity first). But they also give you a special cable to draw power from a second USB port if you need it. After the disaster with Hitachi (see Cons), it did work fine with the new Samsung 250GB 2.5" drive, without needing a second USB port.

Cons: This is not the same excellent enclosure I bought months ago. They changed the chipset to Initio, and for some reason, it just will NOT work with (at least) the Hitachi 160GB drive. It won't even power on the drive. So it is completely useless with the Hitachi 160GB 2.5" SATA drive. The only reason it gets more than one egg is that does work with at least some other disk drives, notably Samsung.

Other Thoughts: I bought this enclosure specifically because I knew it would work with my new Hitachi 160GB drive, because I had put an Hitachi 160GB drive in one earlier. At first I thought my new hard disk was DOA, but no, it was just this enclosure that didn't work. Changing the chipset with NO indication to the consumer is bad enough, but when they change it to something that doesn't work with one of the leading brands of 2.5" drives, they have gone too far. They probably saved a few pennies by switching chipsets, but I won't be buying Vantec again.

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Christopher
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
6/29/2007 10:06:25 PM

Rating + 1 Didn't work with my 160 GB drive


Pros: Nice looking enclosure, most cables are supplied.

Cons: Didn't work with my 160 GB SATA 2.5" drive. Got power but drive couldn't be recognized. D'oh!

Other Thoughts: Ran out and picked up a [manufacturer name deleted] SATA enclosure and it worked immediately with my 160 GB drive, plus (unlike this Vantec) they include a cable so that you can supply optional 5V power separately from the USB bus power.

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Joe - Chicago, IL
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
6/25/2007 6:46:54 AM

Rating + 5 AWESOME Enclosure


Pros: Great Carrying Case (don't understand the review stating not enough space) Case accepted Seagate drive without incident. Best case I have used (out of 6 cases)!!!

Cons: Wish there were other colors besides black

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uliv1x
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
6/18/2007 1:14:25 PM

Rating + 5 Great Enclosure


Pros: Nice looking enclosure
No heat issues
Nice extras (zippered case, USB cable, eSATA cable, and eSATA slot card)
No problems so far

Cons: NONE

Other Thoughts: I bought this enclosure to use with a TOSHIBA MK1637GSX 160GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Notebook Hard Drive. I've used it mainly for backing up my laptop on a three continent trip and the combination has worked flawlessly with no heat problems.

Remember to hook up the USB for power after connecting the eSATA cable.

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BigPimpin
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
6/7/2007 7:50:04 AM

Rating + 5 Nice Enclosure


Pros: Well, it is a high quality product. I was impressed with the packaging and all the items that came with it. No sharp edges and easily assembled without the need for instructions. I showed it to my IT guy at work and he liked it. It is well constructed and documented instructions.

Cons: Didn't come with a 5V dc power adapter. I installed a 40Gb Hitachi drive. Hooked up both USB ports to two different computers and hard drive refused to spin up. I am thinking that it either needs more power, or the hard drive is dead. I have no easy way of testing the hard drive on my home PC as my video card is a monster and I really don't want to partially assemble the PC just to test the 2.5" hard drive. So, I ordered a ten dollar 5v adapter online and will attempt to test it all over again. If the hard drive is a dud I will order a 120GB from Newegg. My buddy has over 80GB of songs ready for me to download and I can't wait to get this bad boy up and running.

Other Thoughts: I found another enclosure brand A Z I O that is now available and it somes with its own dc adpapter. I wanted to order it before this one, but Newegg must have run out. So I chose the Vantec unit. I'm not sorry. Vantec is great and high quality.

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CAP
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
6/6/2007 1:37:39 AM

Rating + 5 Just as expected from Vantec


Pros: Everything about this little enclosure is great!! It's ultra compact, nice and shiny, has a USB and an e-sata input, and keeps the hard drive running nice and silent. The aluminum conducts the heat, so the hard drive is kept cool, and the enclosure is built to prevent hearing spinning. Unlike other enclosures this size, this enclosure does not require you to carry a power cord, just a USB cord.

Cons: None as far as performance goes; however, it might be nice to see more color selections.

Other Thoughts: I'm running a 100GB hard drive by Fuj*tsu with out any issues, have also seen these enclosures with 160GB W*stern D*g*tal drives work with out any problems. Vantec was even nice enough to include an external e-sata port for your desktop, and a really nice compact case with a discrete Vantec logo on it (I love logo's). This enclosure is completely worth it, I have yet to see a Vantec enclosure fail me or anyone I know that has one.

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Cosmos
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
6/1/2007 6:14:45 PM

Rating + 5 Awesome external SATA enclosure


Pros: -Slickness
-Easy to mount
-Cool blue light
-Great for notebook users!

Cons: None!

Other Thoughts: Well, the chasis is shinny so it will be covered with finger prints easly. But, hey, who cares? It works perfectly and as an owner of Dell Insprion E1705, I really like this product!

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jerd2004
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
5/23/2007 7:01:32 AM

Rating + 5 Superb Enclosure


Pros: Looks great, blue LED lights are a nice touch. Worked perfectly with my Toshiba 160GB 3.0Gb/s hard drive first time. No drivers to load or anything. I thought it would get a lot hotter than it did when cloning the hard drive, but I could pick it up without problem at all points in the disk copy.

Cons: The shiny black surface are a bit of a finger print magnet. The two securing screws that bolt the slide out plate to the enclosure case were somewhat difficult to screw in completely.

Other Thoughts: Fantastic purchase. Too bad the price dropped after I bought it, but that always happens no matter what you do.

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Noel Hastings
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
5/18/2007 12:56:16 PM

Rating + 5 Correction to Previous Review


Pros: Nice build quality, nice carrying case, good packaging

Cons: No power adapter (not really needed)

Other Thoughts: I wrote a review about how this Initio chipset device was not functioning. I made a mistake. The WD 160GB SATA HD installed easily, and Vista recognized it but would not mount the drive. I forgot that this new drive needed to be given a boot record, partitioned and formatted. I have not run speed tests yet, but it seems to be working well.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Noel Hastings
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
5/18/2007 10:38:09 AM

Rating + 2 Initio Chip Failure with WD 160GB & Vista


Pros: Good looks, solid build, nice packaging

Cons: Failure to actually function

Other Thoughts: WD1600BEVS 160GB drive installed easily. Build quality seems good. Upon plugging it in to USB2.0 on a new X61 tablet PC, Vista recognizes a "USB Mass Storage Device" and hard drive spins up, but no drive letter! Cannot access drive in any way. Tried multiple cables and reconnecting drive. I even tried installing their drivers, but driver CD fails. This case does not function and it has Initio chip.

2 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Computer Evolution
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
4/29/2007 10:29:13 AM

Rating + 5 Rock Solid


Pros: Small, Quiet, Cool. Getting ready to order my second one. I have one formated for Mac and going to format a second one for just NTFS. Using an 80GB 5200RPM drive,, never had a problem yet.

Cons: Wish the 2.5 inch drives came with a Vertical stand like its bigger brother does. Thats the only gripe I have.

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N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
4/16/2007 4:00:48 PM

Rating + 2 Beware of new chipset enclosures


Pros: Nice looking, compact and having eSata is a nice feature

Cons: Be careful when you buy this one, the new ones doesn't work with 160GB drives. If your enclosure is having Initio chipset, then definitely it wont work with 160GB drives. Only ones with JM chipset will work. Neither Vantec nor NewEgg will mention this. I have RMAed this item for five times now, but I keep getting the same wrong item. Seems like I am wasting my time and money on shipping this item to RMA. If you plan to use 160GB drive, dont buy this one.

Other Thoughts: Would recommend Vantec to improve their testing department before they release a product into market and also newegg to keep out of this kind of wrong products. Would never buy another product from this manufacturer.

13 out of 19 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

D77
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
4/9/2007 4:54:59 PM

Rating + 5 Looks great works great


Pros: In my opinion very good looking enclosure. Using Hitachi TravelStar 100GB drive for 2 months with no issue. This drive fits perfectly in, just be carefull when connecting the drive to sata port on the board. Good passive cooling for such a small enclosure. Includes eSata port and bracket for your desktop. Nice carrying case.

Cons: For me none.

Other Thoughts: For now using with included USB cable, but I like the eSata option for higher transfer speeds.
The case is perfect for storing the enclosure without cables.

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Rob
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/25/2007 11:54:45 PM

Rating + 2 Dead Harddrive


Pros: Large capacity

Cons: Dead Harddrive with less than 1 month use.

Other Thoughts: This is the first harddrive I have owned in the past 10 years that has died (controller fried- bios won't recognize and plates won't spin). I will have to pay a data recovery pro to retrieve my data or else replace the controller board with an exact match just long enough to grab my data. My last backup was 3 weeks ago and I receive over 100 emails per day for work that I cannot afford to lose. I am hesitant to rely on this model harddrive in the future.

0 out of 19 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

fahed
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/18/2007 1:13:11 PM

Rating + 5 VANTEC NST-260SU-BK


Pros: I'm using a Fujitsu 40GB hard drive for external storage because I'm backing up my system. I have to say this is extremely great. The design looks great even though it is kind of big and glossy, but it features great functionality to cover it up. It worked fine when I received it, no problems at all. Plus, it's a SATA enclosure. It costs more, but IDE is far back in technology; and going with SATA gives you great bang for the buck.

Cons: For those having a problem with Windows recognizing your hard drive, it is possibly because you have not yet partitioned it. When I plugged my hard drive into Windows, it recognized the hardware and installed fine, however when I went to My Computer, the hard drive did not show up. I read the manual and it said that you would need to partition the hard drive if it was not yet partitioned in order for it to work. I used a Windows XP CD and created a partition within the setup without installing Windows, and from then on, it worked fine. Those who have no SATA connection in their desktop/laptop and do not know how to partition their drives from within Windows itself must find another computer to partition their hard drive from with a spare SATA connection. And by the way, it works with the desktop SATA cable, it does not need a converter like IDE notebook drives.

Getting to the actual enclosure, it is kind of big compared to my other IDE enclosure and it's a huge fingerprint magnet.

Other Thoughts: Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase and if needed will purchase one again. Don't be distracted by the Cons, just follow instructions and you'll be good to go. Newegg shipping is great as well. For Ground, I receive my product within a day or two max. Newegg is definitely a great store and is on my favorites list.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Flyinhigh
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/17/2007 5:58:37 AM

Rating + 5 excellent product


Pros: *Very solid built case is "thicker" machined aluminum and very very sturdy.
*the black finish is very tough. very hard to scratch.
*the esata port is very very fast.
*Comes with the Esata bracket
*comes with a nice case
* I like the fact that the PCB is the full size of the hard drive. many cases only attach the hd to the pcb by the electrical connector. this one screws it very securly to the PCB in 4 spots.

Cons: *not really a con but my co-workers keep threatening that they are going to steal it!
*Does not come with the 5 volt ac adapter, but you can pick one up for 4-5$.

Other Thoughts: *for the price its a very good deal, but i would like it to come with a AC adapter.
*I'd rather have a full size usb port on it rather than a mini usb.
*case is nice but it doesnt fit both cables and the drive.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

SickPup404
Tech Level: high
Ownership: less than 1 day
3/16/2007 6:47:21 AM

Rating + 2 Hitachi problem


Pros: Enclosure fits and works perfectly with Samsung HM040HI drive (40GB/5400RPM). Nice looking enclosure.

Cons: Enclosure does NOT work with Hitachi HTS541616J9SA00 (160GB/5400RPM). Fits inside enclosure fine, plug into USB and Windows recognizes a new USB HD and says your hardware is ready to use, but when you access in Explorer it says "please insert a disk in the drive".

Other Thoughts: Vantec needs to iron out what the problem with compatibilty is.

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/12/2007 4:31:11 PM

Rating + 4 Works but...


Pros: Works with SATA harddrives

Cons: Difficult to get the HD inside the enclosure. Need a lot of elbow grease.

Other Thoughts: Works well in making a external harddrive out of upgraded HDS

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Jonathan Ng
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/12/2007 12:48:36 PM

Rating + 4 READ IF YOU HAVE A MACBOOK PRO


Pros: Elegant, simple, works.

Cons: My MBP only has one USB port on each side of my comptuer, the NextStar requires two ports. The supplied USB cable is too short to reach both ports :/

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/10/2007 5:32:41 PM

Rating + 5


Pros: Small size, carrying case, good quality construction. Bought HITATCHI 5K160 drive at the same time to install in it- has worked flawlessly thus far. Very pleased with product and the price.

Cons: none yet.

Other Thoughts: Bought it for the size/portability factor - didn't want another 3.5" enclosure. buying another one today.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/10/2007 4:35:19 PM

Rating + 1 DOA


Pros: Looks pretty

Cons: Arrived DOA, PC would detect the enclosure but the drive would not spin up. Drive spins up just fine when connected by other means.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
3/10/2007 11:46:04 AM

Rating + 5 Great Case


Pros: Works as advertised. Nice encloser, blue activity led, eSata works perfectly and having usb as well is excellent. Not a single complaint.

Cons: None at all.

Other Thoughts: Not sure why everyone is complaining about this encloser. There are very few 7200RPM drives that will work with usb only (no external power) do some research and find a low power 5400RPM drive. My HITACHI Travelstar 5K160 HTS541616J9SA00 160GB Sata 5400rpm drive works fine with this encloser. I have used this encloser with this drive on hundreds of PC's across the nation with no problems.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

N/A
Tech Level: somewhat high
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/9/2007 5:46:03 AM

Rating + 2 Doesn't fit my Fujitsu


Pros: Looks nice. Wish I could use it.

Cons: The Fujitsu MHV2200BT PL 200gb drive I pulled out of my Toshiba laptop is about 2mm too thick. RMA'd.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Lee
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/8/2007 3:50:23 PM

Rating + 2


Pros: Works with my WD1600BEVS. Nice design with quality look, too bad it won't work with the drive I bought it for.

Cons: Does not work with my HTS541610J9SA00 drive.

Other Thoughts: Don't buy this if you have a Hitachi drive, it probably won't work.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Melchior
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/5/2007 8:02:14 PM

Rating + 1 Does NOT WORK AS ADVERTISED


Pros: Seems to work for SOME drives, including the Hitachi 7k100 100gb. But why would I buy a $xxx drive to use it in an ENCLOSURE?!?!

Cons: Does not work for the Hitachi 5k160 80gb drive that came stock with laptop. This was the WHOLE point of buying the enclosure. Having seen other reviews, it seems to be incompatible with many of the latest 5400rpm drives, seemingly Hitachi 5k160s, which are all Perpindicular recording drives.

In this case, drive does NOT power on/Spin up.

Other Thoughts: Don't bother buying, this is getting returned.

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

graham
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 day to 1 week
This user purchased this item from Newegg
3/3/2007 7:42:43 AM

Rating + 2 depends on the drive


Pros: nice little unit, handy carrying case included

Cons: As another reviewer reported, this case DOES NOT WORK with the Hitachi 120GB 5400RPM drive that I pulled out of my ThinkPad. It just won't spin the drive up, no matter how many separate power headers I plug in.

It works fine with my Seagate 100GB 7200RPM drive that I bought from Newegg, but I bought that to go in the ThinkPad!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

tjp
Tech Level: high
Ownership: 1 month to 1 year
This user purchased this item from Newegg
2/28/2007 8:33:20 PM

Rating + 4 Vantec Enclosure


Pros: Solid product, great to house my Toshiba Drive.

Cons: One mounting hole had bad threads and the screw will not seat properly.

Other Thoughts: Great combo for on the go and backups

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Howie
Tech Level: high
Ownership: less than 1 day
This user purchased this item from Newegg
2/26/2007 1:57:23 PM

Rating + 1 D.O.A. plus too small for drive


Pros: LED shines through "Vantec" logo on front

Cons: Arrived DOA/
Will not accomodate a Hitachi 100GB drive removed from Lenovo ThinkPad! Simply will NOT FIT.

Other Thoughts: Bought this on account of the positive reviews, but disappointed! Obviously something arriving DOA means questionable quality control. Tested with drive prior to attempt to insert drive+circuit board into the aluminum enclosure. Blue light came on, and windows could see device, but no power to drive. Tried adding other sources of power, USB *and* external supply, no luck. Now, just for this review, I'm trying to insert into the metal enclosure, and the sides of the case (actually the tubular channels running the length on each side, into which the screw threads are bored) are too close and a this Hitachi drive will not fit! Not even part of the way. Wish Macally had a SATA enclosure similar to their PHR-250CC of which I have bought a half dozen, all of which are superb and much higher build quality.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

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