VANTEC NST-360UF-BK Aluminum 3.5" USB & 1394 External Enclosure

Pros: Looks nice when i saw the picture and read the title.

Cons: Title didnt indicate if it was SATA or IDE, only when i got the product was when I saw it said IDE...that isn't what i wanted, I just assumed it was SATA. Partially my fault but still, I'm out 45$ now...

Other Thoughts: Make sure you check these things over before you buy.

Pros: Took literally 5 minutes to install a WD Hard Drive. OSX Leopard reconized it immediately via firewire. Use it to store music and pictures, reads/writes fast. Nice appearance. Very happy.

Cons: None so far

Other Thoughts: Overall this is a nice piece of equipment. The screws are the same size as ones found when building a computer. The case fits a 3.5 HD comfortably, and if you pay attention to what your doing the cable length is not a issue. The only tricky part is making sure the tray that holds the HD slides in the grooves properly.

Pros: Works as advertised on XP, will try the Mac later tonight.

Cons: A little hard to push in, but that's because of the rubber inserts at the end to eliminate vibration.

Other Thoughts: The power adapter has been changed. It is not the cord-power supply-cord deal shown on newegg.com. It is now a one-piece deal. The blades are directly attached to the PS, but the PS is narrow and rectangular (not square and blocky) so you might be able to plug into a power strip without re-arranging the existing plugs if the outlets are spaced far enough apart. Other than that, the picture is correct.

Pros: Works well. Using the eSATA connection makes transferring files quick and easy.

Cons: Initially did not work with the included eSATA bracket. I had to use the built-in eSATA port on my mother board and the latest drivers for my Intel P35 chipset for Vista Ultimate x64 to recognize the hard drive. After that it worked flawlessly. It might have been just a driver issue under Vista Ult. x64. Getting cover aligned to put screws in after new drive was installed was somewhat problematic and I work with computers all the time.

Pros: Sturdy Aluminum Build
No Fan
Sleek Styling w/Blue LED
Dual Firewire Ports
Stackable w/Rubber Feet
Comes w/4 screws to mount drive
Comes w/Firewire & USB cable
Hibernate Feature when drive not in use

Cons: Power cable too short
Power pack too large, could be a separate pack that has a regular plug
Poorly drilled screw holes for final install
Cramped interior (see other thoughts)
Does not include mini-firewire adapter
Difficult assembly

Other Thoughts: It's a cool unit now that I'm done with it. The 2nd one will now be a breeze. However, this is the most troublesome drive I have ever assembled. I have to order a replacement ribbon cable and black screws. The complaints are minor, but here are some suggestions.

1/When sliding the drive into the mount, watch out for the 2 little aluminum nubs that stick out by the pc board end. When sliding my drive into the mount, because it is so cramped, the ribbon cable actually ended up between the drive and this nub causing damage to the ribbon cable. 2/Manual tells you to choose master. I had to use Slave. Test drive before closing. 3/Internal power cable and LED cable were both a tad too long. I realize this makes it seem easier to connect, but less easy to close. 4/ Back screws were really hard to screw in. Recommend screwing them in and out a few times before ever trying to assemble. 5/Recommend pressing or pulling on sides when putting together or pulling apart. The center is weaker.

Pros: Arrived 5 days after order, good price for such a well built device. I bought it for my dads 40th B-Day for his 250 Gb Ide Western Digital HDD. He slapped it in and it worked great. The stand is very study and is very solid! Love the sexy blue light that actually flickers when being accessed.

Cons: smudges easily but who really cares? as long as it works

Other Thoughts: Vantec is so far a good brand :P

Pros: This case is quite fantastic. It's sturdy and well-built. It looks very nice, and is certainly the nicest case out of the total of 4 cases I have. I bought this case to replace the case of an old 250 GB LaCie HDD I have so I could use it with FW, not just USB. One interesting thing I've noticed is that the drive now spins down when it's not being used, whereas in the old case it would spin constantly... I'm not sure if this is a function of the case or the FW. The vertical stand also feels quite sturdy and holds the case tightly.

Cons: The case is slightly difficult to put together, because the wire for the LED is tight. Like most other people, the LED wire came disconnected, but the included illustration sticker on the panel on the inside was clear enough that I was able to connect it properly on the first try. This case is definitely not designed to swap drives often, but that's fine with me since I was not intending to use it that way in the first place. The blue LED is also pretty bright in a dark room. Doesn't bother my roomate at night, though.

Other Thoughts: This case is one of the best cases I've used in a long time, following along with the 2.5 inch version which I also own... that one actually prompted me to look at this one when I decided I was going to purchase a 3.5 inch case. If you're looking for a permanent solution as a case, this is the one to go with.

Pros: These run pretty quick for being an external gizmo. These are very plug n play and there isn't any software driver junk. makes for an easily transportable media for you to transfer and backup data. I tinker with computers and this makes for a great way to check hard drives out without having to crack open my tower everytime to connect it.

Cons: The main downside I have with this product is the adapter. Its huge and takes up to much space on a power strip. I'm an electronics geek in a house with very few outlets. You can't plug in three prong plugs above and below these adapters on a power strip. And if your running a strip where the outlets line up left to right its even worse. The enclosure itself is great however, it needs airflow for it gets a little warm. The adapter for it thou is poorly designed.

Other Thoughts: I own two of these enclosures. They work great to keep some game files, photos and tunes.

Pros: .... I haven't gotten around to doing any benching at this point (sorry!), but it works well enough.

Cons: The external power connector is very badly constructed. It's not clear at all which orientation to use when plugging it in because it goes in [barely] a centimeter either way. You'll know you did it right only if it comes on. Not cool at all.

Other Thoughts: That's the only blatantly negative thing about it.
Obviously, it would be better if there were less screws to deal with, but as long as you know that it's not a very swap-friendly model... no big deal.

Pros: Very slick look, neat LED lit logo in front, firewire, pretty easy to install, aluminum, quality built, hard drives stay cool under high load, plug takes up only one spot in a power bar, great value

Cons: LED logo in front is a little bright in a dark room

Other Thoughts: This is by far the best external hard drive enclosure I have ever owned. It is not one of those cheap enclosures made out of pieces of metal, but it is a quality built enclosure. If I ever need another external hard drive enclosure, I know I'm going with Vantec. Note that this comes with a 6-6 pin firewire cord, and if you have the smaller 4 pin cord you will need to buy another cord to use it.