Joined on 04/27/04
So far so good!
Pros: I've used Vantec enclosures for many years now, and I'm as happy with this one as I've been with all of the others. (Though I've only had it for a day.) The quality and fit are the high level that I was expecting, the size is about as minimal as you can get for a 2.5" drive, and the blue activity light is not the usual "retinal spot-burn" brightness that every piece of computer equipment seems to come with these days. At the moment all I've done is started a TrueCrypt volume encryption on the enclosed WD WD10JPVT 7.2k 1TB drive and it's reporting a steady 111 MB/s throughput during the format. If I remember correctly, my USB 2 drives all top out at around 22 MB/s.
Cons: Nothing to note at this point.
Overall Review: Like many other 2.5" enclosures, the included USB cable has two connectors for using 2 USB ports in the event that a single port does not provide enough power. This has never been the case for me, so I have always simply clipped the extra connector off flush and it ends up being perfectly clean looking. This is my first review in a very long time, and I apologize to the Newegg community for this as I have purchased TONS of stuff since 2004 and I rely heavily on other people's product reviews. I'll start taking the time to give back and not be such a lazy leach. :-)
I wish I could return this thing
Pros: Size
Cons: Mine is unusable. I must have used a hundred different keyboards in the last 20+ years and this is the first one I actually *cannot* use. The sensitivity of the keys is so low that I have missing characters *constantly*. Passwords are typed wrong, I'm correcting typos non-stop, etc. So far I've had to back up and fill in missing letters and spaces 5 times in this review. I had to hit ENTER twice just to get to the web site. I've made 3 more corrections already since the last 5.
Overall Review: Uncorrected text: I live i the Caribbean and hav to pa a premium to get things shipped here, so I'm pretty biter abot this since it's not worth the cost of sending it back. This does not reflect in any way on newegg, they're great, but this particular keyboard in front of me is either of very poor quality, or it's flat out defective. I am no correcting any of the errors in the 'other toughts' section so that youcan see all of missing letters, spaces, and shift key uses. This is what you could be in for if you buy this.
Confusing pricing
Pros: Performance
Cons: Confusing pricing
Overall Review: I just ordered an open box version of the card for $610 that indicates the normal price at Newegg is $670. $670. Not $900. The Asus part number is identical (STRIX-GTX980TI-DC3OC-6GD5-GAMING) yet shows that the "normal" non-open box price is only $670. What's confusing and misleading (to me, but I'm slow) is that the primary listing with lots of reviews is for this seemingly insanely overpriced listing. Are people actually paying this much? All I know for certain is that the one I ordered (claimed non-discounted price of $670) is the same part number, and the open box return policy is great if I have any issues. (Never have with Newegg open box or refurbished parts in the past.)
Exactly what I've been wanting
Pros: 1. RAID 2. RAID! 3. Bus powered ... no power supply needed (not on my Macs, anyway.) 4. Extremely simple setup. 5. Quality materials, fit, and finish. 6. USB 3 7. The price is very inexpensive, IMO.
Cons: I'm really trying to come up with something here ... but so far it's been perfect, and I can't think of anything that I wish was different.
Overall Review: I have been waning a RAID enclosure for 2 2.5" drives for a year or more, but held off until I saw that the USB 3 version of this enclosure had hit the market. For my needs, I use RAID 1 (Mirroring) to safeguard irreplaceable data. Sure, you can drop the thing while it's running and trash both drives, but that's life ... be careful not to do that. I also back everything up to a RAID 1 NAS, so this is bonus protection for me. After setting the two switches for RAID 1, OS X Disk Manager saw it as a single 1TB drive, which I then partitioned and encrypted with TrueCrypt. All without a hitch, and it's been working just fine since then. (Granted, less than a week, but if I have any issues I will update this review.) I very highly recommend this product if you're on the market for a 2.5" RAID housing.
Exactly what I needed
Pros: Good quality, works perfectly, great price.
Cons: None so far.
Overall Review: I've had this thing for several months now and it's been flawless. I am a PC gamer and a diehard Mouse & Keyboard guy, but for racing games, I prefer a controller like this.
Just a quck review to toot Vantec's horn
Pros: I've had many external housings over the years (remember how exciting SCSI II was?), and in the last decade almost all of them have been Vantec. I highly recommend the brand in general when it comes to housings.
Cons: None so far; they've all be flawless over the years.