Joined on 03/28/03
GREAT DRIVE!
Pros: Great price for some quality hardware. These drives (I bought 4) run very cool, and are very quiet as well.
Cons: Not really a con, but the packaging. Keep in mind, that this is a BARE DRIVE and doesn't include proper packaging other than the antistatic bags, and no documentation either (not that it's needed). The 4 I ordered were in a styrofoam caddy surrounded in bubble wrap and styrofoam popcorn.
Overall Review: I picked up 4 of these drives to max-out an old Iomega® Desktop Hard Drive XL Series to 2TB. That drive defaults to a RAID0, so I'm hoping I won't have to use Western Digital's 3 year limited warranty.
LOOKS great, FEELS cheap, too pricey
Pros: This is a great case and looks very sleek, and has a very 'Apple/Mac' feel to it. Installation was simple (the instructions are clear), and there is a magnetic Phillips screwdriver included, as well as an extra screw inside the enclosure. TIP: unscrew the logic board from inside of the enclosure, connect it to your HDD, then screw it back into place--I had a difficult time just sliding my HDD into place. The included white USB cable is very thick and has a high-quality, sturdy feel to it. I also like that there's not an additional USB connection for power (just the one connection for data+power), as I dislike Y-split USB cables. The USB 3.0 is a nice touch, although I can't take advantage of it.
Cons: The enclosure on its own seems flimsy, for the plastic is very lightweight. Even with the added weight of the installed hard drive, it still has a light and almost cheap feel to it (not a deal breaker, but it looks a lot nicer on a desk than it feels in your hand). The top looks and feels just like an Apple® Magic Mouse, and although it looks like brushed aluminum on the bottom, the entire enclosure is 100% plastic. The blue LED on the top stays illuminated even when idle, and flashes rapidly during activity--it's not too bright, but this might be annoying for some, especially if used in a dark room. The INEO logo is also smack-dab on the top center, which I'm not a huge fan of, but I knew that going in... The USB 3.0 Micro B end of the cable doesn't really fit snuggly into the port on the enclosure at all (plenty of wiggle room), so this might become a major issue with regular use.
Overall Review: All in all, this is very nice looking case, although I think it's much too expensive based on the actual quality of the product. I also have a bad feeling about the loose connection on the USB 3.0 Micro B port, as it will probably get worse with time, and might eventually get too loose to the point that it no longer makes contact and stops working altogether. If it wasn't for the discounted price plus the mail-in rebate, I probably wouldn't have purchased this item, but, for the most part, I am happy with it so far.
FANtastic
Pros: QUIET! This fan is whisper silent and seems to move a significant amount of air. This replaced the noisy fan in my old 4-bay Iomega® Desktop Hard Drive XL Series 1TB, and now I can barely hear it.
Cons: A bit pricey for a single fan, but well worth it.
Overall Review: Installation was a cinch. The included cord was longer than what I needed, approximately 9" or so, but I guess that'd be a good length if I were using it in a tower. The color is not very attractive, but as long as it's out of sight it I don't care. Also, I was unable to use the 4 included vibration compensators due to my setup, which was a good thing because they're not the most attractive either (brown).