USB 2.0 External 2.5" IDE HDD Enclosure Case Blue For Laptop

USB 2.0 External 2.5" IDE HDD Enclosure Case Blue For Laptop Review

This item arrived quickly with all parts present and carefully packaged. Instructions were included, but are not necessary, as this device is easy enough to use without them.

I love the construction of this enclosure. It is a sharp-looking blue color with black end pieces, and the drive light features red (inactive/unmounted) and green (ready to work). Installation of the drive into the enclosure is a snap: simply pop the hard drive out of your laptop, plug the head cap onto it, slip it into the enclosure, and fasten with the set screws.

The included sleeve is wonderful and protects the finish from scratches. It's not padded, but it does a decent job of keeping everything safe. The USB cable is a Y-style cable, designed for using an extra port on your computer for power. In my experience this extra connection is not necessary, but this depends on whether you are plugging the drive into a powered port or not. You might need that extra plug if using the drive on a USB hub. If plugging directly to your computer, you can probably put this cable back in the box and use a standard USB cable.

Like other reviewers, I have a problem with the included set screws. They are much too small and if you drop one, you'll spend lots of time looking for it. However, the holes receiving the screws did not strip out on me. Honestly, a well-placed piece of the right kind of tape on the seal between the enclosure and the head cap would probably work just as well.

This enclosure could probably stand to be a little thinner from top to bottom. My drive moves around a bit inside the enclosure, but not enough to be a problem; it is usually sitting on a desk, so there's no opportunity for the tail end of the drive (first into the enclosure) to "flap".

Make sure to remove any adapters your hard drive has on it before plugging it to the board for this enclosure. I used this enclosure on a hard drive fresh out of a laptop, and it had such an adapter. This is pretty easy to figure out, but just keep your eyes open for it.

Drive recognition is great with this enclosure, and the drive is ready to use almost immediately after plugging it in.

Keep a few of these enclosures around for making external drives from dead laptops. I am very happy with this product, and I will definitely buy more.

USB 2.0 External 2.5" IDE HDD Enclosure Case Blue For Laptop Feature

• New Ultra Slim Aluminum External Hard Drive Case
• Support 2.5" IDE Hard Drives 40~500GB
• Fast Data/File Access and Transfer Rate up to 480MB/s
• USB 2.0 to IDE
• Compatible only with IDE drives (see below)

USB 2.0 External 2.5" IDE HDD Enclosure Case Blue For Laptop Overview

Need a new house for your 2.5" hard drive? Use this aluminum case to turn your laptop drive into an external hard drive. This case is only for drives with IDE connectors. Supports MAC OS8.6 or above and MS Windows Vista/XP/2000. Fully Plug & Play and Hot Swappable. Software Driver Download needed for Windows ME/982nd. Powered by the computer's USB Port (No External Power Cable Required). LED Power Indicator. Dimension 4.5"x2.5"x0.43" Light Weight ~2.2 Oz Simple and Quick Assembly.
To determine if your hard drive is an IDE drive or a SATA drive, please look for the connectors. An IDE connector is longer, and has two rows of pins that stick out. A SATA connector is smaller and has two plastic tabs with flat metal contacts.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 08, 2010 13:31:04