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JoshuaZ · Jun 30, 2005, 02:47 PM

I've been trying to replace my old external firewire drive with a newer one. Actually two newer ones because I have another one that I wish to use just for video. So I hop on over newegg.com and i'm looking through the list and I find a nice enclosure called Metal Gear Box. I remember someone else on MacNN talking about it before, so I buy two of them. I get the white ones, because I like white. So I get them, and they're really nice cases. Two problems. The first is that they're a bit small for hard drives. I have to force it in, and they run really hot in there because there is no room for air movement. Also the lights on the side don't work at all. So I call up newegg.com and they agree to give me a full refund. So I go back to newegg.com and I look through the list and I order a different set of enclosures from the same company. Same basic case design, but these look bigger and are the exact ones I remember from earlier on MacNN. I get them in the mail today. They are bigger, overall are better cases. Lights actually work on it. But one problem. It appears as if these violate proper firewire protocol. They apparently share same 'Global unique ID' and thus I can only have one plugged in via firewire at the same time, not both. I guess I could plug one in via USB 2.0 and one in via firewire... but thats not what I really want.

Blah, so I guess I don't know what to do anymore. I guess I could keep my old Firewire drive and give one of these other ones to my friend (at full retail price). I wish there was another option, you know, besides building a second firewire bus onto my 12in Powerbook. :-)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817155212

And yes, after looking around I did notice that someone had pointed this out in their review of the product. I'm so dumb.

turtle777 · Jun 30, 2005, 02:56 PM

First off, wrong forum.
Search the Peripherals forum, there are already a couple of discussions going.

http://forums.macnn.com/consumer-hardware-and-components/

Second, I just bought a FW / USB2 enclosure at Compusa. They are having a sale, it's only $ 35.
Very solid construction, a lot of aluminum for good heat flow.
Speed wise, it is faster than my old OWC FW enclosure, and OWC is considered one of the faster ones.
http://www.compusa.com/products/prod...amp;pfp=SEARCH

-t

JoshuaZ · Jun 30, 2005, 03:11 PM

turtle, I know how to use the forums. I was just complaining. I figured if everyone else is going to use the forum as a blog... I should as well...

Can a guy get some empathy? Really. I need love.

I've been around these forums almost as long as you have.

turtle777 · Jun 30, 2005, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by JoshuaZ

turtle, I know how to use the forums. I was just complaining. I figured if everyone else is going to use the forum as a blog... I should as well...

Can a guy get some empathy? Really. I need love.

I've been around these forums almost as long as you have.

So ? Me personally, I can accept people blogging in the lounge more than people posting questions that CLEARLY have their unique own forum.

And you got some empathy

That Compusa deal is really a good deal for a solid FW / USB2 enclosure. Btw, using FW is about 2.5 times as fast as using USB2. Did some Xbenchmarks on that. Never settle for USB2 if you're unsing it for Mac's only.

-t

JoshuaZ · Jun 30, 2005, 03:19 PM

Yeah, which is why I wanted to stick with Firewire over USB for my drives.

At least one of my former college room mates is buying an external case off me. So I guess he gets a really nice deal, and a brand new case out of it. One that lights up even!

effgee · Jun 30, 2005, 03:31 PM

Screw cheap FW enclosures - I've been using MacPower products for years (have 5 external cases running on my desk right now) and they never failed me. The Pleiades is the perfect companion for your little PB ... link

Plus, they have several models with all kinds of connectivity - from Ethernet to USB to FW400/800. Yep, they do cost a bit more than your average blinking "USB-Coke-can" but imho they're worth every penny.

If looks aren't that important and you want the fastest enclosure possible, take a peek at WiebeTech's or Granite Digital's enclosures as well (AFAIK, both are even more expensive than MacPower).

HTH

JoshuaZ · Jun 30, 2005, 03:33 PM

Ha, those would be nice if I was made of money! Oh well, I think I have the situation all worked out for the most park.

Your love an empathy will be remembered.

turtle777 · Jun 30, 2005, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by effgee

Plus, they have several models with all kinds of connectivity - from Ethernet to USB to FW400/800. Yep, they do cost a bit more than your average blinking "USB-Coke-can" but imho they're worth every penny.

Nice. But definitely too costly, if you ask me.

Originally Posted by effgee

If looks aren't that important and you want the fastest enclosure possible, take a peek at WiebeTech's or Granite Digital's enclosures as well (AFAIK, both are even more expensive than MacPower).

Granite Digital's are ugly as sin.
I though about the WiebeTechs. Price

But I also check out OWC. I have one old FW 400 enclosure, which is great. According to Barefeats, OWC is one of the fastest on the market, and compared well with Granite's.

Well, and when I found that el cheapo $ 35 enclosure from Compusa beat my OWC by 20% speedwise, I figured I'd probably have to spent at least 2-3 times that money to get something even faster than that. Not worth it.

-t

effgee · Jun 30, 2005, 04:09 PM

Heh - I'd almost bet good money that OWC's Mercury Elite is little more than a re-badged Mac Power IceCube (I got three of those, they're the shiznit - not as nice as the Pleiades but rock-solid and plenty fast)

I also have some cheap-o 5.25" enclosure from CompUSA that died on me a year and a half after I bought it - that's when I switched to MacPower. Not saying all cheap enclosures are automatically bad products - it's just that my experience with the cheapy brand was not a good one.

BTW, the last IceCube enclosure I bought last year (FW800/400/USB2, incl. a 160GB Hitachti drive) cost me 160 EUR - not that much more expensive than OWC's Mercury (keeping in mind the general price difference between the US and Krautland, of course)

turtle777 · Jun 30, 2005, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by effgee

Heh - I'd almost bet good money that OWC's Mercury Elite is little more than a re-badged Mac Power IceCube (I got three of those, they're the shiznit - not as nice as the Pleiades but rock-solid and plenty fast)

The links are both the same.

-t

t6hawk · Jun 30, 2005, 07:11 PM

I just went to the local OEM store and bought a HD and bought a FW case and assembled it and it works fine with my other FW boxes. Was cheaper too.

turtle777 · Jun 30, 2005, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by t6hawk

I just went to the local OEM store and bought a HD and bought a FW case and assembled it and it works fine with my other FW boxes. Was cheaper too.

Working is one thing, speed another. I was looking for an external HD to be used instead of my Mac mini internal HD. So speed mattered. Some el cheapo HD enclosures are just lousy in peformance, other's do well. Right now, I get an Xbench HD average of 85 on overall Disk Test.

-t