[ghostrider]

Some time ago, I read an article in a magazine describing how to use a PC chassie to add more card slots and extra drive bays. I don't remember which magazine, it was a MAC mag. I do remember that much!

My main question is: how to connect the external devises to my G4. Would it be possible to make the connection firewire??

Anyone know which issue I am talking about, or know were I can find such information??

[Joelwins]

I think that the product(s) which you read about was probably the EasiExpansion T35/T45, which use a PCI-based link to connect an extra case with additional drive and PCI slots to your PCI-equipped Mac. They also do a PowerBook version.

Here you go...

No experience with them myself, but would be interested in others' experiences. I've heard there's issues with some PCI cards. Any comments?

Hope this helps.

[ghostrider]

Thank you for the reply.

I am aware of the product you mention.

What I was refering to is taking an empty PC case and adding hard drives and extra pci cards and connecting it to my G4.

I can get an empty PC case through work for next to nothing ($10.00),
I am trying to add extra expansion space as inexpensively as possible.

[SkiBikeSki]

I think what that article was referring towas..

using the structure of that case and the power supply to keep some drives running, and safe, and run a ribbon cable into your power mac to actually use the devices. I doubt you can use the PCI slots, or RAM, or whatever else.

[ghostrider]

I remember the article told how to take a pc case (empty except for power supply) and add int. hard drives (I have two that I don't have room for in my G4) and then conect the drives through a pci card from the PC case to a card in the G4?? (I don't remember the details of the article.)

I think the article appeared in MacADDICT Magazine?? as much as two years ago??

I could buy one of the off the shelf expansion units, but I am on somewhat of a budget.

If anyone remembers reading this article, I would appreaciate letting me know which issue (magazine) and or the details of the article.

THANKS!!

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Well, you certainly could get one or more ATA-66 PCI cards for the G4, run the ribbon cables outside the machine, and attach them to 4 ATA drives-per card in a PC case, that are each hooked up to a powersupply. I'd use the longest ribbon cables you can find, to keep the G4 from needing to be too closely tethered to the PC case. All the PC case would need is a powersupply and a fan(s) to keep things cool.

I vaugely remember the article you are talking about... don't remember if this was what they were talking about or not.

As for Firewire, that would actually be more dificult, as you'd need to rig up a firewire to ATA bridge, most of which will only control one device at a time. Firewire RAID towers are becoming available, but they are expensive.

[Gregory]

What's wrong with using FireWire? They now have RAID, faster chip sets, you can use a 4-port FireWire PCI card and put each drive on its own channel if you want to use existing drives. Guess you don't want to invest in SCSI. Then again, 60-80GB drives are ~$200 and you can put two in the bracket and two on the floor of the G4 (or B&W etc) and use PCI IDE - the newest ATA/100 cards from Acard and Sonnet offer 40MB/s performance or $200 for IDE RAID (hard).
www.scsipro.com or www.hypermicro.com have cases, FireWire RAID solutions. And the ATA/100 PCI is shipping $108.

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

I think ghostwriter is looking for a cheap(er) solution like he first read about. Nothing wrong with SCSI...just that SCSI drives are expensive. Nothing wrong with Firewire RAID just that even a 2 drive setup is $527, and 4 drives is $963. *ouch!* Even a 2 drive bridge board is $99.

The PC case idea should cost about $100 for the ATA PCI card, and $40-70 for the barebones PC case, with Powersupply and fan(s).

[ghostrider]

The article appeared in MacAddict May,1999

It describes adding SCSI drives to an empty PC case.

What I would like to do is add extra internal IDE drives (I have two, a 40gb and a 60gb that I don't have room for in my G4) to an external case.

I could get Firewire enclosures for the drives and just plug them in. But, again the cost is somewhat prohibitive.

Mobility Electronics has an expansion case that is not too expensive.

As always, I am living on somewhat of a budget.

Could I do the same thing as the article mentions to IDE drives??

[camera punk]

why don't you have room? I needed more storage in my G4, so I bought a PCI ATA card. You can add four drives to that thing. I also picked up a U shaped hard drive carrier (part # 076-0778), like the one that sits in the back of the G4. It will fit in the middle and left slots on the bottom of the G4. I had to get a power cable splitter, but that was the only snafu.

[ghostrider]

camera punk,

What is the source of the PCI ATA card and other items?

I have not heard of doing this, I am still relatively new to computing!

[camera punk]

Originally posted by ghostrider:
<STRONG>camera punk,

What is the source of the PCI ATA card and other items?

I have not heard of doing this, I am still relatively new to computing!</STRONG>

Acard Ultra ATA-100 PCI IDE Card from Macs4all.com 107 plus shipping
U Shaped Carrier (part # 076-0778) from dttservice.com 11 plus shipping
power cable splitter from Radio Shack 4 or bux.

I used to have my extra drives in firewire cases, but capturing DV to them was problematic.

I wouldn't recommend this if you're a newbie, slapping up to six HDs in a G4 isn't exactly endorsed by apple.

[G4ME]

remember that your G4 is already hooked up with all the conectors to add an aditional HD to your system with out buying a controller card or connecttors.

[camera punk]

yeah, but only one. maybe two if you don't have a zip drive and squeeze it under the CD/DVD drive.

[ghostrider]

G4ME,

I have already added a second hard drive to My G4.

I will most likely be getting the Mobility Electronics unit. The price is not to bad after all.

Thanks,