I have a couple hard drives without enclosures that weren't being put to use. What a shame! All that disc space just sitting there. So I decided to take a chance on a $30 hard drive docking station. Now I'm putting those discs to use.
The $30 docking station isn't going to win any awards for craftsmanship or design, but it does work. Insert the drive, push the power button, format it, and start working. Since it's the drive that requires integrity, not so much the docking station, this should serve me just fine for moving my data around.
It also includes a card reader and a USB hub with two ports. Don't get your hopes up for the card reader, but the USB hub seems to work fine.
Derrick,
I bought one of these from OWC over a year ago and cannot tell you how handy it has been. I no longer have a Mac tower because of the power of the new iMacs and use the hard drive docking as a solution. I think the OWC product is built VERY well and see they have even a newer version of it.
Here is the link...
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/U2S3HD/
regards,
Kevin
If you want to optimize your transfer speeds and depending on the connectivity options on your computer/laptop, you should look at docks that offer esata, firewire 800 or USB 3 ports.
tom
Yes, now that I'm hooked on the concept, I think I might visit OWC for a nicer version. I really like their stuff.
I had one of these from Sumvision a while back. The drive part was OK, but the reader was horrible. The CF socket had no guides inside it, so the first time I inserted my card it flopped around inside.. soon afterwords when inserting the CF I got it a bit squint and bent some pins. This was when I threw it out and gave up.
I keep being tempted by these things, but I'm scared I'll end up with more junk.