Tried this device a Friend of mine had when I had a hard drive get corrupted in the boot sector. It worked so well that I ordered mine own. Did a hard drive replacement on my MAC Book Pro using this unit and it was easy and no problems. If you work with your hardware or swap hard drives then this is a MUST HAVE. Works on 2.5, 3.5 & 5.25 inch hard drives as well as CD and DVD 5.25 inch drives. SATA and IDE and PATA drives all work. SATA/PATA/IDE Drive to USB 2.0 Adapter Converter Cable for 2.5 / 3.5 Inch Hard Drive / Optical Drive with External AC Power Adapter
I use devices like this in my work. I was attracted by the low price of this unit, about one-third of other similar products. Cheap enough to give it a try.
The unit is cheaply packaged in a poly bag, but everything you need for connecting to an IDE or SATA drive is included. There's an AC adapter that terminates in a standard 12vdc plug for IDE drives and a pigtail SATA power adapter. The main unit, the piece that contains the interface electronics, looks the same as more expensive units and has connectors on either side for 3.5" and 2.5" IDE drives. There is a data cable for SATA drives. One end plugs into the drive, the other into a molded outlet on the electronics portion.
The USB cable connecting the interface to the computer is a little short compared to competitor's units that I have, but that isn't really big deal.
There's a mini-CD with a bunch of drivers and some documentation. Anyone using Windows 2000 or later will not need the drivers. I've tried it a Knoppix Linux distribution and it worked fine. Can't speak for use on a Mac, but the manufacturer says it is compatible.
So why only three stars?
There's no drive activity LED! When you're working with a product like this, you absolutely want a visual indication that data is being read or written. Many applications don't provide a progress indicator and even those that do aren't necessarily accurate. In other words, you can wind up in a situation where you have to know if everything is working - and with this product, there is no evidence of drive activity!
Now that is bad. But here's the curious part: the little bit of documentation that is included on the CD says that there should be an activity LED. I intend on writing the distributor I purchased this from for clarification. If I just goa bum unit without a working LED, I'll amend my review to reflect that this unit at its current price is a real bargain. Otherwise, it is barely adequate, regardless of the price.
UPDATE: 11/01/09 The vendor of this product has been super-great to work with. They sent a replacement unit quickly and without question. Unfortunately, the replacement didn't have an data activity LED either. I tried working with these a couple of times and without that lED, they simply aren't suitable for serious use. Yes, they do work as they should for transferring data - but if you can't physically observe drive activity, you don't know what's going on. Too bad, because these are priced much lower than other units that do have the LED.
Jerry
Faulty internal power connector, managed to fry an optical drive and a rather important laptop HD. Check the connectors on every piece of equipment in this package if you use it. I plugged my hard drive in and immediately the smell of burning plastic and wisps of smoke begin emerging from my once operational hard drive. I'm now looking into professional data recovery which will cost me hundreds of times more then this product cost me. Spend a little extra and get a real piece of equipment...trust me its not worth the headaches.
The power supply appears to never having been tested before shipment.
Several buyers report supplies blowing up and smoking. This indicates lack of testing.
I made the mistake of hooking up the supply to my hard drive before plugging it into the wall.
It destroyed my hard drive and I have been unable to access important data.
Examination of the defective supply shows the top blown out of U10 and a bulging top on C7. The hard drive shows damages to a surface mounted device that goes between the power input and ground. Clearly, the 5 volt dc line was subjected to excessive voltage as the power supply failed.
Other reviewers mention lack of an indicator LED on the adapter. I also dislike the adapter for this reason.
The product came in a plastic bag and the bag had a small blank white box inside. This is where the product is held. The AC adapter is of actually pretty sturdy quality(I keep an eye on it for safety after reading the exploding reviews.) I took it out of the box and tried connecting it to my macbook and the product was not recignized at first. I even checked disk utility. I said hmmm and too product doesnt have directions or procedure instructions. I am trained in computer technology and IT. I was pretty mad when after trying for so long the adapter didnt work. After reading a little online there is a way you should connect the adapter in order to get it to work.
1. Plug in power adapter and plug the other end into device
2. Wait 10 Seconds.
3. Plug IDE or SATA into device.
4. Plug in USB into PC Or mac.
5. Wait for at least 20 seconds.
IT WORKS!
And transfer speed is fast plus HDD Activity Light!
A Win Purchase. Shipped Monday. Arrived Tuseday WITH STANDARD SHIPPING!!!
Best Five Bucks ever spent. Look forward to purchasing more for my small buisness soon! - Usb To Sata - Ide Adapter - Computer - Usb To Ide'
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