The Sabrent EC-UEIS7 is much better than expected... especially, considering some of the reviews here. But if you do a little research, you'll find it does have more positive reviews. So, I took a chance and it paid off. Its utilitarian design suggests a sturdy, solid, well made case. I concur - there is nothing flimsy about this enclosure. It's matte black finish leaves no fingerprints. Dust and other markings are easily removed with a slightly damp cloth. The overall finish is very clean with smooth edges and everything fits together without gaps or warping. The black plastic stand holds the unit securely in an upright position. I leave the drive on for 12 hours, or more, every day, so any enclosure must include a built-in fan for cooling. I've used "fan less" enclosures before and my experience has been that both, the drive and the enclosure's electronics quickly get too hot and begin to fail.
Installation of the hard drive was easy enough even with the poorly translated "users manual" - if you pay attention to the photo's and don't rush. The drive slid into place quite easily. Yes, it is a snug fit but it was easy to position. With the two plastic side plates removed, the four supplied screws locked the drive into place. Re-assembly was simple enough and once connected to the computer via the supplied USB cable, Windows 7 immediately recognized the drive and it was up and running.
There are two LED lights on what I call the front end: a flashing red LED at top of the unit indicating when the drive is active (it's off when the drive is inactive); and a solid blue light at the bottom indicating the power is on. The power switch is easily accessible at the back of the case and its rocker design feels very solid, as are all the connectors. When on, the fan is very smooth and whisper quiet.
The Sabrent EC-UEIS7 enclosure has been in daily use for more than a week now and its performance has been consistent and without drive errors. It has deliberately been left on for the past 96 hours and I have seen no problems what-so-ever with either the enclosure's electronics or the hard drive due to over-heating. I am extremely pleased with this purchase and plan to purchase a second unit for a different drive. Of course, I can't speak to this enclosure's longevity because that has yet to be determined, but I am hopeful it will have a long life. That, plus the fact that I am using this only with an IDE Drive is why this review is four stars. I don't know how well it would work, if at all, with a sata drive - I've seen various reports that it does and doesnt work. If this unit was manufactured strictly for IDE to USB I would give this enclosure a full, and honest, five stars. I only wish all Sabrent branded items were this good. Unfortunately, that is not the case. And, yes, I would recommend this case to anyone looking to buy one. If, however, you're looking for something thin, stackable, and pocketable, then this is not for you.
It is now Feb 6, 2010 and I've had my second unit for about 2-3 weeks, with it running 24/7. Like the first order, above, it performs flawlessly. There a some differences between the two units, none which really make any difference to me: ie, the second unit has two blue LED lights that are constantly on to signify power connection, with the "top" light flashing red or "purple (red combined with blue)" to signify drive operation. The finish is slightly different from the first unit, and the second unit came with an external sata cable, something the first unit did not do. But as to basic operation, the two units perform perfectly! I expect I'll buy a third unit down the road for a third drive I have lying around! I really like the looks and functionality of this external housing! Sabrent eSATA to Serial ATA (SATA) and IDE(PATA) USB 2.0 3.5-Inch Aluminum Hard Drive Enclosure Case with Cooling Fan
Bought two of these to salvage two 500gb IDE drives from a dead pc. Instructions are not very articulate, but drive installation is simple enough to figure out yourself. Very tight fit for 3.5in drives, but don't need to use force to get them inserted. Both powered up and worked as soon as connected through the USB ports.
Good packaging, comes with the screws and a screwdriver for top cover removal and mounting the drive to the side rails. Although not in the description, the package also includes eSata cables and internal connector. Took about a week to get them with free shipping.
One clarification not in the product description: I learned from another site that the eSata connection only works with eSata drives; apparently, you must use the USB connection for IDE drives.
I also bought Sabrent external enclosures for two DVD drives and I'm pleased with both purchases. I'd buy them again.
I purchased this enclosure for use with a Media Center PC. I have run out of USB 2.0 interfaces, and wanted the speeds provided by my computer's eSATA interface. Since it did not ship with an eSATA cable, I set it up using USB. When I subsequently plugged it in to eSATA, the lights on the enclosure went dead, and the PC did not see the drive. When I wrote to Sabrent tech support, I received a most unusual response. They did not suggest any way to make the eSATA interface work. The technician suggested that I use USB rather than eSATA because the enclosure throttles down the eSATA speed to the same rate as USB anyway. Further, he suggested that eSATA was a dying standard - soon to be replaced by USB 3.0. In other words, if I was going to use an obsolete slow interface, it may as well be USB 2.0! I returned the product. - Hdd Enclosure - Drive Enclosures - Usb - External Hard Drive'
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