Is there any reason why I can upgrade my old 80 GB Maxtor External HD with something newer (like the Seagate Deal). Barracuda 7200.9 - Hard drive - 250GB - internal - 3.5in - Ultra ATA/100 - ST3250624A for $81.

I'm not sure what Ultra ATA is and would it work with my old enclosure (purchased in 1999, I believe).
Here are the specs of the enclosure:
[maxtor.com]

any info or help would be appreciated thanks!

Chris

it doesn't specifically address it, but some older FW cases had many restrictions on drive compatibility and size, so it may or may not work. good luck.

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Sometimes it is what it is...
and then there's times when it's really better.



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A case that old will be almost certainly be limited to 137 GB.

I guess I can always go ahead and try it and then if it doesn't work, buy a new enclosure.

thanks

anyone have any tips for an inexpensive but decent firewire enclosure?

If the emphasis is on decent, check out OWC's offerings. If cheap is what you want, check out dealsonic.com or xpcgear.com.

PeterW,

since you mention it, what's the difference between cheap and decent? Is it a question of speed? or reliability?

Speed is not an issue, since I'm mainly dealing with backing up documents/photos/mp3s as opposed to video/audio editing.

You can try a larger drive---but if it is not supported-it will default to 137 and stay that way--It is difficult to reclaim lost GBs. But it will work fine,

Ken Sp., do you mean that even reformatting a drive that's been used in an enclosure that doesn't support more than 137 GB will not allow you to get the extra GB back? I find that hard to believe.

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[www.zeemaps.com]

Some of the cheap cases are one-time builds. You can install the drive easily enough, but you will probably destroy the cheap plastic pieces of the case if you ever try to open it again. Plus the power supplies in the cheap cases aren't known for their reliability over time. A year (what a conincidence that they have a one year warranty) is about all you'll get out of them before they go tu. And even if they fail under warranty, shipping the case back and forth will cost more than a new, cheap case goes for. The cases in the $20-$30 price range are essentially disposable.
The OWC cases are better built with higher quality components and just feel nicer to work with. But, it's your money.

This case looks good:

[www.dealsonic.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/2006 06:43PM by JEBB.