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USB Drives are great little gadgets for
transporting our data to and from places we need to go, but sometimes
they're just not big enough so we've got to use an actual hard drive.
Hard drives are nice for storage but standard 3.5” hard drives when
put in an enclosure can end up being big and bulky, and of course
you've got to provide a power supply as well for them, so you end up
carrying quite a bit with you. The solution to this is using a 2.5”
hard drive for your storage needs, they've gotten very large so you
can take a lot with you. You could go an purchase a pre-made
enclosure with the hard drive already in it, but those usually cost a
bit more than just building one yourself. I've got several 2.5”
hard drives floating around, and it's much cheaper for me to just got
and buy and enclosure for one of them, and you can usually get good
deals on them if you look hard enough, both the enclosure and the
hard drive.
Today for review I've got a product
from our friends at Eagle Tech, it's a 2.5” enclosure that will
definitely keep your hard drive nice and cool because the entire
thing is made of mesh. It also looks rather cool because it's
basically see-through so you can see the hard drive inside, I've
always liked see-through things for some reason because I guess I
like to know what's going on inside. It's mesh yes, but it's sturdy
and well made, like most other Eagle Tech products are.
So continue on to learn more...
Product
Name: Eagle
Tech ET-CS2MSU2-BK 2.5” SATA to USB mesh enclosure
Author: Kristofer Brozio
Sponsor: Eagle Tech
Tech
Specs,Features or the Basic Info:
Eagle
Tech ET-CS2MSU2-BK 2.5” SATA to USB mesh enclosure
Model: ET-CS2MSU2-BK
OVERVIEW:
Don’t let your hard drive
overheat! This distinctively designed enclosure keeps your drive
running cooler than ever with its mesh
structure optimized for
airflow. A truly portable solution, it eliminates the hassle of
having to find a power outlet and fits perfectly into
your pocket or notebook bag
when not in use.
FEATURES:
-Ultra portable at only 0.3”
thick
-Well ventilated mesh structure
-USB powered
-Plug-n-Play via USB 2.0
-Usage: Easy add-on storage for
mobile users
SPECIFICATION:
-Type: External drive enclosure
-Form Factor: 2.5”
-Hard Drive Compatibility:
320GB
-Internal Interface: SATA I/II
-External Interface: Hi-speed
USB 2.0
-Data Transfer Rate: 480Mbps
-Power Source: USB powered
-Power Input: 5V DC
-Certification: FCC, CE
Certified and RoHS compliant
-O.S. Required: Microsoft
Win98SE/Vista/ME/2000/XP Mac OS 9.0 or higher Linux
-Dimension: 5.1 x 3.2 x 0.3
inch
-Weight: 0.7 lbs
PACKAGE CONTENT:
-External storage system
-Quick installation guide
-Certified USB 2.0 cables
A
Better Look at Things:
The packaging is nicely done, it's
bright and features many pictures along with the specs and features
as well.
 
Inside we don't find much, just
the enclosure, USB cable and instruction guide.
 
As I've mentioned the enclosure is
made of mesh, the Eagle Tech logo is on the top, with an
identification sticker on the bottom.
 
Opening the enclosure up we find a
bag of screws and we can see the SATA interface, if you look closely
you can also see padding on the front and bottom of the enclosure to
help protect your hard drive.
 
Installation,
Testing and Comparison:
For the installation I decided to
put my 500gig 2.5” SATA drive in the Eagle Tech enclosure, it's
Samsung, and it's fairly new. It's actually an Imation Apollo
external drive, but the Samsung was inside of it and I figured being
500Gigs it might need a bit more cooling that the plastic enclosure
could provide.
 
There's nothing to the
installation process, you just slide the drive into the SATA
interface and that part is done.
 
The four screws included are used
to fasten the top of the enclosure to the bottom, they're very small
and luckily I've got all kinds of screwdrivers floating around. It
would have been nice if Eagle Tech had included a screwdriver to help
with the installation, not everyone is like me and chances are the
average person might not have a screwdriver that is small enough to
use with the provided screws.
 
Once you've got your hard drive
installed you can then begin using it, on or in the enclosure are two
LEDs, one is blue to indicate power and one is red, which blinks, to
indicate activity.
 
Well it works and works well.
One complaint I could have is
there is no case included with the enclosure, considering it's mesh
I'm sure dust will get in there easily, Eagle Tech should include a
case with it for protection from dust and of course from whatever
else may happen to it while it's in your laptop bag or wherever.
Summary
and Comments:
The Eagle Tech ET-CS2MSU2-BK 2.5”
SATA to USB mesh enclosure is an excellent choice to house a lonely
hard drive and provide a large amount of portable storage.
Honestly I really like this
product a lot, and my hard drive will be staying in it, most likely
forever now, I've got other 2.5” hard drives that I can use for any
other enclosures that I might get for review.
Sure it doesn't come with a case,
but I've got one that can hold two 2.5” drives, so hat's not a
problem for me personally, but I still think Eagle Tech should
include a case as most other people will not have a case as I do just
lying around.
I also think they need to include
a small screwdriver with the enclosure as many people will not have
one small enough to complete the installation process.
DragonSteelMods gives the Eagle
Tech ET-CS2MSU2-BK 2.5” SATA to USB mesh enclosure a 4.5 out of 5
score and our Recommended Award as well.
 
Pros:
-Well made
-Easy to use
-Easy installation
-Keeps drive cool
-Looks great
Cons:
-No case included
-No tools included for
installation
I
would like to thank Eagle
Tech for the chance to review the ET-CS2MSU2-BK
2.5” SATA to USB mesh enclosure and for their continued support of DSM.
review# 556
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