Review on 💾 Macally PHR-250CC: 2.5" IDE Hard Drive Enclosure with Firewire and Hi-Speed USB by Dave Cavazos

QUALIFICATIONS This case fits standard 2.5" IDE or PATA (Parallel ATA) laptop drives. For Macs, that means most iBooks and Powerbook G3s. G4 and G4 drives work. Do not buy this case if you have a drive installed in one of the newer MacBooks as they use the newer SATA (Serial ATA) technology for which Macally has a different product. Would anyone want to buy a hard drive enclosure that doesn't contain a hard drive? Mainly because you already have an extra internal drive and need an enclosure to make the internal drive work as an external drive. drives for two reasons: (1) they got a great deal online and couldn't refuse, or (2) they upgraded their laptop's main hard drive and left the old internal drive as a shredded piece. Instead of having your old internal drive collected, simply give it new life by putting it in a case. You may still be able to use it as a backup drive. OVERVIEW I like this case because it looks cool, it's very small, it includes both USB and Firewire 400, and it doesn't require a power source. And it was very easy to set up with my old internal drive. Appearance - The aluminum case looks great, especially since it matches my PowerBook G4. I also like its small size and the cool blue light that flashes when the hard drive is in use. The drive comes in a well-fitted fabric case (feels like soft vinyl). The hard drive+chassis+cables easily fit in even the smallest computer bag or backpack. Installation -- If you're buying a new 2.5-inch PATA/IDE drive without an enclosure, installation is easy. Just remove a few screws and you're good to go. If you bought a replacement internal drive for your laptop, you must first replace the old drive. On some laptops like mine, this is a difficult and time-consuming task that requires patience and prior preparation. Tips for iBooks and Powerbooks can be found at [.] -- Once you've made the swap, fitting your old drive into the case is a breeze. It literally only takes a few minutes. framework. It spins fast and always shows up on my desktop in just a few seconds. slightly louder than before, probably because it's not hiding deep in my laptop anymore. I like the on/off switch which most other cases don't have. Another great advantage of this drive is that it does not require an external power supply. -- When using FireWire, the enclosure gets all its power from the FireWire cable (included). -- If you're using USB (possibly older iBooks), you'll need 2 free USB ports since USB carries less power than FireWire. Luckily, the case also includes 2 USB cables that you need: 1 cable goes from the computer's USB to the case's mini-USB; The other cable goes from the computer's USB to the case's power connector. Sounds a little cumbersome, but hey, it works. and you still don't have to lug around a heavy power adapter. I looked at many competing products and concluded that it's worth paying a few bucks more to get a quality drive that has all the features I love.