The Sarotech Hardbox
Storage Studio at Sim Lim Square was my immediate destination. Research by AnandTech had found the Hitachi 500GB SATA drive with 16MB cache to be the best performer in the drive shoot-out against Seagate and Western Digital.This time I needed an external case to house the thing. It wasn't too long ago when I used to smirk when my disadvantaged MacUsing buddies will scratch their heads pondering external drive cases. They were either chained to laptops or burdened with non-expandable desktops. Yes, it wasn't too long ago that my G4 MDD desktop could house anything and everything I wanted. But it's time to move on with technology and my choices don't look too promising.
My iMac only has provisions for USB 2.0 and Firewire 400. This is shameful as these two data interfaces do not allow the drive to fulfill its true potential. Even though Apple has been on the SATA bandwagon since the G5, SATA ports have yet to make an appearance on the iMacs, MacBook Pros and Mac Pros.
In the age of speed, it is baffling that Apple would leave out the fastest data interface short of the Ultra RAID SCSI. A first generation SATA interface can pump out 1.5 gigabits of data per second. That's twice what Firewire 800 can do. Second generation SATA, named SATA2, doubles that to 3 gigabits.
So what am I to choose? The future-proof buyer in me went for the only option available. I was shown the Sarotech HardBox with three interfaces: USB 2.0, Firewire 400 and SATA2. This box would have been perfect if it had offered a fourth interface: Firewire 800.
Look, it even comes with a soft carrying case!
I'm hedging that Apple will eventually see the light and offer SATA ports. Their current 24" iMacs already sport Firewire 800. Data transfer junkies will be watching future iterations of the beastly MacPros. If those beasts come with SATA ports, then there's be a chance that Apple will filter them down the line to the iMacs.
C'mon, Apple! Open up that mouth of yours!
In the age of speed, it is baffling that Apple would leave out the fastest data interface short of the Ultra RAID SCSI. A first generation SATA interface can pump out 1.5 gigabits of data per second. That's twice what Firewire 800 can do. Second generation SATA, named SATA2, doubles that to 3 gigabits.
So what am I to choose? The future-proof buyer in me went for the only option available. I was shown the Sarotech HardBox with three interfaces: USB 2.0, Firewire 400 and SATA2. This box would have been perfect if it had offered a fourth interface: Firewire 800.
Look, it even comes with a soft carrying case!I'm hedging that Apple will eventually see the light and offer SATA ports. Their current 24" iMacs already sport Firewire 800. Data transfer junkies will be watching future iterations of the beastly MacPros. If those beasts come with SATA ports, then there's be a chance that Apple will filter them down the line to the iMacs.
C'mon, Apple! Open up that mouth of yours!
posted by Teutoburg @ 12:07 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home