looking for portable harddisk thingy...

[spadnos]

Try www.cooldrives.com

They have several multi-interface drive carriers that look good (again - I haven't bought any - they just look like they have the right features)

the Manta Ray:

http://www.cooldrives.com/ma133enforal.html

the Black Ice:

http://www.cooldrives.com/blul8003usb2.html

the New Ice:

http://www.cooldrives.com/newcoolusb20.html

all linked from their firewire drives page (they have several category links on the left of that page)

http://www.cooldrives.com/firen.html

- Steve

[az]

BTW, VJ, don't get a device that's supposed to run from bus power (without an external adaptor) - because a lot of the time, it may not work! Most computers don't supply enough power on their USB/FW ports, and if you want a cheap device, it'll probably contain a 3.5" harddrive, which needs a lot of power (relatively speaking) to spin up, especially a 7.200 RPM drive (which, BTW, would probably need cooling in a small external drive housing, making it all louder and drawing even more current).

How about an iRiver iHP-120? It's cheaper than an iPod, has a 20GB hd, needs no software, supports ogg vorbis, has an integrated FM tuner...

AZ

[spadnos]

Originally posted by az

...
How about an iRiver iHP-120? It's cheaper than an iPod, has a 20GB hd, needs no software, supports ogg vorbis, has an integrated FM tuner...

AZ

Damn - that looks like just about the perfect MP3 player.

If it can be used with Linux, and allows fairly simple hard drive upgrades.

And if it were just a little cheaper (though $369 isn't too bad).

[az]

As far as I can see, it just identifies itself as a removable storage class device, so there should be no problem using it with linux.

AZ

[VJ]

agallag: Thanks on the Sandisk-info, I am also still looking at that device. The one I got was a brandless no name cheapo thingy... Guess you still get what you pay for...

spadnos: Yes, in my quest I came across Cooldrives... Not sure if I can obtain them here (without paying ridiculus import tax - no imposed on anything coming from outside Europe - on top of the VAT)

az: the MP3 player is no longer an option, as it won't work in my car [mumbling on](lousy, cheapskate blaupunkt engineers and their falsely advertising PR-colleagues...)[mumbling off]


Jörg

[knirfie]

I got this about a year and a half back, quite happy with it, though it is a bit on the big side for a 2½" enclosure. (some computer need an voltage-adapter for the USB connection)

[Kurt]

I got rid of it about 5 months ago...I got a slimmer one that works with more USB hubs. It's called *ta da* Mobile Disk. 2.5" aluminium, FW+USB1.1/2.0. Looks like an OEM product to me...

[mutz]

Perhaps I'm missing something in this thread. I have a 160GB Maxtor external HD with USB2 and Firwire. It has a small PS like most portable stuff like cameras. Has it's own internal fan, but all in all it's not much bigger than any old HD. I use it for backup and moving data around. Works fine and fast. USB2 is slightly faster than Firewire in some cases. They're available all over the place. What are you looking for?

[Kurt]

he didn't say anything about wanting to carry around a power brick...

[az]

Yes, but it's really safer WITH one.

AZ

[Wombat]

Umm, just <I>how much</I> storage? 2GB? 20? 200?

[Kurt]

Originally posted by az
Yes, but it's really safer WITH one.

AZ

It was "pun intended"...

[VJ]

Mutz: I just saw those things here, but they are quite big...

Wombat: This would depend on the price and performance... If it is a fast device (7200 rpm harddisk) I would like it to be bigger (> 60 GB, so that is actually usefull as a harddisk). In case of a slow device (laptop harddisk), it shouldn't be too expensive, but can be smaller in MB (but then it would be a single purpose device: carry data around).

Something the size of a 3.5", removable harddisk-rack but with firewire & USB2 would be great. Still, I'm beginning to think I won't find what I need, so I give that Sandisk cardreader a try (this cardreader-option was my first idea anyway, bad experience with one put me off of it, but it still seems like the most compact thing which would serve multiple purposes...


Jörg

[mutz]

There are a number of 20-60GB options, primarily for cameras or MP3, such as Tripper, Phototainer, etc., but they are probably too expensive for what you want.

[VJ]

Yes, I started looking at those things. Archos is too expensive (a lot of features though, but I don't think I'd use them: record/playback video, MP3, photo archive, cardreader).
The Deltron Cinemadisk (removable laptop harddisk, cardreader, MPEG video playback, MP3 player) seems nice (and is cheaper than the Archos). Still, while they offer a lot of features, I don't think I'll use them (haven't got one MP3 file, and as I won't be able to connect it to my carradio...); apart from perhaps the digital photography storage device (but after having suffered some harddisk-crashes, I feel reluctant to put a lot of picture only on a harddisk - if something goes wrong, you loose them all)...


I think you guys will understand it: I'd like such a gadget, but can't seem to justifiy it for purchase.

Jörg