Novac's SATA HDD Kit Mini: hooks up disks over USB

If you've every wanted to connect a SATA disk on the quick, then look no further for that fix than the SATA HDD Kit Mini from Novac of Japan. While it'll get you connected via accompanying cables to either SATA or eSATA disks just fine, don't expect this pup to be pumping data across the USB 2.0 bus anywhere near eSATA's 2.4Gbps transfer rate after that stick deals with the USB 2.0 step-down and protocol translation. If you really need that kind of speed but lack a native eSATA connector on your motherboard, then you'd better be looking the way of Ratoc's ExpressCard. Still, for just ¥3,980 or right around $34, this'll probably get you by in a pinch.

[Via Impress]

[Brothernod Posted Oct 5th 2006 9:17AM]

What about power??

[stridermt2k Posted Oct 5th 2006 9:31AM]

If you read the site it clearly says,

"??????????????????!?????????????????!?!??????????"

Seriously, the pictures just show it being connected directly or being connected to a SATA hub of some kind. There isn't any visual ref to external power that I can see.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 5th 2006 10:15AM]

I'm not really hard into the Xbox 360 mod scene, but I think they have something similar to this for accessing files on the hard drive. If so, I can really see this being used by them if its a cheap alternative to what they have.

[Michael Geary Posted Oct 5th 2006 10:56AM]

If you're a real geek, you'll want one of these instead:

http://www.centralcomputer.com/itemdetail.asp?item=DRITOPCD350R

http://www.coolmaxusa.com/productDetails.asp?item=CD-350-COMBO&details=features&subcategory=converter&category=converter

It takes any size of SATA or IDE/ATA disk - 1.8", 2.5", 3.5", 5.25". Very handy!

(I have no connection with Central Computer or Coolmax other than being a customer.)

[Michael Geary Posted Oct 5th 2006 10:58AM]

p.s. The Coolmax gadget does come with an AC power supply, along with two USB plugs so you can draw double the normal USB power when you're not using AC.