The SATA HDD Stage Rack, at last

Now we're talking! Meet the PC and Mac compatible USB 2.0 SATA HDD Stage Rack. The value of this 2.5- and 3.5-inch compatible dock is obvious if like us, you've got gigs of unused storage laying around after years of SATA disk updates. Just pop in that old disk for instant expansion without having to first wrap the drive in a clumsy enclosure. Available now for €33 / $47. If you still don't get it, check the video after the break... you too will believe.

[Via Akihabara News]

[Jonathan @ Oct 19th 2007 5:10AM]

AWESOME

[FrankTheCrank @ Oct 19th 2007 8:48AM]

Techs have been doing this for years. They take an external enclosure, rip it apart and just slap a drive to the innards of the external enclosure. And they never slip the case part back on.

This is very nice though....allot cleaner looking.

I would buy one, but wouldn't pay more than $25.

[Will @ Oct 19th 2007 9:42AM]

OK, I was all in being a tech, and thinking hey this could help cleanup the look of my desk... until I realize it only has a USB to PC connection... any plans for an eSata version?

[enzo @ Oct 19th 2007 10:21AM]

yeah, the Stage Rack solution is definitely sexier

[Ben @ Oct 19th 2007 5:12AM]

At last, my Raptor has found it's meaning in life.

[Chrisphillers @ Oct 19th 2007 5:23AM]

Thats really great, any idea where you can get it? Also will the rack allow a disk to be sown on the bios at startup - ie run an OS?

[m16 @ Oct 19th 2007 5:24AM]

0o
_

[Chrisphillers @ Oct 19th 2007 5:29AM]

oops I didnt know geekstuff was a store:p Shipped all the way from Japan..hmm

[saintchuck @ Oct 19th 2007 5:32AM]

Excellent idea but eSATA please

[Geir @ Oct 19th 2007 5:36AM]

Yepp, eSATA please!

[Panq @ Oct 19th 2007 8:09AM]

eSATA wouldn't even require any complicated electronics; a power supply, maybe (or just power the thing from the desktop's PSU)...

[Harrison66 @ Oct 19th 2007 5:33AM]

About fuck1ng time!! I keep looking at my docked ipod shuffle and I swear it looks like where this idea came from!

[slomo1k @ Oct 19th 2007 5:37AM]

I wish the Drobo guys would drop the software from their enclosure and just sell it bare for a minimal price. Or maybe these dudes will come out with a multi unit enclosure

[Denver_80203 @ Oct 19th 2007 10:39AM]

I just wish they would add network support. USB 2 connected to 4 TB of data. Riiiiight

[david @ Oct 19th 2007 5:41AM]

I would prefer PATA/IDE, so that i could use all my old HDs - make them oversized usb drives.
(but i guess you could just put an adapter in between if there s room)

[mb @ Oct 19th 2007 9:00PM]

PATA connectors and old 4-pin molex connectors do not ground on removal. SATA does (that's why some of the contacts are longer) and can thus be hot-swapped.

[Ferry @ Oct 19th 2007 5:43AM]

Cool, new zipdrive :)

[Joe @ Oct 19th 2007 5:48AM]

this looks good

[manfesto @ Oct 19th 2007 6:01AM]

So it's kind of like this - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812156014 - but in dock form?

Not knocking it - a Dock is probably more convenient and safer than having your drive sit on your desk - but these sort of SATA-to-USB adapters have been around a while (and, in my personal experience, are total timesavers).

[N30 G30 @ Oct 19th 2007 7:19AM]

Dude, I got one of those, I love it, but I didn't even think of it. I read this and thought "this is cool as hell." Thanks for reminding me that it's just a docked version. But dude, it's a docked version!

[Pha3dr0n @ Oct 19th 2007 6:14AM]

I would love a few of these, but $47 for the kit & $66 for delivery to the UK :(

[ximon @ Oct 19th 2007 6:16AM]

Great idea, I just went to order one for €33 but they want €28 for shipping. Denied!

[Michael @ Oct 29th 2007 4:17PM]

yeah, shipping pricce kills my desire for one

[culbeda @ Oct 19th 2007 10:40AM]

I'd really like to understand how this thing costs more to ship than a UPS.

[mattclarkie @ Oct 19th 2007 6:25AM]

I have been looking at enclosures to make my own external drive, but to get one with e-SATA is so expensive I decided to just go with USB. A full enclosure is less or equal in price to this thing, and an enclosure gives more for your money. Why would I buy this dust and damage magnet.

[deslock @ Oct 19th 2007 6:46AM]

I have a lot of external enclosures and USB2/IDE cables. USB2 sucks. Even though it's rated at 480 Mb/s, the reality is that firewire (400 Mb/s) is generally 50% faster (while also being less CPU-intensive) and FW800 and eSATA blow away both USB2 and FW400.

Wake me up when they come out with a dock with FW400, FW800, eSATA, and USB2 connections.

[waiownsyou @ Oct 19th 2007 6:47AM]

Cool but what's with the dual monitors on the video? It seems like it's there to remind him that the business owns him.

[dc @ Oct 19th 2007 7:39AM]

I just use one of these instead.

[dc @ Oct 19th 2007 7:40AM]

http://www.raidsonic.de/en/pages/products/mobile-racks.php?we_objectID=4342

Sorry One of these :)

[K Nang @ Oct 19th 2007 7:52AM]

postage to UK is nearly as much as the product itself! can't wait to get this for actual asking price rather than double

[JohnPhilips @ Oct 19th 2007 8:19AM]

Why doesn't this use eSATA?
That should at least be an option.

[Anders @ Oct 19th 2007 8:28AM]

So, what is new in this product? A vertical mount for your SATA drive? SATA has always been hotpluggable, which is why eSATA is just a plug-adapter for SATA that goes straight to your motherboard.

[Craig Tucker @ Oct 19th 2007 11:45AM]

Whats new is that it looks sweet.

[XSSIVE @ Oct 19th 2007 8:29AM]

I had it in the cart all ready to go and then...$39.70 to ship to NY...well, there goes that cool idea. Someone let me know when/where you can get them in the USA for a reasonable shipping fee and I'm sold.

[benjamin @ Oct 19th 2007 8:40AM]

I wouldn't mind one of these for PATA drives, actually. Granted, you lose the hot-plug functionality, but I have a *ton* of unused PATA drives lying around that I could put back into service.

[STrRedWolf @ Oct 19th 2007 8:53AM]

I like this. I really do. What you do is drop the SATA drive in, Norton Ghost a new system image onto the drive, pop it out and slap it into a PC. Makes system installs go faster for corporations with a uniform PC base. Worth it.

[portwineboy @ Oct 19th 2007 9:12AM]

I don't have an HD Tivo, but I saw here (or E-HD) that they've now enabled the external SATA ports...would this be a good idea for quick and easy added storage on the HD Tivo?

[Peter O @ Oct 19th 2007 9:54AM]

no. Because the interface of the "enclosure" is USB even though the interface for the drive is SATA. TIVO needs eSata connection.

[OnZeFly @ Oct 19th 2007 9:13AM]

So. THIS is very smart! Sadly, they don't have ATA and I rather prefer a FireWire one.

BTW, anybody knows about the tune in the vid?

[hh83917 @ Oct 19th 2007 9:20AM]

Same comments here, why not eSATA......!?

[jOverly @ Oct 19th 2007 9:22AM]

$40 shipping?? Are they crazy? Is it coming by helicopter?

[YoYo @ Oct 19th 2007 9:36AM]

Not by helicopter, by plane directly from Japan :D

[Martin @ Oct 19th 2007 9:39AM]

So, what's the website?

[YoYo @ Oct 19th 2007 9:43AM]

Here: http://www.geekstuff4u.com

[YoYo @ Oct 19th 2007 9:45AM]

It is here: www.geekstuff4u.com

[johnzilla @ Oct 19th 2007 9:54AM]

Finally, a fresh, functional, practical idea in the PC peripheral market!

I wish I had thought of this...

[Jared @ Oct 19th 2007 10:00AM]

I just had a "why didn't I think of that" moment. I've been using these for years (http://www.coolgear.com/images/SATA-IDE-U2.jpg) but a holder would make it much more manageable and I wouldn't have to always find a clean spot on my desk to lay my drives down on.

[Andrew @ Oct 19th 2007 10:07AM]

Someone mentioned wanting IDE mounts - Wiebetech docks, I use for repairs, are some really good ones. They can be pricey, but they're not joke plastic like others (they're professional tools). The product page is at http://www.wiebetech.com/products/ComboDock.php ...

I don't have one, but they have a product similar to this article, too, http://www.wiebetech.com/products/RTX100.php Like my docks I would expect it to be a pro version of the above.

[Mike @ Oct 19th 2007 10:38AM]

A nice product and good implementation, at a good price. Now someone just needs to sell this locally (including here in the U.S.) to get around the shipping charge that defeats the nice purchase price.

[Jaymez @ Oct 19th 2007 1:59PM]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=usb+gender+changers
Not quite as sexy, but, you can use these for SATA, E/IDE, and laptop drives all in one device.