Summary:
If you need fast storage to go along with a MacBook Pro this might be the enclosure for you.
Pros:
- Faster than FireWire 800
- Fastest external disk you can get for a MacBook Pro
- In a RAID 0 array with fast SATA drives it will read/write at 130+ MB/sec.
Cons:
- More wires on your desk.
- Not as versatile as FireWire enclosures.
This enclosure holds two 3.5″ SATA drives. It connects to your MacBook Pro with the supplied ExpressCard 34 adapter. I used this system for about 6 months. I put in 2x 500 GB drives and put them in a RAID 0 configuration. I was primarily doing photo editing in Adobe Lightroom, and having a fast disk system was important to me.
It would be handy if the enclosure also had a FireWire 400/800 connection. Once I upgraded to a Mac Pro I didn’t really have much use for this. Theoretically I could purchase an eSata card for my Mac Pro, but I don’t really have a need for 6 drives (the Mac Pro holds 4 drives internally).
Here are some pictures of my setup:
