[quote MitchJi]When the time comes it will probably be the Icydock model with FW800 or the Weibetech RTX100-Q or RTX100H-Q.....
This is the Weibetech (RTX100-Q or RTX100H-Q):
http://www.wiebetech.com/products/RTX100.php
Upgrade to RTX100H-Q and get the All-Metal Bay!
The RTX100-Q is available for around $170 (Google). Not sure if the All-Metal Bay is necessary. Since I will need three trays for the Icydock at about $20 per tray the cost difference is not that much.
I think the decision boils down to I prefer the trayless system (Weibetech). On the other hand if it will run cool enough I would prefer quiet of the fanless unit (Icydock). Since it is mainly for Time Machine backups, which should be short intermittent use the fanless will probably be OK in terms of coolness. So quiet or fanless is the decision.
[quote laarree]I'm getting a Wiebetech RTX100H-Q-0 delivered on Tuesday--will give a report here.
I did it so I could swap SATA drives easily for offsite backups (among other purposes).
Also will be getting some of their handy-dandy Driveboxes at the same time.
http://www.wiebetech.com/products/cases.php
Laarree, please do post back. I am particularly interested in how noisy the fan is. Also how you like the Driveboxes.
Thanks Everyone!
Mitch
So I've had the Wiebetech RTX100H-Q-0 since this past Monday.
The enclosure is large and heavy compared to the OWC Mercury and
Mercury elite units I have sitting nearby, probably because of its sturdy
metal construction, the internal fan and the latch mechanism that
enables you to insert and eject SATA drives. Inserting and ejecting
drives is pretty effortless--just pull the latch and pop a drive in or pull it out.
The fan is pretty quiet though audible--I have the unit positioned about
18" from my left ear. It's definitely louder than the noise my Mac Pro
makes. I'll probably reposition it soon. The enclosure stays very cool to the
touch when in use compared to the fanless OWC enclosures, which get warm
but not uncomfortably so. Installation was easy and plug-an-play. I now
have the unit serving as my Time Machine backup until I get some more bare
SATA drives, when it will serve more purposes. I'm using FW800 interface,
and file transfer speed is as you would expect with FW800 and a very new
hard drive. All in all, I don't know how necessary getting the metal unit was
as opposed to the plastic enclosure, but it is attractive and sturdily-built.
I'm puzzled by the utility of the lock and key for it, and find it clumsy to turn
the key all the way so as to lock the drive in.
The DriveBoxes are similar to VHS cassette clamshells. There are clips
inside that keep your drive away from the edges of the box and hold it
rigidly in place. I find the boxes somewhat clumsy to open because I keep
my fingernails trimmed very close to my fingers-- slightly longer fingernails
definitely would make the external clips easier to pop open. The boxes come
with a label sheet inside so you can label your box and an inexplicable piece
of adhesive-backed black foam which I suppose can be used inside the case
for cushioning a drive. The boxes are only slightly larger than a bare SATA
hard drive--perhaps an inch longer and a half-inch wider, so I like the size.
All in all, while these products don't reach my niggling standards for utter
perfection, they are as I expected, and I'll be keeping them.
