Vantec NexStar3 Aluminum 2.5" eSATA/USB 2.0 Hard Drive Enclosure - BlackItem#: V13-3259  |  Model#: NST-260SU-BK

Nice looking works great

Put a 2.5'' 1TB Samsung in it. I was afraid the .85W it required could not be supplied by the USB. If I used the split cable it would probably be ok, but luckily I had a 5v adapter from another enclosure. The blue LED is happily flashing as it copies from my old 5.25'' backup. Plan to put it on esata on a different computer when it is finished.

Not as well designed as it looks

This enclosure looks great but lacks some simple design elements that would warrant a full 5 star review. First, the power cord is only 4' long and has the converter on the plug end. This is a huge pain since I had to purchase another power surge strip since it wouldn't fit in my current one. Second, the lights on the front show the product name and barely blink when the drive is in use. It would have been much better to include another light just to indicate ''use''.

Excellent hd enclosure

I bought the non esata version 4 years ago and is still kicking. Now with this esata version I can use it for a lot more. The construction is great, it feels really strong. Excellent enclosure.

Excellent enclosure

I have two of these units (one black, one blue), and two of the large versions (the 3.5'' size). All of them work flawlessly. These are definitely pricey, considering you can get basic enclosures online for less than 10 bucks, but they're definitely the cream of the crop. Rugged and solidly built, and they use screws to secure the drive and the frame -- much more reliable than the so-called ''toolless'' designs. Maximum drive height for these units is 9.5mm -- and there is not a single mm to spare. At 9.5mm, the top of the drive is in contact with the shell. Which is great for thermal conductivity. Take care not to scratch the drive when inserting it. One small gripe is that there are no ''feet'' on this to speak of. There are a couple tiny plastic pimples molded into the frame, but I attached some small aftermarket foam pads to give it real protection against scratches and vibration.

Great Product....

I've purchased three of this model and every one has performed great and is of high quality. The fit is tight but that helps to disperse heat.

Drive Enclosure

I have 3 of these drive enclosures and I find all perform well. Just recently I used the eSATA card and connection to boot a windows machine from the external drive. The beauty of using the eSATA connection is that you can swap out drives with different OS's without opening the case. Additionally, I also have MacBook with which I use the drive to boot via USB as the MB has no FW port from which to boot.

Excellent Product

I really like the e-sata connection - much faster than USB - very happy with this product - also like the case it came with - handy to take on the Road with my Laptop.

Excellent Product

Vantec NexStar3 Aluminum 2.5" eSATA/USB 2.0 Hard Drive Enclosure my be a bit pricy, but it is worth every penny. I have two - both work fine and look good. Only complaint: The tiny USB plug - regular size would be better.

Good External Case

Inclosure worked fine right out of the box. Quiet and smooth.

This case is great. I ordered this and a WD 500GB 5400/8MB 2.5'' Mobile SATA HD on Monday evening and woke up on Wednesday with them waiting on my doorstep. I put it together in 5 minutes while eating pop tarts. The case looks good and is very sturdy. There is not rattling around and it is really compact. Even though it comes with a Y-splitter, I can get away with only one of the USBs plugged in.