HD enclosures: Macally vs. OWC…

Hello Nina,

I'd avoid Bus powered enclosures, (wart free), if I were you.

PPC Macs cannot normally boot OSX from USB at all, (there are a few exceptions), they need Firewire to boot from.

FW/400 is faster than USB2 anyway, & FW/800 so much moreso.

Most Western Digital drives cannot boot a G5.

You need firewire to boot a G5.

You need one of these:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/eSATA_FW800_FW400_USB

Sorry, that should have read:

Most external Western Digital drives cannot boot a G5.

The following external hard drives should be bootable on Power PC based Mac computers systems through FireWire (1394a/b):

• WD My Book Premium Edition
• WD My Book Pro Edition

The following external hard drives should not be bootable on Power PC based Mac computers systems through USB/FireWire 1394(a/b):

• All My Book (+SmartWare)
• All My Passport (+SmartWare)
• My Book Essential Edition
• My Book Essential Edition 2.0
• My Book Home Edition
• My Book Mirror Edition
• My Book Office Edition
• My Book Premium Edition II
• My Book Pro Edition II
• My Book Studio Edition
• My Book Studio Edition II
• My Passport Studio
• My Passport Elite
• My Passport Essential
• WD Passport
• WD Passport (Silver)

Hi Nina,

I don't like Macally enclosures for their lack of a simple on/off switch. A momentary tap to power switch usually means it won't recover from a power failure on its own. Moreover, they are also more sensitive to power surges. A surge that destroys a sensitive momentary power switch will continue to destroy the sensitive electronics a real current - interrupting power switch would have a better chance of protecting.

I have had many problems with consumer electronics trending toward the cheap route, saving $2.50 by their decision to eliminate real power switches from all sorts of devices from appliances to home entertainment equipment that costs real money. Many problems. As much as I like Macally, this is a deal breaker. No question.

I have several Acomdata 2.5 inch drive enclosures. They're simple, inexpensive, and suit my needs. I do not have any of their 3.5 inch enclosures, but if I did I would get this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Acomdata-Firewire-3-5-Inch-Enclosure-SMBXXXU2FE-BLK/dp/B00 1PN3QCU/

Wall wart: yes. It will be for a G5, therefore who cares. For portables, I like bus powered, but for desktops, I prefer a power supply. A real power switch is a plus. Low cost: definitely.

FireWire means there is no question it can boot your G5. No FW800? FW400 is fast enough for me; it may not be for you. I routinely boot desktops with USB 2.0 and I don't understand all the fuss about speed. USB 2.0 is fast enough and FW400 is even faster.

So much for my 2¢ contribution. Keep the change.

😀

Nina, I have two externals in use, one an older OWC FW400-only and the other a WD MyBook Studio Mac Edition with FW400. FW800, USB 2.0 and eSATA ports. The old OWC runs circles around the WD. I like WD drives but their enclosures are not Mac-friendly, even those that say Mac Edition on the box.

The WD, when I had it on a G4 running Tiger, had to use third-party backup software that ran up the computer's intenal temps and slowed performance.

When a fast Intel iMac repalced the G4, I figured the WD should be right at home with Time Machine. Wrong. It's a pain on the WD, but the elderly OWC drive works seamlessly. I could spent too much time talking about the deficits the WD enclosure has with Time Machine, but suffice it to say I'm ready to take the 750GB drive out of the WD enclosure, launch the stripped enclosure into the river, and buy an OWC enclosure for the drive itself.

The OWC drives have the preferred Oxford chipset that makes a Mac play well with an external drive. The WD obvioulsy has something else.

I like WD bare drives but not their enclosures. I think a WD bare drive would be great if installed in an OWC enclosure.

Sounds like you got some good tips here Nina.

I'm using a WD Black drive internally in my G5 and have not problems. It is better than the original drive in fact. As others have said, the enclosure can make a difference but the bare drive can probably be from any source. OWC makes great Mac compatible products and I've never been let down by one. A WD drive in an OWC enclosure should give you no problems.

I am not a fan of the sleep setting on Macs or PCs. I've found PCs generally wake from it okay, while Macs tend to have more issues. I'm more of a shut-down completely kinda guy. My G5 has had no problems in that dept. until recently, but she is up and running right now as I type this. Good luck!

OWC's tracker says it may arrive as early as tomorrow, although I selected the cheapest Fedex option.

So did I when I purchasd the 2TB hard drive I linked to. I placed the order on a Sunday evening. It arrived Wednesday morning.

My point? I live in the UK!

A subsequent purchase from OWC was despatched my regular mail. Took nearly 3 weeks to get here!

Are Fedex good or what!

In my opinion & experience, this is how I think UPS delivers Computer stuff...