Anyone using a USB 2.0 or firewire hdd enclosure?
- Thread starter Chazam
- Start date
ElDiabloConCaca
U.S.D.A. Prime
The maximum size hard drive OS X can support is in the terabytes, I believe. You can't buy a hard drive today that would be too large for OS X.
Hardware, on the other hand, has limitations. For example, any computer without LBA (large block addressing?) cannot use hard drives larger than 137GB. Well, they CAN use them, but only 137GB would be available to use (that's even if you create multiple partitions -- only 137GB is available TOTAL). My computer doesn't support 48-bit LBA. Most computers released since 2000 or 2001 support 48-bit LBA. This also only applies to the internal IDE chain -- if I were to get a 250GB drive and slap it in a firewire enclosure, I could use all 250GB -- as long as the enclosure supports 48-bit LBA.
I would recommend getting a FireWire enclosure for the drive. Just about any generic one will work, but for guaranteed compatibility, visit here:
http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_Page.cfm?Parent=1087&Title=&Template=1
Great company. Everything I've purchased from them has worked 100%.
Hardware, on the other hand, has limitations. For example, any computer without LBA (large block addressing?) cannot use hard drives larger than 137GB. Well, they CAN use them, but only 137GB would be available to use (that's even if you create multiple partitions -- only 137GB is available TOTAL). My computer doesn't support 48-bit LBA. Most computers released since 2000 or 2001 support 48-bit LBA. This also only applies to the internal IDE chain -- if I were to get a 250GB drive and slap it in a firewire enclosure, I could use all 250GB -- as long as the enclosure supports 48-bit LBA.
I would recommend getting a FireWire enclosure for the drive. Just about any generic one will work, but for guaranteed compatibility, visit here:
http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_Page.cfm?Parent=1087&Title=&Template=1
Great company. Everything I've purchased from them has worked 100%.
Chazam
Apple Virgin
WOW thanks for all the info! I would have used the site but i'm in the UK.ElDiabloConCaca said:
Is there any benifit over firewire compared to USB 2.0? I suppose the real advantage is that i can have 2 external USB devices installed without doing too much swapping.I'll be looking out for one now!
ElDiabloConCaca
U.S.D.A. Prime
Well, you can have more than one FireWire device connected to a single port as well -- just make sure the enclosure has two firewire ports of the same kind (ie, two FW 400 ports). You can just chain FireWire devices together, just like USB!
FireWire is slightly faster than USB 2.0, no matter what they say. FireWire maxes out at 400Mbits/sec, while USB 2.0 maxes out at 480Mbits/sec, I believe, but FireWire is definitely faster no matter what the specs say.
FireWire is slightly faster than USB 2.0, no matter what they say. FireWire maxes out at 400Mbits/sec, while USB 2.0 maxes out at 480Mbits/sec, I believe, but FireWire is definitely faster no matter what the specs say.
