[ILUG] Suggested USB(?) PATA external HDD drive enclosures/docking and Irish(? French? EU?) vendors?

[Michael Jonker]

I got a nice unit at Maplin here in Limerick.

Basically just a USB cable with an adapter head which can go SATA/ 
PATA/(2.5" and 3.5") [IDE] with power supply.

Not the prettiest (just a bunch of cabels all seperable) - but does a 
proper job. Great for testing drives without having to remove them from 
the enclosure.

The official stock name is: 'USB 2.0 to SATA/IDE Combo Adapter'

The name is misleading - it has the PATA connections as well.

I had to insist to Maplin that they had the thing (because a friend of 
mine had got one previous). After they checked their system they found it.



On 28/02/12 14:13, Brian Foster wrote:
> Hello,
>
>   The primary PATA/IDE (not SATA) in my dead computer
>   is known to still be Ok, and also known to have not
>   been recently backed-up....  ;-(   Hence, I am keen
>   to be able to access it from my new (and undecided)
>   machine, which will almost certainly be using SATA
>   rather than PATA (mostly since PATA is obsolete?).
>
>   An external enclosure (or docking station?), probably
>   connected by USB, seems like a plausible solution.
>   Any recommendations on such a unit, and/or from whom
>   to buy (Irish, French, or at least EU)?  Must work
>   with Linux, albeit I rather doubt that's much of an
>   issue....
>
>   I must double-check, but think it's a 3.5" (not 2.5")
>   drive (250GB).
>
> cheers!
> 	-blf-
>