There seems to be an endless selection of external hard drive enclosures on the market, with more being released all the time. In general there isn't much innovating that can be done since the drives and interfaces aren't changing, but manufacturers continually redesign and repackage the same basic concept to keep consumers interested. All of the enclosures reviewed at Bigbruin.com have begun to blur in my mind, but every once in a while one of them is different enough to stand out.


Eagle Tech Computers has a new product that offers a unique design, as well as a configuration that isn't what you see in the typical hard drive enclosure. The ET-CSIU2J-BK JBOD External Storage System is a compact enclosure that supports two 3.5 inch SATA drives connected via USB 2.0. Before taking a look at the sample provided for review, let's look at some published data on it taken from the Eagle Tech Computers product page.

Features:

» Built for media enthusiasts
» Works with 2 hard drives up to 1 TB each (total 2 TB)
» Combines two hard drives into one giant storage
» Mix-n-match different drives
» 6cm smart fan
» Plug-n-Play USB 2.0

Specifications:

» Form Factor: 3.5” external
» Capacity: 2 TB (2 x 1 TB)
» Internal Interface: SATA
» External Interface: Hi-speed USB 2.0
» Data Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
» Spindle Speed: 7200 rpm
» Power Source: External Universal Switching Power Adapter (5V/12V 2.0A)
» Power Input: 100-240VAC, 50/60Hz
» Certification: FCC, CE Certified
» Microsoft O.S. Required: Win98SE/Vista/ME/2000/XP
» Others O.S. Required: Mac OS 9.0 or higher Linux
» Dimension: 8.75” (L) x 5” (H) x 3.15” (W)

Packaging:

The retail style box for the Eagle Tech ET-CSIU2J-BK is shown below. It provides a variety of images and data regarding the product, and an eagle head shaped window on the right hand side provides a glimpse at the enclosure itself.