BYTECC Hotdrive 2.5" USB2.0 HD-201U2

Examination:

When first peeking around the Bytecc Hotdrive, we were pleased with its overall appearance. The entire device is constructed out of aluminum, except the front and rear portions. The entire device is silver with a darker grey on the two ends.

At the rear of the device is an LED to indicate activity, DC 5V connector, and USB2.0 (type Mini B) connector. The LED glows green when the device is powered and glows reddish orange when the device is reading and/or writing data. Although a DC 5V connector is present, it isn't required to be connected, as USB is able to suit the needs of 2.5" IDE power requirements. Bytecc does manufacturer a Firewire (IEEE-1394) version of the Hotplug HD-201U2.

The Hotdrive enclosure easily comes apart by removing two screws from the rear of the unit. After doing so, the 2.5" IDE to USB2.0 converter easily falls off. When done, the 2.5" hard drive can easily be connected to the converter, and anti-shock patch applied, and then slid back into the aluminum enclosure.

Performance:

With the installation being very easy and straightforward, we can immediately share our performance results. Although Bytecc states Mac OS and Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000/XP support the Hotdrive, we connected the USB drive to a Linux (2.6.9) testbed and experienced no problems. We also connected the drive to testbeds running several different distributions using the 2.4 Linux kernel.

Testing was performed using the command hdparm -t /dev/sdc three times, with the average taken, to gain accurate sequential read results after we had mounted it and formatted it for FAT32. The drive used in combination with the Bytecc Hotdrive HD-201U2 was a 2.5� Toshiba MK4025GAS. The drive has a 12 ms average seek time, 8MB buffer, and a rotational speed of 4200RPM. Below, is the output from the three runs.

/dev/sdc:
Timing buffered disk reads: 82 MB in 3.06 seconds = 26.77 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 82 MB in 3.05 seconds = 26.85 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 82 MB in 3.06 seconds = 26.78 MB/sec

As you can see, in all three trials the speed was floating around 26 MB/s, with an average of 26.8 MB/s for sequential reads to the hard drive inside the enclosure. We then wrote some back up files to this drive with no problems to speak of. While this drive was reading and writing, the device was barely audible. Note, however, the Toshiba MK4025GAS is known to be a very quiet drive.

Conclusion:

Bytecc surprised us with what could've traditionally been a boring and generic enclosure, but they really have perfected a masterpiece with the HD-201U2. The leather wallet is very nice for transporting the USB cable and enclosure with you, and the anti-shock patch provides some small protection for the hard drive. We are also pleased with the noise when in operation and the speed at which files transferred. The best part of all, you can find the retail version of the Bytecc Hotdrive HD-201U2 at your local store for about $16. This drive is one champion, if you're in the market for 2.5" external enclosure.

Pros:

� Fast Performance
� Cheap (~ $16)
� Leather Wallet
� Aluminum Frame
� USB2.0 (Firewire version available)
� USB Powered
� Small

Cons:

� Short USB cable