Just bought a Western Digital external HDD. Was EXTREMELY pleased to take it apart, and find that it uses the "INITIO" SATA-to-USB chipset inside, of type: "INIC-1606L" (thoroughly tested by WD and myself for Mac OSX compatibility!).
Here are some photos - it's nice to know I can swap out the drive for a smaller one, and dump the 500Gb inside it, into a Lacie/G-tech etc etc. Okay I know it is not FireWire, but I don't plan on using it for rendering for FCP etc. It is a VERY quiet and cool running drive, with a solid aluminium caddy (doesn't chink or clunk whatsoever - very good build quality, and has two thick silicone rubber shrouds at either end, that act as rubber feet).
PHOTOS OF THE DISASSEMBLED DRIVE (BRAND NEW - £50):
http://flickr.com/photos/22008695@N03/sets/72157605977173764/
Took me very slightly over an hour, to copy my ~/Home folder to it - that's all 103Gb of it!.
Here are some photos - it's nice to know I can swap out the drive for a smaller one, and dump the 500Gb inside it, into a Lacie/G-tech etc etc. Okay I know it is not FireWire, but I don't plan on using it for rendering for FCP etc. It is a VERY quiet and cool running drive, with a solid aluminium caddy (doesn't chink or clunk whatsoever - very good build quality, and has two thick silicone rubber shrouds at either end, that act as rubber feet).
PHOTOS OF THE DISASSEMBLED DRIVE (BRAND NEW - £50):
http://flickr.com/photos/22008695@N03/sets/72157605977173764/
Took me very slightly over an hour, to copy my ~/Home folder to it - that's all 103Gb of it!.