E-sata Express card , which one actually works.

[Ploki]

yeah, but not all eSata expresscards get that

 

[Timur]

Ok folks, first of all:

Sorry to be so frank and in your face: That buffer overrun 5400 vs 7200 rpm drive thing is utter nonsense! Did the Apple support guy even blush when he told you that?

I could go to some length about why this is among the most stupid answers I've ever heard from a so called "support", but only so much: All data is being copied from RAM to disc, it doesn't matter what's the source! You can think about that, or you can just believe me and, yes, I tried all kinds of drive-combinations already anyway.

Second: I didn't check on the HP yet, but I installed Windows XP just for testing the ExpressCard slot there and it is unusable. Not only does using eSATA reproducably lead to Blue Screens when copying lots of data (I could copy a small couple of GB without errors though), but using a professional Audio interface (RME HDSPe + Multiface 2) is not possible. Drivers do install, everything looks good, but sound is completely chopped up.

Additionally removing either the eSATA or the HDSPe leads to reproducable freezing of the MBP.

I will try to get my hands on that HP, but I will also try to shot more load to the HDSPe on OS X to see if it can deal with that. Stereo playback (even at high load) was no problem yet, but this time I'm gonna put more load onto the connection itself.

 

[Ploki]

try to do a full duplex I/O. only have real tracks for the Outs.. and just record silence or whatever. just so you stress the card

 

[midgetsanchez]

Wait, so let me get this straight: eSata via expresscard doesn't actually even work properly on Macbook Pro's? I find that simply unacceptable, coming from my last two PC notebooks which have both had perfectly functioning eSata built-in. Since when has it been "innovation" to leave standard features out of the hands of consumers? Oh wait, that's Apple for ya. I look forward to finally being able to copy & paste on my iPhone(after 2 years) when 3.0 rolls out next week. YES!!!!11!!11!!1!!!11

In any case, I'm ordering a MBP soon(still deciding between 15" and 17"), my first mac actually. Why am I switching over? For the same reason why all of you bought Macs: for the glowy apple logo on the back.

/s

 

[m85476585]

The problem with the combination of JMicron based ExpressCards (and maybe others as well) in combination with Unibody Macbook Pros is not only data corruption downto a very bad level, but OS X can also crash on a kernel level because of OS X' AHCI driver. I just send a corresponding crash report to Apple today. I doubt that they will do anything about it though.

Next week I'm gonna try an ExpressCard based professional audio solution and also using the JMicron based cards in a HP laptop. If the audio card shows problems, too, and/or if the JMicrons work properly on the HPs then it's likely the MBP's fault.

It looks like Apple actually did do something about it. The new Unibody MBPs (except the 17") no longer have this problem at all!

 

[Ploki]

Wait, so let me get this straight: eSata via expresscard doesn't actually even work properly on Macbook Pro's? I find that simply unacceptable, coming from my last two PC notebooks which have both had perfectly functioning eSata built-in. Since when has it been "innovation" to leave standard features out of the hands of consumers? Oh wait, that's Apple for ya. I look forward to finally being able to copy & paste on my iPhone(after 2 years) when 3.0 rolls out next week. YES!!!!11!!11!!1!!!11

In any case, I'm ordering a MBP soon(still deciding between 15" and 17"), my first mac actually. Why am I switching over? For the same reason why all of you bought Macs: for the glowy apple logo on the back.

/s

you should worry, the new 15" doesnt have an expresscard port.
and yes, some of the eSata cards work and some not..

It looks like Apple actually did do something about it. The new Unibody MBPs (except the 17") no longer have this problem at all!

you sir are a funny man

 

[sammich]

I gave this thread a quick sift through, if someone could give me a quick straight answer to this Q it would be most appreciated:

If I get the cheapo eSATA card ($19) from OWC, it should work fine on my late 06 MBP? Are there any other complications?

And that flush card on the first page...is that one available/any better?

Thanks for the help

 

[Ploki]

its available on the bay, i got it shipped to _SLOVENIA_ from hongkong in a week with no extra taxes in an envelope.
it works not that great in a unibody though, but ive receieved a mail from the chipset manufacturer, seems to be a problem from the apple side of it.
dont know how it works in the 06 mbp... should work.
its probably not as fast as any other, but if you arent running a 4disk raid0 array it should be a problem, its more than fast enough for one 7k2 disk

 

[srichart1]

I'd be glad to sell you one that will work fine on your '06 MBP. Cheap.

You can have a new BC338, only used for 30 mins for $10 plus shipping. The card works fine, the UMBP does not.

I gave this thread a quick sift through, if someone could give me a quick straight answer to this Q it would be most appreciated:

If I get the cheapo eSATA card ($19) from OWC, it should work fine on my late 06 MBP? Are there any other complications?

And that flush card on the first page...is that one available/any better?

Thanks for the help

 

[tivoboy]

Bc338

I just want to make sure everyone understands my post.

using 10.5.7, and using the BC338 card from ebay, if I put this card IN, and reboot, and connect my external esata drive, which has a 7200 rpm drive in it, and copy from my 5400 main drive, using time machine, and or superduper copier, everything works FINE but i DO have to do the initial reboot.

So, for ME at least, the card isn't just plug and play, insert, attach drive, etc. That will ALWAYS bring a kernel crash for me. But, at least the work around is only a reboot AFTER insert and before copying and it works fine.

 

[kbonnel]

This is the card I purchased for my MBP Santa Rosa 2.5. Works great. The only time I have an issue, and it is random, is when I plug the card in. (it sometimes crashes the system). It is very random, maybe 20% of the time.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16839229001

ExpressCard:

Type: Other Mass Storage Controller
Driver Installed: Yes
Bus: PCI
Slot: PCI Slot 3
Vendor ID: 0x1095
Device ID: 0x3132
Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x1095
Subsystem ID: 0x3132
Revision ID: 0x0001
Link Width: x1
Link Speed: 2.5 GT/s

 

[srichart1]

Bc338

When you do the copy, check for errors using verify disc on disc utility. You will likely find some.

I just want to make sure everyone understands my post.

using 10.5.7, and using the BC338 card from ebay, if I put this card IN, and reboot, and connect my external esata drive, which has a 7200 rpm drive in it, and copy from my 5400 main drive, using time machine, and or superduper copier, everything works FINE but i DO have to do the initial reboot.

So, for ME at least, the card isn't just plug and play, insert, attach drive, etc. That will ALWAYS bring a kernel crash for me. But, at least the work around is only a reboot AFTER insert and before copying and it works fine.

 

[steffi]

Also whilst you're there please try to do a full Time Machine backup.

I would like to know if that works.

Given the lack of an ExpressCard slot in the newer machines things can only get worse re: support for eSata in MBP's.

I wonder who would have prefered to see an actual eSata port instead of the SD slot ;-)

When you do the copy, check for errors using verify disc on disc utility. You will likely find some.

 

[srichart1]

Bc338

I'm pretty upset that apple is releasing this crap that doesn't work! I am an apple fan but I just purchased a new UMBP and was hoping things would work fine... Not so. The last THREE MACs I have purchased had problems...
Macbook - Superdrive Died
IMAC - Graphics Card
Now this... It sucks.

Also whilst you're there please try to do a full Time Machine backup.

I would like to know if that works.

Given the lack of an ExpressCard slot in the newer machines things can only get worse re: support for eSata in MBP's.

I wonder who would have prefered to see an actual eSata port instead of the SD slot ;-)

 

[Ploki]

I just want to make sure everyone understands my post.

using 10.5.7, and using the BC338 card from ebay, if I put this card IN, and reboot, and connect my external esata drive, which has a 7200 rpm drive in it, and copy from my 5400 main drive, using time machine, and or superduper copier, everything works FINE but i DO have to do the initial reboot.

So, for ME at least, the card isn't just plug and play, insert, attach drive, etc. That will ALWAYS bring a kernel crash for me. But, at least the work around is only a reboot AFTER insert and before copying and it works fine.

i dont know why tou have an eSata 7k200 and internal 5k4? i usually want the sysdrive fast. i have vice-versa
anyway, i can do whatever except taking the card out without reboot, attaching reattaching goes fine, but if i take it out it FREEZES. no kernel panic, plain ol freeze

 

[Ploki]

Also whilst you're there please try to do a full Time Machine backup.

I would like to know if that works.

Given the lack of an ExpressCard slot in the newer machines things can only get worse re: support for eSata in MBP's.

I wonder who would have prefered to see an actual eSata port instead of the SD slot ;-)

nice thought

 

[tivoboy]

i dont know why tou have an eSata 7k200 and internal 5k4? i usually want the sysdrive fast. i have vice-versa
anyway, i can do whatever except taking the card out without reboot, attaching reattaching goes fine, but if i take it out it FREEZES. no kernel panic, plain ol freeze

I just hadn't gotten around to putting the 7200 in the computer, AND I had the understanding that heat and battery performance suffered with the 7200.

 

[Timur]

Really folks, forget about the 7200 vs 5400 rpm thing, it has nothing to do with data corruption and crashing!

 

[Ploki]

yeah its unibody crummy intergration of eSata via expresscard.

tivoboy: mah, bunch of hogwash. its running perhaps 1 degree hotter. Perhaps. probably the ambience was 1 degree hotter.
and regarding battery life, perhaps 5 minutes. or 10.

 

[srichart1]

UMBP - Took back to Applestore at 28days and returned it!

I took my UMBP back to the Applestore after 28days and exchanged it for a Brand New, Faster, More Memory, SD Card Slot, UMBP last night!!!!

Thanks, Apple. I Fixed my Express Card issue! No more errors

I'm pretty upset that apple is releasing this crap that doesn't work! I am an apple fan but I just purchased a new UMBP and was hoping things would work fine... Not so. The last THREE MACs I have purchased had problems...
Macbook - Superdrive Died
IMAC - Graphics Card
Now this... It sucks.

 

[Ploki]

heh, congrats
now GET OUT OF THIS THREAD!
just kidding
enjoy your new mac

 

[tivoboy]

none

When you do the copy, check for errors using verify disc on disc utility. You will likely find some.

I did a verify disk on the external drive that I have been doing the esata backup to, and the disk doesn't show any errors.

I also did a couple of backups from the TM, not a full backup but selected items, they came over fine.

I think for me at least, the shutdown, insert card, attach drive, bootup, mount drive, etc. seems to work fine.

 

[srichart1]

BC338 Express/34 Card off of Ebay

Sounds like you're good then. Good luck with it, I do wish mine had worked. I like the Exp34 slot better than the SD.

I did a verify disk on the external drive that I have been doing the esata backup to, and the disk doesn't show any errors.

I also did a couple of backups from the TM, not a full backup but selected items, they came over fine.

I think for me at least, the shutdown, insert card, attach drive, bootup, mount drive, etc. seems to work fine.

 

[Timur]

I tested the AKE BC338 against my inexpensive Digitus ExpressCard on the HP laptop now. Both cards use the same JMicron chipset as far as I know (JMB 362) and used the same drivers.

I'm quite sure that the Digitus caused errors before, but this time it turned out that only the AKE BC338 causes errors on both the Macbook Pro and the HP Pavillon. I will do some more tests with the Digitus, that include using NTFS for Mac, because that was what caused errors with the Digitus earlier (but not with FW and USB).

I noticed that the BC338 has too much give and go inside the HP's slot and with the eSATA cable, but I didn't find any position that did not cause errors and even Blue Screens on Windows.

So right now it seems as if the Digitus card is usable. I did at least half a dozend clones of my OS X system partition with over 80 gb of data being copied. After that I checked the destination's integrity via Verify.

I used three different enclosures (all using the same Oxford 924 chipset though), three different destination drives and even connected one drive directly via an eSATA-to-SATA cable (circumventing the Oxford bridge chip all together). Always the same results, Digitus worked, AKE did not work.

On Windows I used Acronis True Image to create an image of my data partition into an uncompressed image file of rougly 130 gb and had True Image verify the whole image agains the source. No errors with the Digitus, no chance with the BC338.

Too bad that the Digitus is sticking out, but since I only need it for large data transfers I can live with that and use Firewire 800 for quick connections.

I'm still wondering about why I had troubles with the very same Digitus before. Maybe OS X 10.5."7" fixed the AHCI driver? (Wish Apple would fix their EFI which causes Windows to Blue Screen every once in a while with the internal SATA drive).

 

[tivoboy]

quick

Just a quick FYI, this is the external drive I am using, esata and usb interfaces

Nice 5$ auction

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rocketfish-RF-A...66:2|39:1|72:1205|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50