Why are there so many external enclosures with eSATA ports? The only mac that I am aware of that has the capability to add an eSATA port is the Mac Pro. Yet the market is saturated with external enclosures with one eSATA and one USB3 port. How does one daisy chain such devices to create a RAID? You can't use eSATA because it's not a bus protocol. You can't use USB 3 because that's the only connection you have for your computer. Oh, forgot to mention that USB 3 is also known to cause severe interference with wireless devices i.e. Apple Keyboard/Mouse.
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HDD enclosures with eSATA ports, why?
- Thread starter Johnny Jackhammer
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You forget that there are other computers besides Macs. And as for Macs, you can get Thunderbolt to eSATA adapters.
You can also use eSATA with MBPs having a ExpressCard slot (the 15" until 2008 and the 17" until its disappearance), and I use such eSATA ExpressCard adapter with my 17" MBP quite fine.
USB does not allow daisy chaining with several USB devices, Firewire does that.
As for RAID, better use a two- or four-disk enclosure for getting that done.
USB does not allow daisy chaining with several USB devices, Firewire does that.
As for RAID, better use a two- or four-disk enclosure for getting that done.
Because it is a fast, affordable and low latency interface. eSATA needs no additional drivers, which means that enclosures and extension cards are always compatible with OS upgrades (not only on the OS X platform). The properties of the eSATA interface are ideal for video/audio editors or for very large daily backups (raw video/raw audio). I recommend enclosures with a Thunderbolt and/or USB 3.0 (firmware must support the UASP) interface, if you use this enclosure only with Macs, not older than 2 years.
If the shielding is lousy enough, yes. This is no USB 3.0 problem, it is an engineering problem.
Didn't forget. But wondering about Apple and why they've put all their eggs in the Thunderbolt basket when eSATA would have allowed users more options. The storage options have dwindled unless you have really deep pockets, want to stick with USB2, or USB3 and single drive enclosures. One eSATA port and we'd have access to lots of speed and also eSATA port multipliers… fast, cheap and robust.
The only reason they have not included an eSATA port on the iMacs is that it would destroy the already weak Thunderbolt market.
I am seriously considering ordering the "Dual SSD Kit" from MaxUpgrades and cutting a hole in my 2012 iMac to run a cable out. At least that way I would have access to my eSATA RAID drive and an internal SSD. Would like to hear comments.
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SATA as the internal bus for Solid State storage is the process of being decommissioned. The SATA-IO community decided to NOT extend SATA past SATA-3... specifically because the SSD interface would be evolving to PCIe.
This decision was made 3 years ago... and the industry has been readying for the PCIe transition. It is just starting now... with some of the first shipping products being the new 2013 MBAs... and the "preview" of the Mac Pro.
So despite fantasies that Apple did not do eSATA has absolutely nothing to do with them trying to artificially prop up Thunderbolt. It absolutely has to do with them (along with most everyone else) focusing on where the puck is going... rather than where it has been.
/Jim
Jim don't get too hot you might catch on fire. You are talking about the future and I am talking about now and in the recent past.
I don't know what's shipping next year. Don't have time or money to get caught up in technology fan clubs. I just bought a $2,000 iMac that has Thunderbolt1 and USB3v.1. I have a perfectly good eSATA/USB2 external RAID that I bought in 2009 with my first iMac which had FW800/USB2. I bought that version of the enclosure thinking that at some point in the future I could use the eSATA port and get decent transfer speed. Never happened. So I've waited three years, and two generations of peripheral connectivity are obsolete. Now I am reading that two more are on their way out (the two I just bought on my 2012 iMac) TB1 and USB3v1.
You are sitting there telling me that's a good thing? You must own a ton of technology stocks.
Yes... I am saying that it is a very good thing. Moving internal storage off of SATA and onto PCIe was necessary... because SATA could not (and will not) keep up with pending SSD advancements.
I do not live in the "here and now". My job (now and for the past 20 years) has been to lead the advancement of the computer industry at a breakneck pace. Upcoming changes to SSD is one of the fastest changing aspects of the tech industry... and is an area where I spend a disproportionate amount of my time. Dramatic changes are required to keep up with the pace of this technology direction.
Your 2009 eSATA RAID will continue to work, as purchased... for the life of the item. However, despite your personal wishes... asking the computer industry to maintain compatibly with your purchase is a concept that must be left behind. Nothing personal.
/Jim
You could buy one of these: http://store.apple.com/us/product/H8875ZM/A/lacie-esata-hub-thunderbolt-series
The 2010 and 2011 27" iMac's can be modded to support eSATA, although it appears you bought the 2012? I'm not so sure about that model...
http://gizmodo.com/5602291/add-an-external-esata-port-to-your-new-imac
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/turnkey/iMac_2011/27_Inch
We're off topic.
Of course it's not personal. I just have to decide, like many others, if I want to support you, and your industry, on every rung of the ladder of your "progress".
For what I do most of the time I don't need that much speed. Especially in a recession I have to think "is what I have good enough". I predict that "speed" is about to saturate its market. Believe me the technology industry will listen if they lose their consumer base. Moore's "law" only works if the funding given the tech industry by consumers is maintained.
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Thank you. However, according to Jim, SATA is on it's way out. There is no point in investing in the dead technology that is SATA.
Thank you. However, according to Jim, SATA is on it's way out. There is no point in investing in the dead technology that is SATA.
Actually... SATA is alive and well for HDDs. It is being replaced by PCIe for SSDs.
/Jim