MaxUpgrades USB Enclosure Worth it? Other USB 5.25" case recommendations?

[Makosuke]

I just ordered myself one of OWC's wicked new 6G SSDs, plus an optical drive bay adapter so I can put the stock rotating hard drive in place of the optical drive for extra storage.

I want to have a portable USB optical to take along in the bag when I'm doing repairs, though, and it seems like a waste to buy a brand new one and shelve the pull from my MBP in case of warranty repair. So I wanted to get a USB enclosure for it, preferably bus powered.

You can get one from MaxUpgrades for $25; they sell it as part of a kit with an optical drive bay adapter, but since I got one from OWC I'd just be ordering the drive case:
http://www.maxupgrades.com/istore/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=186

...but once you add shipping you're looking at over $30, which is basically the price of a whole external. Has anybody bought one of those cases, and if so, was it nice enough in terms of build quality to be worth $30?

An alternate would be this Syba brand one from Newegg,which would end up being about $23 shipped:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817801052

Anybody by any chance tried that one? Other recommendations for a case for a slot-loading slim optical?

 

[MacForScience]

I just ordered myself one of OWC's wicked new 6G SSDs, plus an optical drive bay adapter so I can put the stock rotating hard drive in place of the optical drive for extra storage.

I want to have a portable USB optical to take along in the bag when I'm doing repairs, though, and it seems like a waste to buy a brand new one and shelve the pull from my MBP in case of warranty repair. So I wanted to get a USB enclosure for it, preferably bus powered.

You can get one from MaxUpgrades for $25; they sell it as part of a kit with an optical drive bay adapter, but since I got one from OWC I'd just be ordering the drive case:
http://www.maxupgrades.com/istore/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=186

...but once you add shipping you're looking at over $30, which is basically the price of a whole external. Has anybody bought one of those cases, and if so, was it nice enough in terms of build quality to be worth $30?

An alternate would be this Syba brand one from Newegg,which would end up being about $23 shipped:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817801052

Anybody by any chance tried that one? Other recommendations for a case for a slot-loading slim optical?

You need to get case that is made for slot loading optical drives. If you don't the problem is there is nothing to protect the disc when it comes out of the drive from scrapping the bottom of the drive. Will it work in the case? Yes. Will it look good? No. Personally I would just buy an external disc drive considering how cheap they are.

Cheers