USB disk

[Soapy Sam]

evildave-" You can plug in as many USB or Firewire drives as you have ports."

Yes. My confusion though was over the interface from an ATA/EIDE drive to a USB port.

Shanek-"Not quite; USB supports up to 127 devices, FireWire 63."


I think that should suffice for my purposes.

Thanks for the info, guys.

Just to give you an idea of why I like to buy hardware in the States- Here's a link to Dabs.com, one of the biggest UK internet shops for computer gear. Compare the price- £1=1.88 today.
http://www.dabs.com/uk/productView.htm?quicklinx=2C9T
£69.32=$130.32!!!!!

 

[evildave]

You have that lovely UK "Value Added Tax" to add to everything you buy, tax evader. Not that I fail for one instant to do the same, buying outside of California....

Virtually every one of these solutions are based on the same couple of implementations, and for these, it's one plug to one drive.

Basically, someone made "THE CHIP" that does USB2<->ATA communications, or "THE CHIP" that does IEEE1394<->ATA, or
"THE CHIP" that does either, and a few other comfigurations.

"Combination" USB2/1394 drives DO NOT allow concurrent computer connections to the different ports.

All the various OEMs simply grab the same little board, combine it with a power source, and stick it in a box.

In any given chassis, you'll get some screws, a single loose IDE plug, and a single loose power plug, usually comming off the same board (with not much on it). You plug the wires into the drive, screw the drive into the box, screw the box shut, and Bob's your uncle.

The exception to the "one plug, one drive" rule is the various external RAID solutions, but these really behave as one (bigger, faster and/or more robust) IDE drive, as far as the OS is concerned.

 

[Soapy Sam]

Evildave-"Virtually every one of these solutions are based on the same couple of implementations, and for these, it's one plug to one drive."

Indeed. My USB dongle, which has a transparent cover, says "Samsung K9K inside it and the Archos drive shows up on "Device Manager" as a Matsushita.

 

[richardm]

Just to give you an idea of why I like to buy hardware in the States

Where's your preferred shop? Is it really still cheaper after you've added in shipping?

 

[Soapy Sam]

Richardm- Sorry if I have misled you. I said "like to" and that's all I mean. I bought my first laptop in New Hampshire. (No sales tax). I have bought various items in the States over the years during visits there. I don't buy online.

Also, I work abroad (on rigs) with many Americans. I sometimes ask them to hand carry items in for me. If they bring a PCI board for instance, to Kazakhstan, I can bring it home as a used item. I occasionally have to pay import duty abroad, and I pay the guy who brings it for his trouble, but it's usually still a saving.

For instance last year a colleague brought me two USB dongles-128MB- which cost him $49.99 At the time they cost £88 each here.

Right now with the very high pound to dollar rate, buying from the States on the net should be worth it, even after paying tax, which you sometimes don't actually have to. (Not every package is stopped by Customs & Excise). You would have to watch for postage etc.