500 GB external USB 2.0 SATA 16 MB cache HD, 119.95 shipped after $25 MIR

[Muse]

Edit: 04/16/2007
New rebate on the Cavalry valid until 4/22. Price after MIR remains 119.95.
- - - -
Qualifies for FREE SHIPPING
List Price: $154.84
Our Price: $144.01
Price After Rebate(s): $119.01 (bumped to 119.95)
Shipping: FREE

This seems to be hotter than the other deals posted here for this. "Calvary" is the case. This houses a Western Digital HD according to the user reviews at the site, of which there are around 52. They appear to be largely positive.

Cavalry 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM 16MB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive

Rebate for purchase by 04/08/07

Edit:

Oddly, there appears to be a similar but distinct deal at Buy.com:

Fantom Titanium-II 500GB USB 2.0 7200rpm 16MB Cache External Hard Drive

There are 15 reviews of this one at Buy.com, also quite positive.

Qualifies for FREE SHIPPING
List Price: $189.95
Our Price: $144.95
Price After Rebate(s): $119.95 Rebate for purchase by 04/30/07 on this one
Shipping: FREE

The rebates are for $25

Both of these evidently have Western Digital HD's, according to user reviews, but I don't know that it's in the spec, so YMMV.

 

[Muse]

133 views, no comments. Is this meh or hot?

 

[Muse]

Question: The last reviewer of the Cavalry version mentions "the SATA connection." Can I use this although my PC doesn't support SATA (IDE only)?

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: Muse
Question: The last reviewer of the Calvalry version mentions "the SATA connection." Can I use this although my PC doesn't support SATA (IDE only)?

Yes. Only the drive to enclosure connection is SATA. The enclosure to your PC connection is USB. Fully compatible, as well as a REALLY nice price IMO for a HUGE external drive, especially a SATA one.

 

[b0mbrman]

Very nice. Let's not forget $10 off if you're a new user of Google Checkout 🙂

[Edit] Also, it looks as if both are $119.95 now -- a total dealbreaker :|

🙂

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman
Very nice. Let's not forget $10 off if you're a new user of Google Checkout 🙂

[Edit] Also, it looks as if both are $119.95 now -- a total dealbreaker :|

🙂

Mm, so which is better?

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: b0mbrman
Very nice. Let's not forget $10 off if you're a new user of Google Checkout 🙂

[Edit] Also, it looks as if both are $119.95 now -- a total dealbreaker :|

🙂

Mm, so which is better?

Don't know about the other one, but I know at least four people who have had a Cavalry external hard drive for nearly a year and all seem to be happy with it..

 

[Muse]

Well, I ordered almost an hour ago. No email confirmation yet. 😕 Ah, a confirmation just came.

Ordered the Cavalry. Subsequently read the reviews at Newegg, and they weren't as glowing as the ones at buy.com. Not terrible, though. This definitely appears to be the best deal around on it, though. I was very tempted to apply for the buy.com Visa card and get an additional $30 discount, but decided against it. I got a message at the beginning of the process that there was something wrong with the security certificate of the secure site you get linked to when you apply online for the card. I decided to cancel the process. The card is a 1% discount card with 3% credits on purchases at buy.com. I fiugre the discounts are both for credits and they don't say how long you have to redeem your credits. Googling I see that 5 years ago or so they issued 5% discount Visa cards...

By the way, a review I read said that it came preformatted in FAT32. I figure I'll reformat in NTFS.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Muse
Well, I ordered almost an hour ago. No email confirmation yet. 😕 Ah, a confirmation just came.

Ordered the Cavalry. Subsequently read the reviews at Newegg, and they weren't as glowing as the ones at buy.com. Not terrible, though. This definitely appears to be the best deal around on it, though. I was very tempted to apply for the buy.com Visa card and get an additional $30 discount, but decided against it. I got a message at the beginning of the process that there was something wrong with the security certificate of the secure site you get linked to when you apply online for the card. I decided to cancel the process. The card is a 1% discount card with 3% credits on purchases at buy.com. I fiugre the discounts are both for credits and they don't say how long you have to redeem your credits. Googling I see that 5 years ago or so they issued 5% discount Visa cards...

By the way, a review I read said that it came preformatted in FAT32. I figure I'll reformat in NTFS.

It came today. It's preformatted in NTFS. Works fine. Is pretty quiet - I can hear it hum if I stick my ear up to it. I'm copying 20 GB of data to it right now. It's clicking but very faintly and only occasionally. It's only slightly warm to the touch. The included info says it runs so cool it doesn't need a fan, which surprised me. Posts had me thinking it has a fan. Well, maybe it doesn't.

One thing has me puzzled. There was a bracket you screw onto the bottom for optionally running it vertical, which I put on it. There's also a small rubber-like thing, rectangular, about 7/8" by 1.25" and about 1/16" thick that looks like it has a sticky side if you pull off the protective paper. I don't see anywhere on the drive you would apply it, so I can't imagine what it's for. Does anyone have a clue? Thanks.

 

[zeruty]

The price after rebate for the Fantom is now $129.95 (not including google checkout)

The calvary rebate is no longer valid, so it's now $144.95

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: zeruty
The price after rebate for the Fantom is now $129.95 (not including google checkout)

The calvary rebate is no longer valid, so it's now $144.95

Right. The Fantom went up $5.

At the page it currently says:

Very few left In Stock! Order soon -- product may sell out.

As it says in the summary, the Fantom rebate is until 4/30.

Seems similar to the Cavalry. Only difference I can make out is that it comes preformatted in FAT32 instead of the Cavalry's NTFS.

I registered online and then registered for the rebate (separate site), and was given a rebate registration ID, which I was to put on the envelope. The page to register for the rebate was very well done, IMO. I sent in my envelope today for the MIR. The rebate is through Cavalry, and it appears to be legitimate. They say give it 8 weeks, and if you have questions, they say to email them at rebate@cavalrystorage.com.

I'm pleased. I've already backed up just about all my important data and have 400 GB left over!


I measured the energy used:

When the HD is turned off: 1.5 watts (the PS plugged in)
When HD is on: 13 watts, whether accessing or not

 

[daikon38]

Yeah, I got my HD also (the Cavalry one). And, I also can't figure out what the sticky thing is for. I figured out how to get the stand on the bottom.

Instructions for that would have been nice and eased things along.

Functionally, the HD works great! And it's pretty near silent in operation.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: daikon38
And, I also can't figure out what the sticky thing is for.

I just called their tech support number. The VM system said they are "Basin Computer". Don't know what that's about, but I punched in the extension it said was tech support (152) and got a guy with good English who told me that sticky pad is for optionally setting it up for horizontal placement on a flat surface. So, if you don't want to use the stand and have it vertical, you can take that sticky pad, cut it in 4 pieces and place one piece on each of the 4 corners of one of the sides and then place it flat on a shelf or whatever. Mystery solved.

 

[DJFuji]

This is now $109AR at buy.com w/ google checkout. That's cheaper than any internal 500gb drive you can find. I was going to get one internal 500gb drive (fry's, $119) and one ext (this one) but I'm wondering if i should forego the fry's deal and just pick up two of these...

 

[DJFuji]

I'm wondering if the extra $10 for the fry's internal seagate is worth it to get the 5 year warranty. Or maybe WD will honor the std 3 year warranty for the drive in the calvary?

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: DJFuji
This is now $109AR at buy.com w/ google checkout. That's cheaper than any internal 500gb drive you can find. I was going to get one internal 500gb drive (fry's, $119) and one ext (this one) but I'm wondering if i should forego the fry's deal and just pick up two of these...

I think the $10 Google Checkout discount is only for first time Google Checkout customers.

Looks like another rebate is in effect:

Offer valid from 4/16/2007 to 4/22/2007

Base price is now $139.95 and the rebate is $19.95, so it comes out to $119.95 after MIR, just like before.

So far, I'm very happy with the Cavalry drive.

 

[DJFuji]

last day to pick this drive up for $119 or $110 with google checkout discount!