Best choice for installing Windows on external drive?

[Joey Link]

I have a nice Gateway 200ARC laptop that has a bad hard drive connector. Someone broke the connector off the motherboard and the high cost to value ratio prohibits the repair. This laptop is a Centrino 1.6ghz system so is till has plenty of umph, plus it's super thin and lightweight, all reasons I don't want to toss it out.

I was going to install XP on an external flash drive, but then I read that the drive would most likely wear out after a few weeks and I'd have slow performance the whole time. I then though about an external USB hard drive encosure, but I've heard the USB overhead would kill the CPU and again, I would suffer performance issues. I was also looking at PCMCIA options, but I'm not sure what the throughput would be like (I haven't done much research into this option).

I'd like to know what you guys would recommend.

Thanks!

 

[TheKub]

Pretty much any external storage is going to have some pretty significant penalties. My recommendations:

1. Sell it for parts
2. Attempt to locate someone selling one for parts and swap mobos
3. Use a Linux Live CD and use it in somewhat limited fashion
4. Use it for a router\media center head unit, put a lightweight linux distro on external storage and access data over network connection

 

[myocardia]

I would use eSATA through a PCMCIA card. You wouldn't even need to buy a new hard drive, assuming your current HD is SATA. You would only need an external SATA enclosure. It will kill your portability, though.

 

[humanure]

I agree with both above, any external option is limited and takes away portability. An esata pcmcia card and drive enclosure will probably cost around 60-70. Not sure if this is the correct board, but I found a motherboard for that laptop on ebay for $90.

Gateway 200ARC mobo