Hot Deal at CompGeeks for PCMCIA Hard Drive!

[DrSarcasm1]

IBM/Travelstar 8.1 Gigabyte External PCMCIA (PC Card) Hard Drive for $67 (before shipping) at CompGeeks. If you ask me, this beats buying an internal hard drive.

Travelstar 8.1 Gigabyte External PCMCIA (PC Card) Hard Drive Only $67.00

I hope this helps you notebook users out there.

Uggggh! I just looked in the July issue of "Computer Shopper." Apparently, it's only $49.00 if you use the code in the magazine.

Update: According to the rep at CompGeeks, they will refund the difference for me. YAY YAY YAY!

Anyway, about the code: If the moderators will allow me to post it, then I will gladly do so. But if not...well...um go to your newstand, find the July 2002 issue of Computer Shopper, and accidentally stumble onto the top of page 168. You might find some interesting information on that page. Thanks to all who have helped me find some decent deals in the past!!!

 

[Freejack2]

It's a good price but for those who don't want to lug around an external hard drive, most notebooks have an easily accessible drive bay.
Usually with just the removal of a screw lets out the drive carrier and 4 more to remove the old hard drive. Most systems, as long as their bios can handle it will take up to a 60gb hard drive. 40gb notebook drives can be had for $141 and up from pricewatch vendors.

Mind you if your computer can't handle the drives due to age or bios restrictions the external 8.4gb drive is a very good way to get some more life out of your notebook. Also good as you plug it into any notebook and have your data without having to transfer it over a network.

 

[Groch]

This drive comes with some easy and effective harddrive backup software built into the drive. It is quite slow for regular use as a harddrive, but excellet for backup. Just leave it over night, and your system is backed up the next morning.

It is also great for transferring files between 2 laptops as no drivers are needed (at least in win98 plus).

I've had one for about a year and am quite pleased with it.

 

[uwannawhat]

Would this work in one of those PC (desktop) PCMCIA card adapters for the wireless PCMCIA cards?

 

[TerryMathews]

Doubtful. As I understand it, those "adapters" simply reconfigure the pin layout. Like PS2/USB mice.

OK, here's a simple rundown. According to the PCMCIA spec, for example, pin #2 is ground. Fine. As long as pin#2 = low voltage, the card will expect PCMCIA signaling. If pin#2 goes high, we'll set it up to go with PCI signaling, and then our adapter card will just connect pin#2 to VCC.

This is over-simplified and might not be entirely accurate, but I think is how it works. I know for sure, though, that no company ships the PCI wireless ethernet adapters with a full PCMCIA controller chip onboard.

 

[uwannawhat]

Thanks for the info Terry

 

[whootang12]

what is the code in the magazine so i can get that deal?

 

[Startide Rising]

The unit is rated for a max 300,000 start/stop cycles. Not that I'd use it as a regular main drive, but does this mean that as the drive spins down due to power management and spins back up for say 100 times per day, that would result in the drive lasting for a max of 3,000 days. Since that is the max, taking half of that results in 1,500 days or a bit over 4 years before the drive might fail?

 

[JPSJPS]

Originally posted by: DrSarcasm1
Uggggh! I just looked in the July issue of "Computer Shopper." Apparently, it's only $49.99 if you use the code in the magazine.

What is that code please?
PM?
Thanks, John

 

[Sneezer]

Anybody know if you can swap the drives out in the enclosure? Would be pretty neat if you could put a 20 or 30gb HDD in there instead. I saw where the drive inside is just a 17mm, so I think it should be possible, but I don't know if it has a standard connection or uses some special connector and drive setup.

 

[HESDog]

Sneezer,

It is possible use a larger drive as it uses the standard 2.5" drive connector. I replaced the 8G drive with a 18G drive and use it to back up all of my important files on my laptop at work. Of course, you will break a sticker that states "warranty void if seal is broken" upon opening the enclosure.

 

[bit]

good deal. PM me if you need the code.

 

[whootang12]

just to let u know this is not compatible with windows xp (i bought one, tried it, it didn't work, and IBM agreed with me). it might be possible to get it working with XP, but i'm not aware of how it is if it is possible.

 

[DrSarcasm1]

Is there any way that you can use the Win2k driver in WinXP? I'll be using this for 9x, so it won't really apply to me, but I'm curious nonetheless.

 

[MegaNerd]

Did anybody get one of these? I'm wondering if it would fit in one of my Dell 5000 lappy PCMCIA slots when the other is occupied by an Ethernet PCMCIA card with a dongle.

TIA,
MN