First Impressions: ULTRA USB 2.0 to IDE/SATA Cable Adapter
What is it? The ULTRA USB 2.0 to IDE/SATA Cable Adapter
What’s it do? It turns any SATA or IDE drive into an external drive
How much does it cost? $19.99US
The ULTRA USB 2.0 to IDE/SATA Cable Adapter lets you turn any SATA or IDE drive into a convenient external hard drive. The box comes with everything you need to make it work: a power adapter, a SATA cable, the actual adapter itself (USB to IDE / SATA), documentation and a warranty card.
The cables and adapter are built out of a hard, durable plastic. Installation was a snap: First, connect the power to the drive, then connect one end of the SATA/IDE cable to your hard drive, and the other end to the USB port on your computer. Finally, plug the power unit in. Bingo! Your drive should mount.
Installation was ridiculously easy – but the photos that accompany the documentation were a bit confusing. The ULTRA USB to SATA/IDE adapter is advertised to work with PCs, but it also happens to run quite nicely on a Mac. I’ve tested mine on my Mac Pro.
The only drawback that I have seen with the ULTRA unit is the lack of an LED indicator. Outside of hearing the faint whir of the hard drive, it can be quite easy to forget the unit is plugged in and working. Beyond that, it does exactly what it’s advertised to do. I haven’t had a chance to test it out with a SATA drive or an IDE 2.5″ drive yet, but I plan to at some point in the future.
The ULTRA USB to SATA/IDE adapter comes with a 3 year warranty and, outside of the fact that it doesn’t sport an LED indicator, is a nice piece of kit for the price.
-Krishna
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k3vin
June 26, 2009 at 2:50 amI’m sorry, but $19.99 is a bit much for these. I got a 3-pack on e-bay for $4.99!
Granted, they were very cheaply made (I can’t tell if yours is better from the photo), but I certainly didn’t get a warranty or instructions. In any case, all three are still working, and they’re incredibly handy tools to have in a pinch when you need to rescue a drive.
Krishna
June 26, 2009 at 8:07 amthanks a great price, K3vin! I didn’t investigate eBay, but that’s a good tip. Do you have photos of your USB/SATA adapter?
Philip M. Hofer (Frumph)
June 26, 2009 at 10:13 ami’ve .. got.. to get one
Mike
July 2, 2009 at 9:38 amThe power supplies on mine were the weak point. I keep three at all times, one hooked up for the SATA power, one for EIDE power, and a third just in case the others go out. I check a new hard drive about three times a day, and so far only two of the cheap 4-to-SATA power converters have come completely apart.
Krishna
July 10, 2009 at 6:50 pmSo far so good on my ULTRA USB/SATA cable. It’s worked beautifully.
Mick Hamblen
July 14, 2009 at 7:10 pmPrefer my BLACX Thermaltake. The popup toaster interface is nicer on the desktop with quick on/off switch