Any source for Seagate Freeagent enclosures?

I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives, but I
don't need any more drives. Is there any source for the enclosures without
drives?

On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:55:01 GMT, "Noozer"
wrote:

I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives, but I
don't need any more drives. Is there any source for the enclosures without
drives?



Very doubtful, since any spare external enclosure *overruns*
Seagate had, could still be fitted with drives and sold as
the full product so long as they make drives. Your best bet
is either buying the smallest capacity Freeagent you can
find so you have least money spent on the drive, finding a
use for the drive or selling it, or finding someone who
doesn't like the product and is willing to sell you just the
enclosure.

If you were talking about some product that was several
years old, out of production and at the end of the product
warranty period, it might be possible Seagate was
liquidating some parts into the grey market channels... but
even this seems unlikely for drive enclosures as I don't
recall seeing any drive-manufacturer branded enclosures from
past generations showing up anywhere at PC surplus 'sites...
and many people wouldn't even want them years later as they
might not support the capacity of the then contemporary
drives available.

"Noozer" wrote in message
news:Fl8Ei.137436$rX4.33288@pd7urf2no...
I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives, but I
don't need any more drives. Is there any source for the enclosures without
drives?


Seeing as Seagate is a hard drive manufacturer, and not a plastics company,
I really doubt it. This is a way to sell more hard drives and the plastic
is most likely subcontracted to another company entirely.

That Freeagent GO version looks tempting..

ss.

Synapse Syndrome" wrote in message
...

Seeing as Seagate is a hard drive manufacturer, and not a plastics
company, I really doubt it. This is a way to sell more hard drives and
the plastic is most likely subcontracted to another company entirely.


I forgot to add that it is very unlikely that Seagate would allow their
plastic manufacturing partner to sell the enclosures, which are part of
their 'brand' through any other channel.

ss.

"kony" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:55:01 GMT, "Noozer"
wrote:

I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives, but I
don't need any more drives. Is there any source for the enclosures without
drives?

Very doubtful, since any spare external enclosure *overruns*
Seagate had, could still be fitted with drives and sold as
the full product so long as they make drives. Your best bet
is either buying the smallest capacity Freeagent you can
find so you have least money spent on the drive, finding a
use for the drive or selling it, or finding someone who
doesn't like the product and is willing to sell you just the
enclosure.

I know... but it doesn't hurt to ask.

A close second would be enclosured that "power down" when the PC shuts off.
That's one of the main reasons I like the FreeAgent.

Even a small circuit that I could add inside the enclosure would be great.

In message qGmEi.136945$fJ5.114796@pd7urf1no "Noozer"
wrote:

I know... but it doesn't hurt to ask.

A close second would be enclosured that "power down" when the PC shuts off.
That's one of the main reasons I like the FreeAgent.

Even a small circuit that I could add inside the enclosure would be great.


To do it properly, it's far simpler (set the idle-power-down time on the
drive itself)

--
You can get more with a kind word and a 2x4 than just a kind word.

On Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:12:54 GMT, "Noozer"
wrote:


"kony" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:55:01 GMT, "Noozer"
wrote:

I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives, but I
don't need any more drives. Is there any source for the enclosures without
drives?

Very doubtful, since any spare external enclosure *overruns*
Seagate had, could still be fitted with drives and sold as
the full product so long as they make drives. Your best bet
is either buying the smallest capacity Freeagent you can
find so you have least money spent on the drive, finding a
use for the drive or selling it, or finding someone who
doesn't like the product and is willing to sell you just the
enclosure.

I know... but it doesn't hurt to ask.

A close second would be enclosured that "power down" when the PC shuts off.
That's one of the main reasons I like the FreeAgent.

Even a small circuit that I could add inside the enclosure would be great.


When the PC shuts off, presuming you have the USB set to 5V
instead of 5VSB (which you would have to verify first), you
could use that 5VSB rail to power a relay which closes the
circuit on the power to the enclosure, or with an external
PSU even more *complete* shutdown (instead of leaving the
AC-DC adapter powered) would be to build the circuit into a
multioutlet power strip such that the AC outlet itself is
only powered. Naturally it is more critical to get the
higher AC voltage isolated in the power strip and secure the
relay well, compared to only switching off the drive and/or
circuit board power in the enclosure.

On Sat, 08 Sep 2007 05:53:11 -0400, kony
wrote:


When the PC shuts off, presuming you have the USB set to 5V
instead of 5VSB (which you would have to verify first), you
could use that 5VSB rail to power a relay ...

Oops, I meant "could use that 5V rail", not 5VSB.

In message Xns99A5440A5D77C3jfk6@localhost Rookie
wrote:

DevilsPGD wrote in
:

In message qGmEi.136945$fJ5.114796@pd7urf1no "Noozer"
wrote:

I know... but it doesn't hurt to ask.

A close second would be enclosured that "power down" when the PC shuts
off. That's one of the main reasons I like the FreeAgent.

Even a small circuit that I could add inside the enclosure would be
great.


To do it properly, it's far simpler (set the idle-power-down time on
the drive itself)


And how do you do that?

Oh, sorry -- It's not something you can do unless the USB -- SATA (or
PATA/IDE) chipset offers an interface.

Rather, it's something the enclosure can do without worrying about
whether or not the system is active.

--
You can get more with a kind word and a 2x4 than just a kind word.

Synapse Syndrome wrote:
"Noozer" wrote in message
news:Fl8Ei.137436$rX4.33288@pd7urf2no...
I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives,
but I don't need any more drives. Is there any source for the
enclosures without drives?


Seeing as Seagate is a hard drive manufacturer, and not a plastics
company, I really doubt it. This is a way to sell more hard drives
and the plastic is most likely subcontracted to another company
entirely.
That Freeagent GO version looks tempting..

Whereas I think the best of the range is the Freeagent Pro. eSATA is far
superior interface for external drives than USB (the 'pro' has both, with
the ability to add Firewire as well). With eSATA there is essentially no
difference between an internal and an external drive, either
performance-wise or to the OS.
--
TTFN.

Shaun.