Ext. HD w. Hub

[Killerbob]

Hi,

I am awaiting my MacBook Air, and though I am buying it for its size and portability, I also have to admit; I will need the external SuperDrive, as well as an external HD. At least for sitting on my desk at home, and when travelling, in a hotel room. Hence, can someone help me out:

Is there an external HD with a build-in USB hub? I don't mind so much it needs external power, but if it could draw power from the USB, that would be fantastic.

I saw a small housing, called the MiniD, with a HD, as well as a few USB ports,(http://www.transintl.com/store/category.cfm?category=2621), but it does not seem to be on-sale anymore, and it was a bit OTT.

TIA

 

[robrose20]

Hi,

I am awaiting my MacBook Air, and though I am buying it for its size and portability, I also have to admit; I will need the external SuperDrive, as well as an external HD. At least for sitting on my desk at home, and when travelling, in a hotel room. Hence, can someone help me out:

Is there an external HD with a build-in USB hub? I don't mind so much it needs external power, but if it could draw power from the USB, that would be fantastic.

I saw a small housing, called the MiniD, with a HD, as well as a few USB ports,(http://www.transintl.com/store/category.cfm?category=2621), but it does not seem to be on-sale anymore, and it was a bit OTT.

TIA

If you are using the MBA as your primary computer that is a bad idea. This proves my point that the MBA is not an ultraportable. You are going to lug around an external hard drive and superdrive wherever you go with this thing?? What is the point. Just get a Macbook!!!!!!!

 

[Killerbob]

The MacBook Air will NOT be my primary Mac. I have a Mac Pro 8-Core ordered. And, most of the time I will just be "hauling" around the Air.

However, in my home when using the Air, I'd like an external HD on where I can put music, films, pictures, which I can then bring with me when I travel (which I do a lot).

Also, perhaps I want to connect a set of headphones, as well as my SuperDrive, and perhaps charge my iPod, and for that I need a hub.

So, it would be nice if I could combine an external HD with a USB hub, and perfect if this unit used the power from the Air.

KB

 

[profiteor]

Hi,

I am awaiting my MacBook Air, and though I am buying it for its size and portability, I also have to admit; I will need the external SuperDrive, as well as an external HD. At least for sitting on my desk at home, and when travelling, in a hotel room. Hence, can someone help me out:

Is there an external HD with a build-in USB hub? I don't mind so much it needs external power, but if it could draw power from the USB, that would be fantastic.

I saw a small housing, called the MiniD, with a HD, as well as a few USB ports,(http://www.transintl.com/store/category.cfm?category=2621), but it does not seem to be on-sale anymore, and it was a bit OTT.

TIA

That casing seems pretty similar to a newerTech miniStack, which you can get at OWC. It's a bit large, fits a 3.5" drive. It has to run off AC as well.

Speaking of casings, you should take a look at OWC and what they have. Not sure I've seen one with a hub in it, under the 3.5" drive size though.

I'm pretty sure most casings will not offer a solution that can draw power from USB -- standard USB specs 500mA of power, and most high capacity laptop drives need 750 to spin up. They don't typically design them to power that way, as a result. The only one I can think of is the Iomega USB ego, which goes up to 250GB. Never tried one, though.

 

[elmo151]

check LaCie; they have some physically tiny 80GB drives that would be easy to haul around. I have 3 of them that I rotate for off site storage.