The Other World Computing 0GB Mercury Elite Pro Quad Interface Storage Kit offers a convenient enclosure, which affords installation of your favorite 3.5" Serial ATA (SATA I/II) hard drive into a stylish enclosure that supports data transfer rates up to an amazing 150 Megabytes per second. The Mercury Elite Pro is equipped with a next-generation high-speed Oxford 944SE Chipset that's compatible with eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0/1.1 connectivity. The single eSATA port offers the fastest data transfer rates, up to 1.5Gb/s or 150MB/s. The dual 9-pin FireWire 800 ports facilitate 800Mbps or 100MB/s transfer rates, while the 6-pin FireWire 400 interface supports transfer rates up to 400Mbps or 50MB/s. The USB 2.0 port, which is also backwards compatible with USB 1.1, supports up to 480Mbps or 60MB/s transfer rates for USB 2.0, as well as 12Mbps or 1.5MB/s transfer rates for a USB 1.1 connection. Supporting four different interfaces ensures that you'll achieve the fastest data transfers possible on your PC or Mac. Plus, by offering a USB 2.0/1.1 port, eSATA port, dual FireWire 800 ports and a FireWire 400 port, all your interface needs are covered and as an added measure of convenience, all supported interface connector cables are included.
Besides offering quad connectivity and high-performance, the Mercury Elite Pro enclosure features a top-notch design, constructed from high-quality parts that ensure reliability for years. Plus, the enclosure is compact and shock-resistant, which affords maximum portability with limited risk of damage or loss of data. Although designed to match the aesthetic sensibilities of Apple's Mac Pro systems, the Mercury Elite Pro's unique style, flexibility and easy plug-and-play setup make it a perfect fit for virtually any system. Plus, a blue activity LED is recessed behind the front grille. Not only does it add to the modern-styling of the enclosure, it also lets you know when your drive is being accessed. It's this synergy of style, flexibility and functionality that make the Mercury Elite Pro a fine storage solution for any computer.
| Material | Brushed aluminum |
| Chipset | Oxford Semiconductor 944SE |
| Bays | 1 |
| Drive Types Supported | Up to 3.0TB SATA I or SATA II 3.5" (8.9 cm) Hard Drives |
| Recommended eSATA Cards | NewerTech MAXPower eSATA 6G PCIe 2.0 Card NewerTech MAXPower 6G eSATA RAID card w/ port multiplier These cards have been tested and qualified for the Mercury Elite Pro by OWC |
| Interfaces/Ports | eSATA port x 1 FireWire 800 (1394B) ports x 2 FireWire 400 (1394A) port x 1 USB 2.0/1.1 port x 1 |
| Maximum Data Rate | eSATA: up to 1.5Gb/s (150MB/s) FireWire 800: up to 800Mbps (100MB/s) FireWire 400: up to 400Mbps (50MB/s) USB 2.0/1.1: up to 480Mbps (60MB/s)/12Mbps (1.5MB/s) |
| Windows System Requirements | Windows 98SE or later and an available FireWire 400 or USB 2.0/1.1 port Windows 2000 or later and an available USB 2.0/1.1, FireWire 800/400, or eSATA port |
| Mac System Requirements | Mac OS 8.6 to 9.2.2, 10.0.x or later and an available USB 1.1 or FireWire 400 port Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later including 'Lion' 10.7.x and an available USB 2.0/1.1, FireWire 800/400 port, or eSATA port Time Machine Compatible: Mac OS X 10.5 (version introduced) and later |
| Linux Requirements | Linux compatible via supported USB and FireWire interfaces |
| Operating Environment | Temperature: varies depending on drive mechanism installed Relative Humidity: varies depending on drive mechanism installed Shock: varies depending on drive mechanism installed Vibration: varies depending on drive mechanism installed MTBF (hours): varies depending on drive mechanism installed |
| Hard Disk Space | Auto-Switching AC 100 - 240 V, 50/60 Hz (3.0 Amp) US/International Power Supply |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 1.5 x 4.6 x 9.0" (3.8 x 11.7 x 22.9 cm) |
| Shipping Weight | Approximately 3.0 lb (1.36 kg) |
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by PowerReviewsPros
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Reviewed by 7 customers
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Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 0GB Mercury Elite Pro Quad Interface Storage Kit:
Works fine with firewire 800 and a 3TB drive. Comes with all cables and it has on/off switch!
Pros
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Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 0GB Mercury Elite Pro Quad Interface Storage Kit:
This enclosure from OWC was the only one where the vendor was open about the chipset used in the interface (the Oxford 944SE), which is the main reason I chose this one over the others. This is probably the last enclosure of this type (multi-interface) that I will need, as I imagine I will move to Thunderbolt in the near future.
There are no surprises with the enclosure itself, which is good for a product like this. All cables were included, and look to be good quality. The enclosure is a bit long, to accommodate the HDD sliding into the enclosure without having the front/back plate taken off. The HDD attaches directly to the PCB board, instead of having a ribbon cable come out from the PCB and into the HDD. The screws used to hold the HDD have blobs of blue plastic paint on them, which I believe helps keep the screw from coming off over time, and is definitely a nice touch. Overall, it's not the best design I've ever seen (some rough edges here and there), but really there isn't much to actually fault. I feel it is much better than the Macally hdd enclosure I recently bought (which looks and performs OK, but I felt like more thought went into the OWC).
My only complaint would be that it uses a wall-wart. However, the only enclosure I was able to find in the US with an internal power supply were the ones from Glyph, and those aren't sold just for the enclosures and therefore not an option for my needs. In addition, the wall-wart is the type where you attach a separate power cord to the power supply (looks to be of good quality, too), and not the type with the blades actually on the power supply (which I hate, since in many instances they end up hogging slots on my power strips). As such, I won't take down a star because of this.
One minor note is that the blue led on the front panel (which comes on when powered up) is quite bright. May not be a concern for you, and there are probably ways to deal with it.
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Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 0GB Mercury Elite Pro Quad Interface Storage Kit:
I've purchased two of these enclosures over the past year, both to replace failed enclosures on Maxtor external drives. (The packs still worked fine, but the original enclosures both failed). The OWC units offer FW800, which is what I prefer to use. The units are sturdy, assembly is a snap, and there is no stretching or twisting of internal cables to install the drive -- it just slides onto a rigid interface plug. I bought from B&H because they had the best price.
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Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 0GB Mercury Elite Pro Quad Interface Storage Kit:
I use the enslosure for Time Machine and other data backups. Very quiet operation. The only noise, if any, comes from the hard drive itself. What a quality design!
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Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 0GB Mercury Elite Pro Quad Interface Storage Kit:
I use this enclosure to house an e-sata drive which is for emergency start up and external storage. Because the unit is attached to an iMac I can't take advantage of the e-sata interface, but the firewire 800 works fine for this application.
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Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 0GB Mercury Elite Pro Quad Interface Storage Kit:
Easy setup, unit looks great next to my MBP and works just like it's supposed to. I had a spare HD that I wanted to use for editing and this enclosure was priced just right and has plenty of flexibility for future use.
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Comments about OWC / Other World Computing 0GB Mercury Elite Pro Quad Interface Storage Kit:
Installed 2TB drive, incredibly simple & straightforward. Is a solid, quiet enclosure.
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