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CoolMax CD-311 Hard Drive Chassis

by Tom Owad

As seen in MAKE 05 Toolbox

Type(s): Office Supply
Tags: hard+drive portability


http://coolmaxusa.com/
$60 (US, estimated)

I have a fascination with versatility — the more ports and switches a device has, the better. When looking for a hard drive chassis, then, the CoolMax CD-311 was an easy choice. As an on-site consultant, I'm often called upon to do emergency data transfers and system recoveries. The CD-311 will support whatever drive I'm working with, whether it comes out of an eMac or an XServe.



The unit’s external interfaces are also myriad, supporting FireWire, USB 2.0, and SATA (with cables included for all three), as well as internal cables for both IDE and SATA. Plus, the design lends itself well to being cut in half, which would allay my fears about heat dissipation in the fanless, sealed aluminum chassis. It would be very easy to make a portable drive dock similar to WiebeTech's ComboDock — but while the ComboDock with SATA adapter costs $250, the CD-311 is under $60. Hacksaw not included.