• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
methodshop

methodshop

tech news, reviews & how to's

  • Trending
  • Latest
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Internet
    • Software
    • Security
    • Games
    • Advertising
  • Life
    • Entertainment
    • TV & Film
    • Music
    • Health & Science
    • Family
    • Social Media
    • Food
    • Style
  • Learn
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • News
      • Business
      • Crime
      • Politics
  • Fun
    • Featured
    • Humor
    • Holiday

Home : Reviews : Plugable’s USB 3.0 SATA Hard Drive Dock – Review

Plugable's USB 3.0 SATA Hard Drive Dock
Plugable's USB 3.0 SATA Hard Drive Dock

Plugable’s USB 3.0 SATA Hard Drive Dock – Review

March 2, 2012 by jayfrankwilson
FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn

If you’ve owned more than one computer during your lifetime, then chances are you have a few “orphan” hard drives lying around (hopefully in static proof bags).

Whether you’ve upgraded or replaced your current computer’s hard drive or just removed your hard drive before throwing out your old computer, these extra hard drives start to pile up. At least they did for me. I have a small collection of 2.5 and 3.5 SATA hard drives of various capacities just laying around.

Then one day I was trying to copy a bunch of files I needed to transport onto a handful of 1GB USB thumb drives and I realized how stupid it was. I had an 80 GB 3.5 drive sitting in a drawer that could easily hold all my files, I just didn’t have a way to connect it to my computer. I totally needed a dock.

For this review I bought 5 different USB hard drive docks that could handle both 2.5 and 3.5 SATA drives. All of them were flimsy and bulky except Plugable Technologies’ USB 3.0 Hard Drive Dock.

Slim Design

This lightweight dock (7.6 oz) works great. It feels solid and it’s much more compact than most other SATA USB docks. For some reason most SATA docks look like a giant black box the size of baby wipes sitting on your desk. But according to my wife, Plugable Technologies‘ dock almost looks like a fancy mini bagel toaster. An honestly, she’s right. This is definitely not your typical “designed in China” electronic. It looks it was designed by high-end design firm like IDO in San Francisco.

Inside

Ease Of Use

Inserting and removing both 2.5 and 3.5 SATA hard drives is easy. Simply slide drives gently into the top of the docking station, with your drive’s SATA connectors aligned. No force necessary. Drives will automatically attach and rest on the SATA connector and even leave a little space for airflow around all sides. There’s even a power switch on the back of the Plugable Technologies dock that allows it to be turned on/off independently. For some reason, many docks don’t have a power switch.

The Backside Of Plugable'S Usb 3.0 Sata Hard Drive Dock

USB Connection, Transfer Speeds & Compatibility

How-It-Works

Transfer rates with USB 3.0 will vary by machine, typically between 500Mbps and 2Gbps. My MacBook Pro doesn’t have USB 3.0, but its USB 2.0 connection worked fine. Plugable’s dock is even backward compatible back to USB 1.1 in case you have a really old computer. A green LED light on the front reports drive activity. No drivers required: uses standard USB mass storage class support already provided in Windows XP and later, Mac, and Linux.

What’s In the Box?

Everything you need is in the box: USB 3.0 to SATA HDD Docking Station (using LucidPort USB300 Chipset), USB 3.0 Cable, USB 2.0 cable and a 12V/2A AC power adapter.

81Wtftmh8Tl._Aa1500_

Product Features & Technical Details

  • Supports all 3.5-inch SATA drives up to any capacity (3TB+)
  • Docking station connects via SuperSpeed USB 3.0 (up to 10x as fast as USB 2.0)
  • Backwards compatible with USB 2.0/1.1. Both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 cables included
  • Slide bare SATA drives into docking station with no wires to connect
  • Includes 12V/2A AC power adapter, so dock will work connected to any USB port
  • Brand Name: Plugable Technologies
  • Model: USB3-SATA-U3
  • Warranty: One year limited parts and labor

Final Thoughts

Box

What else can you say when something just works perfectly and smoothly all of the time? Plus, Plugable docking station is under $30! Great deal. Great design. Great quality product. If you’re looking for a docking station then definitely take a look at this one: Plugable USB 3.0/2.0 SATA Hard Drive Docking Station (LucidPort chipset).


FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn
Category: Reviews, Technology Tag: hard drives, linux, Microsoft Windows, sata, USB
Previous Post:Pinterest: Why should you be interested? [infographic]
Next Post:What do dogs think about Subaru’s dog blanket Klout Perk? (2012)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sidebar

Popular Posts

  • Top 200 Nielsen DMA Rankings (2023) – Full ListTop 200 Nielsen DMA Rankings (2023) – Full List
  • 18 Weird Facts About Sea-Monkeys You Won't Believe Are True, Including Their Connection To The Ku Klux Klan18 Weird Facts About Sea-Monkeys You Won’t Believe Are True, Including Their…
  • 7 Pictures Of Naked People Captured By Google's Cameras7 Pictures Of Naked People Captured By Google’s Cameras
  • The 30 Best Caddyshack Quotes That'll Make You LaughThe 30 Best Caddyshack Quotes That’ll Make You Laugh
  • How To Change The Default LG TV Home Screen To Live TVHow To Change The Default LG TV Home Screen To Live TV
  • Is Your Hatch Restore Already Registered? Here's How To Fix It And Unregister A Hatch Restore.Is Your Hatch Restore Already Registered? Here’s How To Fix It And…
  • Fletch Quotes: 30 Of The Funniest Quotes From The Movie FletchFletch Quotes: 30 Of The Funniest Quotes From The Movie Fletch
  • Top 25 Better Off Dead Movie Quotes - How Many Better Off Dead Quotes Do You Remember?Top 25 Better Off Dead Movie Quotes – How Many Better Off Dead Quotes Do You…
  • 50+ Famous Happy Birthday Quotes From Notable Personalities50+ Famous Happy Birthday Quotes From Notable Personalities
  • Controversial Nimbus 2000 Vibrating Harry Potter Broomstick Has Parents In An UproarControversial Nimbus 2000 Vibrating Harry Potter Broomstick Has Parents In An Uproar

Categories

Moon Trash: What Was Left On The Moon And Why

Discover The Surprising Items Left Behind By Astronauts On The Lunar Surface – What Was Left On The Moon And Why

Have you ever wondered what was left on the moon by astronauts? Here is a list of some of the items that were left on the Moon during the Apollo missions.

Unleash the Power of AI-Generated Music with Riffusion - The Free Web App that Creates Original Tracks from Your Text Prompts

Unleash the Power Of AI-Generated Music With Riffusion – The Free Web App That Creates Original Tracks From Your Text Prompts

Riffusion is a free web application that uses AI technology to create music based on text prompts inputted by the user. The application allows users to generate original tracks by inputting lyrics, poems or even tweets and is aimed at songwriters, composers and music producers.

Recent Posts

  • Unleash the Power Of AI-Generated Music With Riffusion – The Free Web App That Creates Original Tracks From Your Text Prompts
  • The 11 Biggest ChatGPT Flaws And Why You Should Never Completely Trust Online Chatbots
  • Discover The Surprising Items Left Behind By Astronauts On The Lunar Surface – What Was Left On The Moon And Why
  • 6 Tips On How To Deal With Trolls For News Organizations
  • Microsoft Plans To Put ChatGPT AI Tools in Every Office 365 Product

Jump to comments

About

MethodShop’s mission is to entertain, inform, and sometimes gross you out. MethodShop has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of the revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by us. All prices are subject to change.

Latest

Unleash the Power of AI-Generated Music with Riffusion - The Free Web App that Creates Original Tracks from Your Text Prompts

Unleash the Power Of AI-Generated Music With Riffusion – The Free Web App That Creates Original Tracks From Your Text Prompts

ChatGPT Flaws

The 11 Biggest ChatGPT Flaws And Why You Should Never Completely Trust Online Chatbots

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
MethodShop Animated Zoom Icon
  • About
  • Submit
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Store

Copyright © 2023 MethodShop · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.