Can you use it while still in the case? And can you hook up external hard drives while still in the case?
1269775
Yes. You can access all ports on the Mac book. I find it easier to just place it under my mac book to increase airflow and give it a little height.
1269776
Only if you zip it open to gain access to the ports. It isn't made to be like a shell attached to the system. Just a case.
1269777
Yes and yes (if it is connected via USB). The Firewire, Thunderbolt, and Mini-DVI ports are obstructed by the elastic band. You might could finagle them in, but I don't think I would, since it would put stress on the cord. I guess you could cut the elastic band on that side, it seems superfluous in my opinion anyway (there is one on each side that keeps the case from being able to lay flat like an open book). The USB ports, power, SD slot, and headphone jack are all free and clear and ready to use. This is on a 1.5 year old Macbook Pro (purchased Jan. 2013).
1770073
You could if you have a USB-to-SATA cable that has a power connection as well. Though, honestly, you're better off using an actual external hard drive than an internal hard drive hooked up like that. USB-to-SATA cables are generally used for hooking up a hard drive temporarily to recover data, install an OS, or other similar issues.
1829711
No you cannot. There are only sata plugs in there as well as only room for a 2.5 inch drive. Laptop type.
1876532
Since it's really only a shell it'd be compatible with any drive that had the same dimensions as the WD drive that it is made to hold. Having said that (a) if the other drive was smaller you'd need to have some sort of packing so it didn't bang around inside the shell when being carried around which wouldn't be healthy. (b) the shell has an opening (covered by a flap when not in use) that corresponds to the position of the USB connection socket on a WD drive so that you don't need to open the shell to connect to the WD drive it encloses, Another brand may not have it's socket in the same place. Having said that, for any session where you might use the drive intensely it's highly recommended IMHO that you take the drive out of the shell to avoid any issues with overheating. I've found that, for intermittent/short term use, that simply having the shell open while in use with the drive still nested inside is sufficient to keep operating temperature acceptable. Note here another brand may run naturally hot so would be better out of the case at all times while connected. As a final comment, the case is certainly well designed and solid and definitely recommended for the protection of the WD drives that are compatible with its dimensions. I can't imagine that it would not protect any drive as well with the provisos of fit and access while closed that I've mentioned. The latter point is not all that important anyway as long as you are working on a solid fixed surface, if working in an unsteady environment being able to use the drive fully protected is a bonus.
874206
If you want to use it as an external drive, you can get an enclosure for it. Here's an example of what I mean: http://www.amazon.com/ORICO-2588US3-External-Enclosure-Support/dp/B00FYKRI9M/
1297381
This is just a case and cable, so you can put a small hard drive in it. I is not a hard drive. 1TB is too large. It is made so you can take a small drive, from a laptop that no longer works, andturn the working hard drive into an external hard drive. Hope this helped you. this is not a hard drive, just a case for a small hard drive.
2227781
You are supposed to be able to do that, but I have had many problems with this unit. Even just one hard drive plugged into this didn't work properly. It would eject the external hard drive all the time. It work fine in the beginning, then suddenly stopped working.
1669043
Yes you can. It is called. A mini USB and they are used for lots of things. One charge lasts a very very long time. Enjoy the case.
930145
Yes, your are able to connect the cable in the bottom. there is a hole that allows you to connect it without taking off the case.
701336
No. You can however use an external drive. Unless you need the optical drive a lot don't go with this case. But if the optical drive is something you can work without than this case is just plain amazing. The room to do the wiring is exceptional, its quiet even when doing gaming, and it just an amazing case to work with and looks beautiful. In the end its up to you if you want the optical drive, but you can always go for a external drive if you do use it once in a while.
1058805
It solely depends what you mean by External HDD. Is it a SATA or PATA drive? Then Yes. If it is one of those USB drives with Type 'B' power port then you cannot use this. (I believe!)
1515060
No advantage as it's an internal drive, better to use the internal SATA connectors. You would not be able to plug an external drive in later.
1620568
The cables connect to the back of the drive when it lays flat so if you stand it on the front panel, which has no holes, the cables will stick out the top of the drive. That will also be a less stable position and prone to getting knocked over. The side panels have holes in them but according to another reviewer who took the drive apart those holes don't go all the way through the case and therefore do not provide any ventilation so standing the drive on one the sides would probably be a better choice.
552065
I have an external USB hard drive connected and it works fine. You can even play back files from the USB drive. I have a 1 TB external drive.
2015532
You can use it while inside the case. I would just leave it on. Mine was a safety purchase. I didn't actively end up taking it into the water.
420120
You could try that out (as I haven't). But I would use one of the computer's USB connectors to access the docked hard drive.
1770072
Sure you can, you just have to buy an enclosure for it. But why not just buy an external HD directly? I think it's a bit of waste to use this drive as external storage.