Need advice on internal HD and external case

[BigTimeNovice]

I am going to buy an internal HD to be put into an external case for my backing up of my laptop (XP SP2). Here are my questions:

1. What is the difference between IDE and SATA?
2. Would you rather buy an IDE or SATA HD?
3. I am going to use it for backing up my laptop. Will use both firewire and USB 2.0. Will either IDE or SATA work without having to reconfigure anything?
4. Should external cases have fans? (I only plan on backing up once every 2-4 weeks)
5. What is your opinion on http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817145657
6. If you don't like the product above, what external case would you recommend? (Price range ~ $50)

Thank you very much!

[SpywareDr]

1. Webopedia: SATA
   http://webopedia.com/TERM/S/Serial_ATA.html
   
   Webopedia: IDE
   http://webopedia.com/TERM/I/IDE_interface.html
   
   Wikipedia: Serial ATA (SATA)
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sata
   
   ATA vs SATA
   http://ezinearticles.com/?ATA-vs-SATA&id=8599
   
   
2. SATA
   
   
3. Something will have to be reconfigured so the computer can recognize and access the drive through a USB port. But, with Windows XP it should be a near-automatic setup.
   
   
4. Not necessarily but, if not, it should be made out of aluminum (or some other heat dissipating material).
   
   
5. Looks like it'll work.
   
   
6. For under $50, probably the COOLMAX 15436:
   Aluminum 3.5"
   USB2.0/IEEE1394a/Serial ATA triple interface input
   IDE/Serial ATA interface output
   http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817146057

[BigTimeNovice]

SpywareDr, thanks for the very informative reply. So if I am using this with USB 2.0 or Firewire only, then I could just stick with IDE and forget the SATA drive? My laptops do not have SATA connections. Just as an aside, does any major laptop manufacturer have SATA connections?

[SpywareDr]

SpywareDr, thanks for the very informative reply.

You're welcome.

So if I am using this with USB 2.0 or Firewire only, then I could just stick with IDE and forget the SATA drive? My laptops do not have SATA connections.

Yes but, SATA is a bit faster.

BTW, a little clarification on the "SATA, (PATA), IDE...":

http://www.langa.com

SATA is "serial ATA" technology; and ATA stands for "AT attachment," referring to a design that debuted in 1984 with the original IBM PC AT. That original connection was a form of parallel interface, and--- with the advent of SATA--- is now sometimes called PATA (parallel ATA) for clarity. Originally, IDE drives all used PATA connections--- the wide, flat grey cables we've all seen.

But IDE and PATA are not synonyms. They went together, but they're different things. IDE stands for "integrated drive electronics," and is the technology that made small hard drives more or less self-contained, or "smart:" The drive actually handled its own low-level storing and fetching of bits, the low-level caching, and so on. In effect, the OS says "store this" or "get that" and the electronics mostly on the drive will then do it, with no further involvement of the OS.

So, SATA/PATA mostly refers to the data path between the drive and the motherboard; and IDE mostly refers to where the "brains" of the drive live. A SATA drive still *could* use IDE technology, for example, so the choice doesn't have to be between SATA and IDE. They're kind of different things, albeit with some overlap in practice.

Just as an aside, does any major laptop manufacturer have SATA connections?

Yes, Dell for one. for example:

http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/prod...=au&l=en&s=dhs

You can also get a SATA PCMCIA Adapter Card that will fit most notebooks. For example:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/P...ctlisting.aspx

[BigTimeNovice]

Are more laptops going to have a SATA port? I plan on getting another Dell once Vista comes out next year. I am just debating which case to get now, but will probably go with what you showed me since maybe that is the move in the future and I will be able to use both IDE and SATA drives on this case. So in final, I can just use the IDE port at USB/Firewire now, and once I have a SATA compatible computer and SATA port then if necessary upgrade to a SATA drive?

Thanks again!

[SpywareDr]

Are more laptops going to have a SATA port? I plan on getting another Dell once Vista comes out next year. I am just debating which case to get now, but will probably go with what you showed me since maybe that is the move in the future and I will be able to use both IDE and SATA drives on this case. So in final, I can just use the IDE port at USB/Firewire now, and once I have a SATA compatible computer and SATA port then if necessary upgrade to a SATA drive?

Hmmm... SATA is not really a "port", not an external "port" anyway, (like USB, Firewire, etc.). SATA is a different way to hookup a hard drive: A Serial ATA interface instead of Parallel ATA (wide ribbon cable).

So, you could actually have a SATA hard drive in an external enclosure, (hooked up to a PC via either USB or Firewire), even if the PC itself, (the motherboard), doesn't have a SATA connector.

Thanks again!

You're welcome.