Page 1:
Manycomputer users like to take their media collections with them, andalthough USB thumb drives are reaching crazy capacities, they are stillfairly limited (and expensive) in the grand scheme of things. So whatsa guy to do when he has thousands of songs, dozens of movies, orimportant data he needs to move or save?
Today HardwareLogic takes a look at an interesting solution from ICY BOX, the IB-220 HDD enclosure.
Key Features
- Supports 2.5" IDE HDD
- Aluminum/Plastic Enclosure
- Data Transfers Up To 480MB/s
- USB 2.0 Connection/Powered (USB 1.1 Backwards Compatible)
- Hot Swappable
- Supports Windows 98/ME/XP, >OS9.1
Bundle
- External Enclosure
- Leatherette bag
- Software CD
- USB Cable Connector
- Screw Driver
- User Manual
TheIcy Box IB-220 is nothing spectacular to look at.....but at around $15retail, what do you expect? The faceplate is constructed of plasticwhich is covered by clear acrylic to give it a shiny finish and protectit from scratching.
Thealuminum backplate is secured by way of two screws and a pair of tabsfound on either side. I'd personally be a little worried if I droppedit. I think a better approach would have been to use some rubber aroundthe sides or corners to absorb the shock of a short drop, especiallysince this is touted as a portable storage device..
Toaccess the interior, and install the 2.5' HDD, simply use the includedscrewdriver to remove the screws and gently pull the two sides apart.
Above is a 2.5" HDD compared to a typical 3.5" HDD.
Thefirst step to assembling the Icy Box IB-220 is attaching the controllercard to the HDD itself. Gently align the card with the pins on the HDDand push the two together.
After attaching the HDD to the controller card, simply put the two joined pieces into the enclosure.
Thecontroller card has a hole on each side that lines up with the screwhole on either side of the plastic portion of the case. Lastly, pushthe two sides of the ICY Box IB-220 together, and secure them with theincluded screws.
Touse the Icy Box IB-220, attach the USB connector into the port at thetop of the device. I personally think a nice touch would have beenadding an E-SATA connector.
Thenattach one or both of the USB connectors to a powered USB port on youcomputer (I'd recommend using two). Remember that since you'll be usinga USB connection, you'll be limited by the USB connection speed, whichis 480MB/s.
TheIcy Box IB-220 included what looks like an LCD display, but alas, it'ssimply a cheap plastic cover, with some writing etched into the screen.
Whenpowered up, the blue LED behind the screen illuminates the writing. Itsnothing high tech, or special for that matter.....but it gets the jobdone.
The Icy Boc IB-220 is bundled with UIM backup software.Right away we found out that it isn't compatible with Window's VistaOS, which is not surprising. Running the application on an XPProfessional system, I found the software to be extremely basic, andbuggy...I'd personally recommend using something like Partition Magicor Norton Ghost.
Our Recommendation
Forpeople that work on the go, and need more storage than a typical USBthumbdrive can provide, the Icy Box IB-220 is a awesome alternative.I'd really recommend this product to those who packrat media files(songs, movies, etc). When coupled with a decent 5400rpm 80GB HDD,you're looking at around $60.......which is a great value. The includedsoftware is very basic, and to be honest, nothing I'd personally use,but if its included in the price, its a decent deal.
On thenegative side, the Icy Box IB-220 can be described as basic, or evencheap (plastic, fake LCD). Although Icy Box does manufacture modelsbuilt around SATA, the sample we recieved requires an IDE HDD and islimited by the USB connection.
However, looking at it for whatit is (and what it costs), the Icy Box IB-220 is actually a neatlittle device that serves a very useful purpose, and serves it well.Those looking for a fast, small, and mobile storage solution on thecheap should really like the Icy box IB-220
