VIZO Uranus 3.5" eSATA HDD Enclosure

With recent developments producing smaller, faster and larger hard disk drives it is only natural that the demand for compact hard disk drive enclosures has increased. The ability to carry around a portable hard disk drive that offers comparable performance and storage capacity as a desktop hard drive is very attractive. The consumer appetite for media devices has also fueled the need for portable storage that can be used for storing pictures, movies and music. To meet that need, VIZO has developed a diverse line of hard disk drive enclosure offerings that are both stylish and functional.

The VIZO Uranus enclosure is specifically designed for use with 3.5 SATA hard drives, while other offerings from VIZO Technology fulfill the need 2.5 drive enclosures. While the 3.5 drives may be bulkier than their 2.5 counterparts, the price per GB ratio of 3.5 drives still trumps that of 2.5 drives. In addition, the 750GB maximum capacity of 3.5 drives dwarfs the current maximum capacity of 2.5 drives. So, there is still a definite need for 3.5 hard disk drive enclosures due to the distinct advantages that 3.5 drives offer.

Design

The VIZO Uranus is designed to be a rugged, dependable solution for portable data storage that also is pleasing to look at. Rather than using an old, outdated design that is reminiscent of the bland beige computers of the late 1990 s, VIZO has developed a new, sleek casing for this enclosure. The black cover is housed in aluminum and fits around a silver colored plate that attaches to the hard disk drive. The silver colored plate is also made of aluminum to give the finish a smooth, consistent look from all angles. The black casing is very polished, and the rounded edges of the enclosure give it a bit more style and less of a traditional rectangular look.

The polished black casing is certainly nice to look at, but it is prone to fingerprint smudges and scratches if you are not careful. Use of the included cleaning cloth (which is a nice touch by VIZO) was required in order to keep the enclosure looking glossy and in tip-top shape.

Features

• Compatible with 3.5" SATA Hard Drive
• Support 480Mbps High Speed USB 2.0
• Support 3.0Gbps High Speed external Serial-ATA( eSATA )
• Dual One-touch Backup buttons for file and system
• Aluminum housing for excellent heat dissipation
• Built in fan for better system cooling
• Supports plug and play & hot swappable

Included in the Box

• 3.5 SATA HDD enclosure
• Stand
• USB Cable
• eSATA cable
• SATA to eSATA adapter cable w/bracket
• Power Adapter
• Power Cable
• Cleaning cloth
• User manual and driver CD
  
  
  

Base that connects the HD	Top view of the base	Included accessories

Out of the Box Setup

Unpacking the box revealed that VIZO was thoughtful enough to include all of the necessary cables, adapters and drivers for use with either USB 2.0 or eSATA interfaces. Using the included user manual, the process of installing a 3.5 SATA hard drive into the enclosure was very straightforward and only took about 10 minutes. The user manual had clear and easy to follow directions for installing the hard drive and screwing together the black casing and the silver body plate. The only somewhat tricky part was making sure that the edge of the casing and the body plate were lined up perfectly so that each of the sides was flush with the other.

After getting the hard drive installed, the next step was to install the drivers and the backup software. This was also straightforward and took only about 5 minutes to complete the driver and software installation. The software that is included with the Uranus is called PCCloneEX and provides the capability for one-touch backup of your system. With the system backup option, the idea is that a complete system restore would be possible in the case of internal hard drive failure. This capability, along with the traditional ability to pick and choose which files to back up, gives the Uranus flexibility in how it can be used for backups.