Startech premieres Unidock 3U USB 3 drive dock
updated 02:50 am EDT, Tue April 24, 2012
Dual drive docking station supports PATA, SATA
As a response to user requests, Startech unveiled the new Unidock 3U. The open dual hard drive docking station allows for one Serial ATA (SATA) and one older Parallel ATA (PATA or IDE) drive to be connected simultaneously with a USB 3 high-speed connection to the host computer.
The dual drive adapter supports both 2.5- and 3.5-inch drives in both PATA and SATA interfaces. A USB 3 super speed host connection maintains backwards compatibility to USB2 and USB1.1 connectors, ensuring wide compatibility. The drive dock is 5.51 inches long, 5.12 inches wide, and stands 2.76 inches tall without drives installed.
Supported operating systems include Windows 2000, XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista (32 and 64 bit), Windows 7 (both 32 and 64 bit), Windows Server 2008 R2, Linux, and Macintosh OS X. Full USB 3 speeds are only attainable in machines outfitted with a USB 3 host adapter. The Unidock 3U is available immediately for $100.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Almos there
If this could dock two SATA drives simultaneously, I'd want one--good for duplicating, with the added bonus of a tacked-on PATA port for those of us who still work with archaic computers now and then.
But as-is, it seems like a silly product--what's the point of the second slot if you just end up with an ungainly PATA cable sticking out of the top?
Ugly, too.