Cheap SONNETT G5 JIVE INTERNAL MOUNTING HW ( ENC-G5-3HD ) (Electronics) Price

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Customer Reviews of SONNETT G5 JIVE INTERNAL MOUNTING HW ( ENC-G5-3HD )

Who cares what it looks like.....?
If it's an INTERNAL bracket and it does it's job well then why the 2 page dissertation? I can't believe that someone's biggest gripe would be that this product is just piece of metal and isn't aesthetically pleasing to look at. Who cares? I'm not taking my PowerMac G5 around the country and showing off it's internals to large audiences. Good grief, it does what it's designed to do and it does it well, that's all that needs to be said.

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It's not the greatest, but it serves it's purpose.
There are a handful of companies that offer internal hard drive expansion for the PowerMac G5. I looked at similar products such as: <
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>1. The "G5 Jam" which replaces the original air baffle from the OEM clear Polycarbonate-like material to their aluminum material which helps dissipate heat better. The price is way off my budget and I don't like the new cosmetic appearance of not being able to see the internal components for a quick inspection. This is the most expensive solution among the bunch. <
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>2. The "G5 Drive Bracket" is the cheapest solution and is made out of Polycarbonate. The construction of the material looks well done and elegant to look at. I would have bought this, but I don't like the fact that I have to source my own cables (power and data) and start scavenging the internet for manufacturers that help specialize in cables that provide a clean look. They should have provided that additional option for the buyers to make it a little bit more convenient, but with the flexibility of buying just the expansion bracket. <
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>3. Max Upgrade's "MaxConnect" is the most flexible company among the bunch. They offer a multitude of options at a reasonable price. You can choose PolyAcetal material (similar to Polycarbonate) which is black in color, or you can choose the more expensive Aluminum material which, again, offers a better chance of heat dissipation. Apart from the two materials, they also offer the option to purchase the bracket along with either the power cables alone (in case you have other data cable ideas apart from the PowerMac G5 standard of SATA interface), power cable+SATA data cable together, or power cable+SATA data cable+SATA controller card. I like what they thought of and I almost purchaed from them. However, I decided on the simplest design idea for the expansion project that had a good stable product offering within the company specializing in data products and expansion. <
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>Which leads me to choosing Sonnett Technologies and their G5 Jive. This company is well known for data products expansion cards like FireWire, USB, SATA and SATA II controller cards as well as corresponding data and power cables that support the Mac. Their image in the Mac community helps make my buying decision easier. <
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>I liked the idea of the G5 Jive because the product is a two-piece design versus everyone else's four piece and the G5 Jam's one LARGE cosmetically altering piece. Their idea is one full metal bracket that houses all three hard drives that rests on top of a similar metal plate screwed on the internal floor of the G5. It comes with all the necessary screws to attach the base plate to the G5 and the to the hard drives. The only thing you will be needing is a Philips screw driver and your good to go and connect it to your SATA hard drives and host controller. <
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>Furthermore, they created the data and power cables specifically for this expansion option. Which means the proper length of each piece and the proper design - L-shaped SATA data cable connectors for a low profile look and a power cable with three connectors in one simple piece that taps into the socket of the internal DVD drive versus buying three separate power cables that tap into each other and end up bulky and messy in the G5. <
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>In addition their manual is straigh-forward and full of pictures to guide you with the very simple installation procedure. You don't even have to read the text they wrote. Just look at the step-by-step pictures and you will know what to do. Bravo on this aspect (although a booklet would have been more impressive). <
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>So with all this highlights, why only 3 stars? <
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>For one, price. This is certainly a bargain for a majority because it specifically meets the standard option of building an internal SATA RAID. It isn't a good buy for others who are still stuck in the older IDE connection or for other more expensive options of SCSI or Fiber Channel devices. (Although higher end options are not supported with this bracket due to excessive vibration. Besides if you can afford those, it would be better to purchase an external RAID). <
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>Second, construction. Build quality is a robust metal piece. It isn't smooth in construction or thick in make. In fact it's the ugliest base plate and bracket I've seen for the beautiful G5. <
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>Three stars because there is nothing fancy in the design to highlight the additional internal drives. No Polycarbonate, PolyAcetal or Aluminum material here. Just your basic metal bracket with a very simple design that serves its purpose. No questions asked. <
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>And for the suggested retail price of USD99.00, it may turn most of the people away from the product. But at Amazon you can buy it for less with free shipping and no tax. Which then makes it very attractive. <
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>I purchased this to gamble in the hopes that it looks better than the pictures. It does not. I used the savings on this product to spend more on a Sonnett Tempo-X eSATA 4+4 (SATA II PCI-X controller card) and three SATA II Hitachi IBM hard drives to complement the expansion. <
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>If you're looking for a more aesthetically pleasing option, I'd recommend MaxConnect and G5 Drive Bracket. Their price is worth the construction and material. If you're looking for a no-nonesense robust SATA expansion KIT complete with specially designed cables at a decent price then look no further than here. <
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>In the future, with their simple design they could venture into better materials and smoother construction/fabrication similar to the competitors above.