Thermaltake BlacX

Author
Aron Schatz
Posted
August 26, 2008
Views
67268
Thermaltake BlacX
Data backup and storage have come a long way since the use of floppy disk to house that precious data. Today we can use the hard drive as the removable storage thanks to products like the BlacX.

Page 1: Intro, Box, Parts

Intro:

External hard drive storage is the technology that people are using to keep their data backed up in multiple locations in the current era of technology. There are good products and bad ones just the same but not all enclosures promise the same thing. The Thermaltake BlacX was probably the first unit to take a hard drive and turn it into the removable storage. Now you can easily keep multiple physical backups with ease using this product. Pretty interesting.

Box:

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The BlacX box is black with the standard Thermaltake red and orange accents. It makes sense to use a black colored product for this product. I still don't know why they called it the BlacX, but it's pretty catchy.

Parts:

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The box includes the BlacX unit itself along with the AC adapter, USB cable (A to B) and a manual. The product is basically plug in and use for any operating system.

One part that annoyed me was the AC adapter. The cable is too short. It's probably around 5 feet or so and that wasn't long enough for me to position it on my desk (with the power strip on the floor) in a good spot. It's bad when you have a good product and a detail like that goes by.

BlacX:

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The unit itself reminds me of an 8-track tape deck in that you insert a hard drive and it sticks out of the unit... Mind you, I've never used an 8-track, but I've seen them. The front of the unit contains the various logos and the front top contains the eject lever for releasing the hard drive once it is locked in place. The unit is pretty tiny and can fit nicely in tight spaces. This particular unit is USB2 only but I see that they make an eSATA unit as well.

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The back of the unit is pretty simple with the standard connections. The power button is on the left and it is a normal pop type power switch. I have no qualms over the USB cable length as the computer is usually pretty close to any of the peripherals I'm using.

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Aside from the release button in the front, the top contains the status indicator LEDs on the right. There are two in that ring. A blue one for power and a red one for activity. The top on the unit is slotted like that for a good reason. The BlacX can accept both 2.5" and 3.5" hard drives. This makes the unit extremely handy in technical services departments that need to quickly access data off of hard drives.

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The unit is made in China and that's all I'll say. Maybe we'll start manufacturing goods in the future once again. Other than that, the bottom contains the rubber feet to keep the unit in place.
members/attachments/upload/2008/08/26/2782m.jpg box.jpg members/attachments/upload/2008/08/26/2783m.jpg parts.jpg members/attachments/upload/2008/08/26/2784m.jpg unitiso.jpg members/attachments/upload/2008/08/26/2785m.jpg back.jpg members/attachments/upload/2008/08/26/2786m.jpg top.jpg members/attachments/upload/2008/08/26/2787m.jpg bottom.jpg members/attachments/upload/2008/08/26/2788m.jpg on.jpg

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