Question about two systems on the store
Forum: Hardware Talk
Topic: Question about two systems on the store
started by: deeztech
Posted by deeztech on April 25 2006,14:23
I've been looking at two systems on your store, the bargain Fanless Mini-ITX BareBones Computer and the Nano-ITX Computer The Damn Small Machine!. I noticed that both of them have IDE connectors on them. I can't seem to find a space for a hard drive. Do any of these systems have a space for a hard drive? I really like to get one of these for a project that I'm working on. I will not be installing DSL on them cause I need functionality that DSL doesn't provide and I also need large amount of hard drive space. Any help would be appreciated.
Posted by torp on April 25 2006,18:02
a lot of people use a flash card with an ide adapter on these machines. rumor control sez flash cards will go up to 2 gig this year, so that could be an option. for the hd space just get a external drive with a 1394 interface. i've seen 160 gb external drives for less than $100.
Posted by torp on April 25 2006,18:10
oops....i meant that the rumor is we will see 20 (twenty) gb compact flash cards this year. 2 gb is old news...torp
Posted by doobit on April 25 2006,18:34
Those large CF cards and microdrives are expensive. By contrast I bought a 512MB one for $20. I can put DSL and all the apps I want on it (that's not very many, but I have space left over.)
Posted by torp on April 25 2006,18:50
doobit, they are going down quickly though, i bought a 1gb kingston at newegg for $21.99.torp
Posted by deeztech on April 25 2006,21:25
Going with an external HD is not an option. Going with a flash drive is not an option. Waiting for ungodly expensive microdrives in the 20GB range is not an option. I simply want to know if these are IDE connectors and if the case provides space for a 2.5 or a 3.5 hard drive. If so, I'm all over it. If not, oh well.
Posted by AwPhuch on April 26 2006,01:24
| Quote (deeztech @ April 25 2006,17:25) |
| Going with an external HD is not an option. Going with a flash drive is not an option. Waiting for ungodly expensive microdrives in the 20GB range is not an option. I simply want to know if these are IDE connectors and if the case provides space for a 2.5 or a 3.5 hard drive. If so, I'm all over it. If not, oh well. |
yes..there are!
< http://www.psism.com/adcf.htm >
< http://www.mini-itx.com/store/?c=16 >
< http://www.logicsupply.com/product_info.php/products_id/337 >
< http://linitx.com/product_info.php?products_id=644 >
Brian
AwPhuch
Posted by deeztech on April 26 2006,09:58
Amazingly nobody has answered my question yet. Everyone is dancing around the subject. The question is simple. Do any of those cases support hard drives? Not CF cards, not IDE to CF card adapters. Just simple IDE hard drives. Why do people insist on posting on this topic without answering my question? If you don't know the answer, don't bother posting. I believe I was VERY specific with my question. The last post was my favorite. I actually got excited that someone had answered my question until I saw that every link you posted was a link for an IDE to CF adapter. WTF? What does that have to do with my question. I wonder why you posted this sir?I'm not trying to start an argument. I just want someone who knows and has had experience with those cases that I mentioned at my very first post to answer whether or not these cases will accomodate either a 2.5 or a 3.5 IDE hard drive. I would love to hear from the gentlemen that run the DSL store since I figure they would know about these cases.
Posted by doobit on April 26 2006,14:01
| Quote (deeztech @ April 25 2006,10:23) |
| I will not be installing DSL on them cause I need functionality that DSL doesn't provide and I also need large amount of hard drive space. Any help would be appreciated. |
I guess you didn't really mean that any help would be appreciated.
Anyway, to be more specific to your case...
here is a quote from the store concerning the BarBones mini-ITX:
| Quote |
| This super compact Mini-ITX barebones system is the best Mini-ITX deal on the net. It is very speedy and extremely compact. Though perfect as a speedy, thin client, I am sure most DSL users would prefer to use it with a mini-drive, compact flash, or via USB boot. |
That seems to suggest it will accept a small hard drive, like a laptop sized one. If you look a the specs of the case and the (rather large) photos, then you will notice that the heat sink for the CPU touches the top of the case. That doesn't leave much space for anything else, but it's possible to cram a 2.5 inch hard drive in there.
As for the nano-itx, the same situation applies. If you read the description and look at the photos, it's pretty clear that there is very little space inside the case. There is enough for an IDE powered CF or microdrive, because that is one of the options they offer.:
| Quote |
| The case The case is made from a thick die cast and it butts right up against the CPU heat-sink to ensure fanless heat transfer, and there is a thin plastic film which needs to be removed from on top of the heat-sink before you boot your DSM. Overall, this is a very nice compact package with an integrated supply. As requested We are now offering different Damn Small Machine packages. In addition to the USB package (this page),we are also offering DSM with 1GB IDE Flash drive, and with a 512MB IDE Flash Drive, as well as a Diskless Option. |
Of course, if you wanted to contact the store operator directly, that information is also on the store page.
orders_at_damnsmalllinux.org
Posted by deeztech on April 26 2006,15:56
| Quote (doobit @ April 26 2006,10:01) | ||||
| I guess you didn't really mean that any help would be appreciated. Anyway, to be more specific to your case... here is a quote from the store concerning the BarBones mini-ITX:
That seems to suggest it will accept a small hard drive, like a laptop sized one. If you look a the specs of the case and the (rather large) photos, then you will notice that the heat sink for the CPU touches the top of the case. That doesn't leave much space for anything else, but it's possible to cram a 2.5 inch hard drive in there. As for the nano-itx, the same situation applies. If you read the description and look at the photos, it's pretty clear that there is very little space inside the case. There is enough for an IDE powered CF or microdrive, because that is one of the options they offer.:
Of course, if you wanted to contact the store operator directly, that information is also on the store page. orders_at_damnsmalllinux.org |
Well, I think any reasonable person would assume that when I say ANY help would be appreciated it means on the topic that I have started. Here's an example to make this clear: You go up to someone on the street to ask directions and instead of giving you directions they start talking about the large growth of puss on their ass. Would that strike you as weird and completely off the topic? This is exactly what you did with your last post.
Forgive my ignorance, but, I always thought that a mini-drive is something like a usb flash drive or a micro drive. I'm quite sure that if someone means a 2.5" IDE drive they would actually use the term "2.5" IDE drive". I could be wrong though. See, I don't like making assumptions, blowing $200+ and finding out that I was wrong or the nice person who tried to help on the forums didn't have a clue about the subject and since I trusted them now I'm stuck with a piece of hardware that I cannot use.
Also, believe me, I would MUCH rather talk to the "store operator directly" but that "information" is not the store page. Not that I can see anyhow. Maybe it's cleverly hidden. I don't see the address orders_at_damnsmalllinux.org anywhere on the site. I'll tell you what though, I will use the e-mail address you posted on this topic and see if I can get a hold of them. At the very least you provided me with some useful information. I'm not really sure if you meant it or not, but thank you nonetheless.
Posted by doobit on April 26 2006,16:15
I thought you said you weren't trying to start an argument?
Posted by deeztech on April 26 2006,17:50
Who's trying to start an argument? I'm not the one who used snippy phrases like:"If you look a the specs of the case and the (rather large) photos, then you will notice that the heat sink for the CPU touches the top of the case."
"If you read the description and look at the photos, it's pretty clear that there is very little space inside the case."
"I guess you didn't really mean that any help would be appreciated."
You seem to be trying to talk down on me and on top of everything else you are trying to make a funny at my expense with "I guess you didn't really mean that any help would be appreciated" comment. Did you honestly think your comments were going to go unnoticed? The truth of the matter is that the pictures are not clear enough. There looks like there is space for an HD, but I just wanted to make sure before I made the investment. Posting things like CF cards, CF to IDE adapters, USB drives and the such when I clearly stated in my first post that I want to use a "hard drive" is completely useless. It just seems people are just posting replies for the sole purpose of posting things no matter how irrelevant their answers are.
This entire fiasco would have been avoided if someone's contact information was somewhere/anywhere on the site. I still haven't been able to find any. I dread posting on forums because this is the type of replies that I get. Maybe I'm less tolerant than most other people, but, it does not mean that I'm wrong.
As far as I'm concerned, it's done and over with. Thanks for the help.
Posted by torp on April 26 2006,18:54
jeez....somebody needs a chill pill. relax, breathe deep, life is good. 
torp
Posted by dslfool on April 27 2006,21:38
I'm curious myself as to whether 2.5" drives would fit, and after three pages in this thread I'm still not sure. I think deeztech has a point - the replies have been well intentioned but they don't answer the question. Deeztech: I wish you luck in your search. If you do find out one way or the other, I hope you'll be willing to share the answer here.
Posted by dtf on April 27 2006,22:55
2.5 inch laptop hard drivesMost Mini-ITX cases require the use of a 2.5 inch hard drive, the size typically used in modern laptops. The one acception is the Cubic 2699 which is the only Mini-ITX case we know of with room for a full size hard drive.
Anyway, little cases take little equipment and these 2.5 inch drives are exactly what's needed if you are planning to use a little case or your own compact design.
< http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/store/hard_drives >
This is from a review of the case used with the bare bone system.
Due to the size, you are forced to use a notebook style hard drive and optical drive, so any plans to use some of your old desktop components in here should be abandoned. But, if you want to build a small system in a “big” way, you might as well do it right and use the smallest components possible.
< http://www.bigbruin.com/html/morex_3688.htm >
Posted by deeztech on April 28 2006,09:02
| Quote (dslfool @ April 27 2006,17:38) |
| I'm curious myself as to whether 2.5" drives would fit, and after three pages in this thread I'm still not sure. I think deeztech has a point - the replies have been well intentioned but they don't answer the question. Deeztech: I wish you luck in your search. If you do find out one way or the other, I hope you'll be willing to share the answer here. |
Well I found the "Nano-ITX Computer The Damn Small Machine!" aka the "eBox" manufacturer and I asked them. The reply was as follows:
"In particular, the eBox-3850PS product will accomodate a 2.5" ide drive."
Other eBox products will only accomodate 44 pin IDE flash drives that plug directly into the IDE connector on the system board. I'll be happy to discuss these options with you."
Now I'm not sure which eBox model the DSL store carries, therefore my question.
The "Bargain Fanless Mini-ITX BareBones Computer" still remains a mystery.
Posted by humpty on May 10 2006,18:59
I've looked at all the pics.I can't recommend a 2.5" HD in any of those boxes even if they will fit, the heat is a threat. These drives DO get hot.
But then my reasoning is skewed since I don't actually own a mini-itx (yet).
I have a non-itx barebone; (http://www.pcwinner.com.tw/mini-pc.htm)
although these look good too (http://www.pcwinner.com.tw/mini-itx.htm)
oh dear, now I'm digressing (- guilty as hell!), I think I'll
do my next topic in a different post..