New HD

[John Allan]

> But, how about if I buy a
> firewire enclosure for the 20 GB drive and then boot
> from target? I can then copy one drive to the other
> (partition by partition). This sounds too simple.
> Where is the flaw in my fiendish plan?

No flaw ... 

Just for interest you need not buy an entire FW HD enclosure.

Have a look at the DriveDock by http://www.wiebetech.com/ . Not necessarily
the cheaper doo-dah but a useful tool for teching with. Mounted on a clear
perspex plate it would look quite good by a Cube, although the blue alloy
isn't by cup of Earl Grey. Supports drives with capacities to 250GB (ATA-6).

Fwdepot also do some natty FW bridges that you can use to convert an old
external SCSI HD from 65 bucks.

http://fwdepot.com/thestore/default.php?cPath=26&osCsid=fee0de8cdd353f9f1227
9664404f7cad

--

As an aside, I know that we are all great fans of the super silent Barracuda
IVs, but that humming vibration Cube I had problems with was caused by a IBM
Deskstar. I have two GXP 60 Deskstar, a 40 and a 60, bought a year or so ago
when they were considered the bees knees in terms of speed and comfort but,
boy, are they whiney and cause vibrations. I noticed this even in a tower.

The humming was cause by the drive in a Cube on a metal legged desk that
unfortunately hit resonance point. Pick it up, the noise disappears, put it
down it hummed like mad. Tightened up all the Torx screws [ thank you to the
little bleeder for that hint ]  but it made no different.

Anyone else had this problem? Shame the clean looks are going to have to be
spoilt by a thick rubber mat until I can afford a fishy HD.

I am wondering, given the lack of significant different in the performance
of 5,400 and 7,200 rpm drives, and given the advantage of the 5,400 being
cooler and supposedly longer lasting, whether it might not be better to
stick with them?

John