🚀 go-pugleaf

Kwan Yeoh wrote:
> 
> Remo Gubler <remo.gubler@bluewin.ch> wrote:
> 
> > Dear people
> >
> > What are the possibilites of using PC-haredware likes modems, printers
> > and monitors for the Macintosh?
> 
> Can I add another one to this?
> 
> How about IDE external hard drives?
> 
AKAIK IDEs are not used externally even for PCs. For Wintel boxes,
companies sell external drive enclosures that have an IDE connector
inside and a Parallel port connector on the outside.

For a Mac you could hunt down a parallel-to-SCSI converter because no
Mac has an external IDE bus, and no Mac except the G3s have an internal
IDE bus. You could also get an IDE-to-SCSI converter and hook up the
drive to an external SCSI case. But while I know IDE-SCSI converters
exist for 2.5" powerbook drives, I don't know if they exist for regular
3.5" HDs, and I don't know if they're available as single units to end
users, or what the price would be.

If the IDE drive in question is 2Gigs or smaller, it most likely would
be more economical to just buy an equivalent sized SCSI drive. SCSI
drives are more expensive that IDEs, but in the 2Gig and smaller range
you can buy discontinued (but new in the box and fully warrantied) SCSI
drives for as little as $130 (2Gig) and $100 (1Gig)). Also, if you buy
an external HD you save a few bucks (say, $50) by getting the case
bundled with the drive, whereas an external case can run up to $80-100
(and you still have to get the converter for IDE).

Matt