Can eSATA drive be used as an internal SATA drive?

[MamaMoose]

I have a new MacBook Pro with  power, and data cables for 3 internal SATA drives. Right now, I have 3 external LaCie drives that have eSATA output. Can I remove the external drives from their LaCie cases and install them in the MacBook pro? Will power and data requirements match? I know that the external case contains circuits such as bridges that allow the single drive to have USB 2, FireWire 800, and eSATA outputs.

Basically I am asking what modifications do I have to make to make the bare eSATA drive compatible with the Mac Pro's requirements?

Thanks,

MamaMoose

[gunug]

I was all set to say "NO" but I thought I'd Google it and there it is:

http://www.cpustuff.com/product.php?productid=16175

http://www.nextag.com/Tripp-Lite-SATA-to-5...DF429C05109136A

I don't think anyone I know is doing this but apparently it's happening!

[Paddy]

I'm assuming you're talking about a Mac PRO here, not a MacBOOK Pro, MM??? (No, you cannot stuff three drives into a MacBook Pro - even little solid state ones!! )

Anyway - "eSATA" stands for external SATA - it's a connector allowing for external SATA connections for external drives - like Firewire and USB allow for ATA and SATA drives to be connected externally (though both of those protocols require bridges - eSATA does not). It hasn't anything to do with the actual connection on the drive itself - it will be SATA.

So, yes, absolutely you should be able to take those three SATA drives out of their eSATA enclosures and stick 'em in your new Mac Pro. Just unplug the SATA cable INSIDE the drive enclosure and plug the drive into the SATA connectors in your Mac Pro.

Which Mac Pro did you get? (so we can all be jealous...)

[MamaMoose]

Paddy,
Thanks for the info. I will try it.

My new Mac Pro is a quad 2.8 GHz system with 8 GB of RAM and a 250 GB HD. I had no intention of exciting envy rather I need the 8 GB of RAM for the work I do as I have several number crunchers (Maple -Algebra/Calculus compiler, FORTRAN, non-linear curve fitter plus µSoft Word and PowerPoint including EndNote) up on the desktop at one time. I  bought it refurbished  from PowerMax which is just down the road from me.

There was no way the measly (I can't believe I used that adjective - back when I was a pup, the memory medium consisted of a 1000 word magnetic drum ) 4 GB of RAM in my MacBook Pro was going to handle this demand in a speedy fashion. I get too much virtual memory swapping between RAM and the hard drive.

Old MamaMoose

[krissel]

[sandbox]

Mama, my brother-in-law bought one new and he uses it in movie production. I'm not envious, I'm over it, I moved on the portables and I'm not looking back. I tell him, if I want that much air blowing at me I'll go outside.

[gunug]

Oh, I would go for a MAC Pro (Intel or G5) but have a no money problem right now!  On the subject of eSATA it is just "barely" possible that the drives themselves aren't SATA at all but PATA instead.  I know we have a contractor that brought one in for a project and his wasn't SATA in the box and I've got an adapter here that lets you run PATA hooked to a SATA connector.

[krissel]

I had the same thought as gunug. Cases could come with a bridge to allow ATA drives to run through an eSATA interface.  Older cases would be more likely to have an ATA drive than newer ones, if at all. But a SATA drive is probably in that case.