ZM-VE200-SE Black Portable HDD Enclosure with Virtual Drive Discontinued | |
ZM-VE200-SE Silver Portable HDD Enclosure with Virtual Drive Discontinued | |
| More variations available Show | |
Zalman ZM-VE200-SE Portable HDD Enclosure with Virtual Drive
The ZM-VE200 has Virtual Drive technology which allows you to store and mount ISO images on an external hard drive like they were CDs/DVDs/BDs directly attached to your computer!
Zalman have introduced a world first - the ZM-VE200, an external 2.5” HDD enclosure with a Virtual Drive function. Not only will it act like any other external HDD enclosure but you can also store ISO images from your CD/DVD/BD collection.
Features
- World’s first HDD enclosure with Virtual Drive
- Connects to your PC via eSATA or Hi-Speed USB 2.0
- Perfect for mass storage of CD/DVD/Blu-ray ISO images
- LCD display allows listing and selection of ISO files
- USB powered - no external DC adapter required
- No special software or drivers needed
The ZM-VE200 has an aluminium casing with an LCD display that shows the list of available ISO files that have been stored on its enclosed (not included!) HDD. It is compatible with any 2.5” SATA hard drive or solid state drive, and doesn’t require any additional drivers or software to mount the ISO files. You can even boot your PC from any bootable ISO images - never has installing Windows or Linux been so easy! The VE200 is USB powered and has both USB 2.0 and eSATA interfaces, plus a write protect key to prevent accidental deletion. It is an incredibly useful tool for IT support staff, PC system builders, movie enthusiasts, or any general purpose use.
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Review
The Register
Geek Treat of the Week: Slimline 2.5in HDD/SSD case that will load ISO images and boot as an optical drive. Rating: 85%, Recommended award.
| Specifications | ZM-VE200-SE Black | ZM-VE200-SE Silver |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 135.3(L) x 78.6(W) x 13.1(H) mm | 135.3(L) x 78.6(W) x 13.1(H) mm |
| Weight | 98.5g | 98.5g |
| Compatible OS | Windows, Linux 2.6+ and MAC OS 10.0+ | Windows, Linux 2.6+ and MAC OS 10.0+ |
| Materials | Aluminium, Acrylic, Polycarbonate | Aluminium, Acrylic, Polycarbonate |
| HDD Type | 2.5” SATA HDD | 2.5” SATA HDD |
| Interface | USB2.0 (USB1.1 compatible), eSATA Direct HDD Access | USB2.0 (USB1.1 compatible), eSATA Direct HDD Access |
| Data Transfer Rate | USB 480Mbps, eSATA 3Gbps | USB 480Mbps, eSATA 3Gbps |
| HDD Speed | 5400rpm or 7200rpm, or SSD | 5400rpm or 7200rpm, or SSD |
| Power | via USB | via USB |
| Firmware upgradable | Yes | Yes |
| Contents | ZM-VE200 SE, Pouch, Screw (2pcs), Screwdriver, USB 2.0 Cable and Quick Guide | ZM-VE200 SE, Pouch, Screw (2pcs), Screwdriver, USB 2.0 Cable and Quick Guide |
| Warranty | 24 months | 24 months |
| EAN barcode | 8809213762062 | 8809213762055 |
| Specifications | ZM-VE200-SE Black | ZM-VE200-SE Silver |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 135.3(L) x 78.6(W) x 13.1(H) mm | |
| Weight | 98.5g | |
| Compatible OS | Windows, Linux 2.6+ and MAC OS 10.0+ | |
| Materials | Aluminium, Acrylic, Polycarbonate | |
| HDD Type | 2.5” SATA HDD | |
| Interface | USB2.0 (USB1.1 compatible), eSATA Direct HDD Access | |
| Data Transfer Rate | USB 480Mbps, eSATA 3Gbps | |
| HDD Speed | 5400rpm or 7200rpm, or SSD | |
| Power | via USB | |
| Firmware upgradable | Yes | |
| Contents | ZM-VE200 SE, Pouch, Screw (2pcs), Screwdriver, USB 2.0 Cable and Quick Guide | |
| Warranty | 24 months | |
| EAN barcode | 8809213762062 | 8809213762055 |
Customer Reviews
Very good product
I’m working in an IT department and working with lots of CD, DVD to install/repair operating systems and applications. In the past I had a bag of cd’s with many OS and programs. Now many programs start being sell in DVD DL Media. With the Virtual Drive I can create an ISO Of 9-10Gb without have to get a bigger media (if exists) to accommodate it. I use it in replication of windows imaging to speedup the setup of a PC.
The only thing that I don’t like so much was eSATA mode. I have a HP Laptop of 2009 with USB2 and eSATA 3.0Gb/s connection. In order to work eSATA it’s needed that usb was plugged-in to supply energy and seeing “eSATA mode” in display. I have tested with an ISO of windows 7 passing from internal HDD to a SSD disk in the box and the times for USB2.0 at 480Mb/s was approximate of that in eSATA mode, I don’t know why. Appears to be the usb mode but with the eSATA mode in the display
Works (almost) perfectly...
Although this product is discontinued and replaced by a new USB 3.0 version, I think it is useful to leave my opinion because, I believe, the basics are the same to the new product as well. Basically, one would buy this product for the virtual drive functionality because, otherwise, external HHD enclosures are in abundant nowadays. So, I will concentrate on that particular feature: The Virtual Drive functionality.
In short: IT WORKS! I have made several installations from this drive set to ODD on the screen. Both BIOSs and Windows recognise it as an external optical driver and you can mount an ISO image buy selecting it from the small LCD screen using the small side switch.
Unfortunately, the small screen and the side switch are both the only drawbacks of the enclosure. The screen is small (tiny!) and I suggest that you name carefully the images that you want to load. Loading is achieved by pressing the side switch and on the screen a small icon of a cd disk appears. But the really difficult action is to navigate amongst various directories using the side switch. I also suggest to create very few directories in the .ISO part of the disk (there is another part called .HDD that is invisible when the ODD mode is selected). Furthermore, selecting the MODE requires to navigate to the root using the same switch. Thankfully, it remembers the last selection.
For these 2 drawbacks (which are almost compulsory due to the size of the enclosure) a deduct 2 stars. But, considering that there are not many alternatives and one can load and carry with him/her hundreds of CDs and DVDs (maybe one’s entire collection) is great! Good product! In the future I will also buy the USB 3.0 version…
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