The problem: you’ve upgraded the original hard drive that came in your computer and, while the new drive is fantastic, you’ve got the old one that wasn’t big enough or fast for your needs. What to do?

Solution ONE: bury it at the back of a drawer and forget about it.
Cost? Free.

Solution TWO: purchase an enclosure to park the new drive in to use for time machine backups / pictures / music / stuff. Not a bad solution, and there are some cheap drive cases to be had on ebay or from elsewhere, but are they any good? (from experience, I can say maybe, but likely not) A good enclosure a from reputable seller present a multiple questions:
Do you want USB 1 or 2?
Firewire 400 or 800?
eSata?
Multiple connections?
Do you have room on your desk for another box and another plug on the wall to power the drive and enclosure?
Are there bus-powered options?
Final cost: $10 - 100+

Solution THREE: purchase the Newer Technology USB 2.0 Universal Drive Adapter (UDA for short) and your problems might be solved. The UDA is a simple, small box with multiple connectors and a small bevy of status lights. Plug in your bare drive (using the supplied adapters, if necessary), attach the power cord to the outlet and USB cable to your computer and in a minute or two there’s a new drive icon on your desktop. No muss, no fuss.
Final cost: $29.99

So how do these options compare? Solution one is an attractive, easy solution, no doubt, but you’re stuck with that nagging feeling that you should do something with it. Oh well, at least it’s out of sight. Solution two is a viable option and one that is potentially cheaper than the UDA (and conversely potentially much more expensive). It offers protection for the drive in the form of a solid case and multiple connectivity options at an array of prices. Solution three, the UDA, sits at a middle ground, cost wise, offers the flexibility of a variety of connectivity standards-it works with 2.5″, 3.5″ and 5.25″ IDE / ATA / SATA / ATAPI-and offers the simplicity of easy connections, no tiny screws to mess with, and a speedy USB 2.0 connector to move data to and from the drive. Testing it out, the UDA worked exactly as advertised, and made quick work of any 2.5″ or 3.5″ drive I had laying around. In the enclosed instruction manual, Newer Tech makes it clear that the UDA is a temporary solution - good for backing up data and disconnecting, not necessarily a full-time external drive connector. That said, Other World Computing, who provided the UDA for review, also enclosed a ProtectaDrive for 3.5″ Hard Drives cozie. A simple, rubbery sleeve which easily slides around a bare 3.5″ drive to protect it from the elements, it complements the UDA well and makes a bare-drive mounting system a little heartier. A 3.5″ ProtectaDrive retails for $9.95.

The USB 2.0 UDA is supplied with the following:
• USB UDA adapter
• Heavy Duty 2.0 Amp AC Power Adapter
• Power Cable
• ATA extension cable
• SATA 2.5″ Power Adapter Cable
• USB 2.0 Connecting Cable
• SATA-SATA Connecting Cable
which is enough to connect just about anything you’ve got laying around (let the old SCSI drive go). The UDA is compatible with most all major operating systems - Mac OS 9.2 or later, Linux 2.4.x, Windows 2000 and up. Newer Tech offers a one year repair/replacement warranty for the USB 2.0 UDA.

I won’t call the USB 2.0 UDA pretty or stylish by any stretch of the word, with its multiple cords and power brick, but it is functional, well built and cool…in a modular, techy sorta way. If I could make one change to it, I’d add a firewire connection capability to the unit so that it could be used to externally boot a Mac system. This feature isn’t included, I would guess, due to resulting cost increase that would make the adapter uncompetitive with external enclosures. Additionally, firewire connectors are not universal on the PC side of the fence. I can dream, though, can’t I?

Newer Tech describes the UDA as “the Swiss Army Knife” of disk connectivity, and I’d agree - it’s something that, though I wouldn’t need to use it every day, I’d be extremely happy to have in my pocket when the need arises. If you only have one extra drive sitting around, I’m hard pressed to recommend the UDA over an external enclosure - the extra bit of protection offered and (potentially) fewer cables around are more attractive, to my way of seeing things. That said, if you have multiple bare drives sitting on the shelf or find yourself troubleshooting computers for family / friends / colleagues more than once in a blue moon, this is definitely one tool to have in your arsenal.

Product: USB 2.0 Universal Drive Adapter
Company: Newer Technology
Contact: Contact by Web
Price: $29.99
Pros: An inexpensive, convenient way to hook up an external hard drive or optical drive.
Cons: Lots of cords all over the place. No firewire interface.
Product Rating: 4 - Impressive