nMEDIAPC nDrive USB Enclosure Review

by Kevin O'Brien

The nMEDIAPC nDrive is a portable USB enclosure that offers both a 2.5” SATA bay for storage and a multiple-format card reader in one device. Offering slots for compact flash, SD-cards, XD-memory, and Memory Stick the nDrive handles almost all the external media needs of notebook users. In this review we test how fast the drive is in multiple scenarios and see how well it holds up in the rigors of day to day use.

nMEDIAPC nDrive Features:

• Innovative passive cooling
• Support 2.5" SATA hard drive up to 500GB
• Insert your own lovely picture to make exclusive identity
• Card reader supports Memory Stick, SD, XD, Compact Flash, and Micro Drive
• USB bus powered through a split cable; no external power required
• Driverless support with Win ME/2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS X/ V9.2 or higher

Build and Design

The design of the nDrive is very basic, with a glossy black body and dark chrome trim. The soft rounded edges let you slip the drive easily into a pocket without snagging and gives it a really clean look. Another nice touch is the screw-hole caps which act as feet. This elevates the drive slightly, giving a path for air to move so the hard drive inside gets a bit of cooling via convection.

One odd design feature that made me think the drive had an onboard LCD was the picture holder on the front. The stock image gives it an iPhone-ish look, but you can replace it with anything. I found it looked best empty, but some simple design would also work.

Build quality is average with the thin plastics used. The overall feel is solid, but there are a few localized week spots on the bottom near the cooling vents. The plastic finished held up well during our testing, but the finish was less than impervious to scratches. The clear lid used for the picture holder will probably show a significant amount of wear over time, something that you wouldn’t notice as much if it was opaque.

Card Reader

The card reader was very handy since my notebook has neither an SD-slot and my external card reader is still half the size of the nDrive. Combining both the reader and hard drive enclosure into one device cuts down on the amount you have to carry and also makes it harder to forget one or the other.

The reader supports all major card formats, including SD, XD, Memory stick, and compact flash.