Manufacture Product Page: MobileSTOR MS2UTN+B
Model Number: MobileSTOR MS2UTN+B
Availability: limited
Price: $129.99 US
Warranty: 1 Year


In the past we have looked at single enclosures with slow connection options (USB), single bay enclosures with blazingly fast connectivity (eSATA), we have even reviewed dual bay enclosures which had RAID options but were bottlenecked by the USB 2.0 limitations. Today things are going to be different for not only will be reviewing a dual bay enclosure with enough RAID options to put a smile on the face of even the most jaded of tech geeks; but a dual bay enclosure which uses the ultra fast eSATA connection.

Just recently we reviewed a single bay enclosure which offered speeds that if you have never worked with eSATA before would be down right magical (as A.C. Clark said :sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.) The only problem with it was it left us wanting more; more speed more power and above all else, more safety. This of course is a lofty goal to try and surpass as a single eSATA connected hard drive gives some darn nice speed.

The subject of today’s review is the Sans Digital RAID dual bay external storage enclosure, which has both USB and eSATA connectivity options. This enclosure not only supports the normal range of RAID modes such as Raid 1 and 0 but even has what Sans Digital calls Safe33 and Safe66. We will go into detail about what these new hybrid RAID modes are all about later in this review, but for now it is suffice to say which they have the potential to bring a whole new dimension to your typical external enclosure experience! The MobileSTOR (as we will call it in this review) is available at many US e-tailers at retails for about $130 and should soon be available here in Canada as well.

When looking at external enclosures the biggest questions which one has to ask are: is this enclosure worth the money and more importantly are two hard drives in RAID faster than one when connected via eSATA; or will its controller not be able to handle the load? Hopefully, by the end of this review we will be able to not only offer our opinion but provide you with the tools you need to make this decision for yourself.