Sharge Disk: World's cutest SSD case
Opinion
Whenever I get another laptop computer, I swap out the SSD (solid state disk) it came with, for a larger one. (If it's a desktop computer with a HDD [hard disk drive], then I swap it out for an SSD for speed.)
I deliberately buy the laptop with a small SSD, because that saves money. Hardware vendors overcharge for larger capacities. I then put in a 1TB or even 2TB drive. That means I have these other, smaller-capacity spare SSDs laying around -- typically 256GB or 512GB. What to do with them?
Reusing SSDs
One thing is to reuse them in other devices, such as a laptop with an even smaller SSD. Another is to turn them in external drives for backing up or transporting data.
SSDs found in laptop computers have the M.2 form factor, kind of like the shape of a large stick of gum. The most common one has a size of 22mm wide by 80mm long -- it's known as a 2280 SSD.
When I pulled the SSD out of my Dell Inspiron laptop, I was surprised to see how small it was. It had 512GB storage on a 2242 M.2 SSD -- just 42mm long, half that of a standard-size one. So I was pretty chuffed to take advantage of its small size as a portable backup when I went travelling. Then I was dismayed to find how rare it is to find a external case that small.
Most external cases for M.2 SSDs handle all sizes, so there is little need to produce one that works just with a rare, small size. When I finally came across one, I ordered it, but it didn't seem to work -- sadly.
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Sharge Disk Enclosure
Then I noticed that Sharge has one. The company makes computer peripherals that look dramatic, made from clear plastic, Lufthansa-yellow plastic, and black. So I ordered the drive enclosure during the Boxing Week sale that had extended well into January for US$49, and a few weeks later it arrived in the mail. (The price seems to bounce up and down, so if it's not $49, try visiting the site at another time.)
The SSD enclosure? is oddly named "Disk," odd because comes with no disk. The case is in three parts; see image above:
Both cases have clear plastic windows to see the drive cocooned inside -- not that SSDs need cocooning.?
The USB-C port is, however, unusual. It sticks out (male), instead of sticking into the enclosure (female), as is the norm. The idea here is that the SSD can be connected to a phone or computer directly, without needing a cable. It comes with a female-male extension cable for when one is needed. Don't lose it, because most other USB-C cables are male-male.
The features of this enclosure are:
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Great Looks, Not-great Implementation
I love the look of the Sharge Disk, but find it not so convenient. Here's why:
To insert the SSD, I slide a clear plastic cover upwards, which I found very difficult to do. True to the marketing, no tools are needed to install the SSD.
The fan looks cool, but I don't see the point, as the package from Sharge also includes thermal conducting pads, which transmit heat from the SSD to the metal case, which then radiates the heat. (There are holes in the metal case to move air in and through; see image below.) When the metal case is put into its protective plastic outer case, the vents are blocked. Then, when the fan runs, it is noisy.
There is a write-protect slider on the side of the metal case. A useful function, perhaps, but it had no effect for me.
The male-female cable can be stored in a clear plastic "jaw" that connects to the yellow plastic case, forming a loop for hanging onto things. (See figure below.) This is kind of clever, but also kind of awkward to use, I found. I am concerned at how well the clear plastic jaw stays together under typical backpack-bouncing mode. The metal case itself has no loop connector.
I cannot attach the drive directly to a phone, without first taking it out of the yellow plastic case.?The Sharge Disk did work with my Android phone. Just remember, before loading up the SSD with files, that it needs to be formatted with FAT32, not NTFS, to be recognized by phones.
So, in the end, the Sharge Disk is a fun accessory, but I found not a terribly practical one. Think of buying it as you would buy art.
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Update
Since getting this case, I got a real external SSD. This 4TB model from Crucial is much slimmer than the Sharge, and is not that much larger in the other two dimensions. Also, it holds a heck of a lot more data, and standard USB-C port. I got this X9Pro model on sale, which made it affordable.