The hard drive docking station alternative

Prices on hard drives, both internal and external, have really come down, so I replaced my notebook's hard drive again last month with one that's twice the size. I already have two external hard drives for my video projects, but I figured one more wouldn't hurt so I bought an enclosure for the smaller drive.

Enclosures are pretty cheap these days, so instead of discarding that old drive, just put it inside an enclosure and consider donating it or giving it away to a friend if you don't need it. Turning those old hard drives into external ones is actually very easy, and a great way to keep them off landfills. But if you don't want to deal with enclosures or installations, there's actually another alternative that lets you dock an old hard drive to pull information from it.

Lifehacker spotted the 2.5" and 3.5" SATA HDD Stage Rack, which lets you dock any internal SATA hard drive much like an iPod. The docking station are available for 2.5- and 3.5-inch hard drives and connect via USB 2.0 to your computer. It's a great tool for IT types or anyone who happens to be the go-to tech guy at home. It's not a bad idea, and the $30 price (with rebate) isn't so bad either.

Related:
Turn That Old Hard Drive Into An External One
External vs. Internal Hard Drives