Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage > #6993

Re: Why are external drives cheaper than internal?

Show all headers | View raw

On 01/25/2016 03:38 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:

>>>>>>> How come Seagate -- to name just one manufacturer -- can sell an
>>>>>>> external 6TB drive in a case with a USB 3.0 adapter and a cable for
>>>>>>> less
>>>>>>> than they sell any 6TB internal drive?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> reliability?
>
>>>>> Hardly -- when the drive in the enclosure is the same one (at least in
>>>>> some cases) as the one that is sold for more without the enclosure,
>>>>> wall
>>>>> wart, and USB interface and cable.
>
>>>> Warranty period.
>>>>
>>>> Internal drives typically have a 3-yr warranty. External devices are
>>>> usually warranted for 1-2 yrs. So the drive mfr has passed the cost of
>>>> service and replacement to the reseller. To make the cost of the
>>>> external box acceptable, the cost of the drive (to the reseller) must
>>>> be fairly low.
>>>>
>>>> Also remember, the reseller must buy a fairly large number of the
>>>> drives in order to get the lower price. Thus, the drive mfr is getting
>>>> a chunk of "cash now" and avoiding all those expenses in the future
>>>> (warranty replacement, etc) related to those bulk-sale drives.
>>>
>>> The problem with that theory is that the same external
>>> drive has a 3 year warranty here, but a 1 year warranty
>>> in the US and is cheaper than the same drive bare here.
>>
>> Learn how businesses operate. The laws regarding warranties in other
>> countries are not the same as the US.
>>
>>> The real reason they are often cheaper is just the usual
>>> reason, they sell in higher volume than internal drives
>>> in the retail market.
>
>> Nope. They are all internal drives. All the external mfrs (OEMs) do is
>> put the internal drives in external boxes and resell the package with
>> a different warranty--one they create. This OEM warranty is not
>> dependent on the drive manufacturer's warranty for an internal drive
>> sold to the public. In the US, the drive manufacturer will not honor
>> any warranty for the drives sold to the OEM unless the claim is made
>> by the OEM against the drive manufacturer--which requires the consumer
>> to return the device to the OEM for warranty service. If the device is
>> out of the OEM's warranty, that is the end of all claims.
>
> I was not talking about Seagate drives in "Brand X" enclosures: I was
> talking about Seagate-branded external drives vs. Seagate internal
> drives of the same capacity -- and in many cases the same model/part# as
> what is in the enclosure. IIRC, all have the same 2-year warranty.
>
> Ii haven't looked at other makes.

And now I noticed that BestBuy has 2TB external Seagates (Slim" 2.5" 
drive inside) with 3-year warranties whereas the 2TB internal notebook 
drive has only a 2-year warranty. Aren't external drives more likely to 
suffer rough handling?

Perce

Back to comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar

Thread

Re: Why are external drives cheaper than internal? Sam <newsgroup2003@gmail.com> - 2016-01-22 21:24 -0800
  Re: Why are external drives cheaper than internal? "Percival P. Cassidy" <Nobody@NotMyISP.net> - 2016-01-23 10:32 -0500
    Re: Why are external drives cheaper than internal? jerryab@juno.com - 2016-01-24 09:59 -0600
      Re: Why are external drives cheaper than internal? "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2016-01-25 05:06 +1100
        Re: Why are external drives cheaper than internal? jerryab@juno.com - 2016-01-25 09:26 -0600
          Re: Why are external drives cheaper than internal? "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2016-01-26 06:23 +1100
          Re: Why are external drives cheaper than internal? "Percival P. Cassidy" <Nobody@NotMyISP.net> - 2016-01-25 15:38 -0500
            Re: Why are external drives cheaper than internal? "Percival P. Cassidy" <Nobody@NotMyISP.net> - 2016-06-04 10:28 -0400
              Re: Why are external drives cheaper than internal? "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2016-06-05 07:57 +1000
          Re: Why are external drives cheaper than internal? Ed Light <nobody@nobody.there> - 2016-01-25 16:38 -0800

csiph-web