The Optibays fromĀ Ramjet are a upgrade kit designed for users who want more hard drive storage for their MacBook, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, or iMac. The Optibay is essentially an internal hard drive enclosure that allows you to install a second SATA standard 2.5" internal hard disk drive into your Mac in place of your optical (CD/DVD) drive. For users who need more storage space, you can easily add a second hard drive and increase your total hard drive capacity without having to go through the hassle of replacing the main hard drive.
Most users today find they use their optical bay very infrequently, and it is more beneficial for their ordinary, every day use of the machine to install an additional hard drive in its place. However, for users who still require usage of their optical drive, Ramjet Optibay kits include an external USB 2.0 enclosure to house the optical drive. The optical drive is also bootable in case you should need to run recovery or repair discs. This will allow you to have additional storage space and will keep your optical drive safe and completely functional for those occasions you need it.
Optibay Versus an External Hard DriveAn alternative to the Optibay would be to use an external hard drive, but especially for laptop users who transport their machines frequently, external hard drives are more at risk for being dropped, bumped, or otherwise damaged. Using the Optibay will allow your second hard drive, and your valuable data, to be protected within your computer. And since most users will use a second hard drive more frequently than the optical drive, it makes sense to place the hardware used more frequently inside the machine itself.
Each Optibay kit is manufactured specifically for the different machines and models to ensure it will fit perfectly. For example, the Mac Mini has unique needs depending on if you have a Mac Mini Model ID 1,1 or 2,1 that utilizes DDR2 memory or the newer machines, Model IDs 3,1 through 6,2, that utilize DDR3 memory, and will require a different kit specific for that model.
The iMac DDR2 Models (Model IDs 4,1 through 8,1) uses one type of Optibay, and the DDR3 Models (Model IDs 9,1 through 12,2) a different Optibay. It is important to note that the newest iMac, Model IDs 13,1 and 13,2 do not have an optical drive, so the Optibay cannot be used with either of those machines.
Finally, the MacBook and MacBook Pro have three variations: there is one optibay for use with the 17" MacBook Pro Original Body, Model IDs 1,2, 2,1, and 3,1. All MacBook Original Body models, Model IDs 1,1 through 5,2, use another Optibay kit which is also used for the 15" MacBook Pro Original, Model IDs 1,1, 2,2, 3,1 and 4,1. The MacBook Pro Unibody, Model IDs 5,1 through 9,2, and the MacBook Unibody, Model IDs 6,1 and 7,1, use the same Unibody Model optibay kit.
If you need help finding the right Optibay for your machine, don't hesitate to give us a call at (888) RAM-JET1 or e-mail our customer support team at support@ramjet.com today.
