Iodd Iodd2531 - USB3.0 - HDD - SSD - Virtual CD-ROM - Enclosures - made in Korea (1 Unit / lot)

Now that the new? (announced in 2017 on Kickstarter) Iodd mini is available I am going to upgrade to that - the fifth version that I have purchased - first two died after much use - one stopped and the half the screen died on secondSeveral years on and still good - use a larger SSD now as store so many ISO's (several versions of Win10 - new ver every 6 months - 1803, 1809, 1903)Want to buy another as spare but price has gone up by 40%Originally has 1st gen Iodd - then Zalman now 3rd gen Iodd - first Iodd died after several years - 2nd was Zalman - the screen broke so could not see what to selectUpgrade from old ioddSo much easier nowJust fit a drive (I used a 250GB SSD) format drive for NTFS and create folder _iso put ISO images in here - I have CD DVD and BluRay images on minePlug into Windows PC and useI have loaded Windows onto a blank drive with this and used drivers update software along with off-line updater program - all working with no Internet connectionI have had one of these for years - very useful piece of kitThe only problem I had with my old one was that it stopped working after several years of hard work and abuse - it was being held together with tape - copied data from old mechanical HDD to new SSDEdit - 4th May - I still use this on a regular basis - not every day but several times a week - use it as external HDD or a DVD driveI have fixed various Windows laptops and PCs - boot from Windows DVD to reload a clean copy of Windows - off-line updater for Windows updates and fix missing drivers - If I need to I can make the HDD read-only so that it is protected against virus etcIt is a very usefull tool to have - some years ago I had to use a wallet with lots of DVDs in it to carry around - this is smaller and lighter

I have the Zalman ZM-VE300 and the ZM-VE200 before that. The jog wheel failed on the 200 and now the USB 3 connector is intermittent on the 300. Both were incredibly useful devices if you need the ability mount or boot any device from DVD (install operating system, disk tools etc) and to be able to add an ISO image to the device, limited only by the size of the standard 2.5" laptop Sata disk you install.The device is a disk caddy (you need to add a laptop sized HDD/SSD), that can present itself as a Hard Disk drive (HDD), an Optical Disk Drive (ODD - CD/DVD etc) or both concurrently. The Optical Images are stored as .ISO files in a special directory called _ISO on the HDD. You can add/delete the images in this directory from your PC when the device is connected in HDD mode. With the device in ODD mode, use the jog wheel to scroll down the list of ISO files and push to mount.When the 300 failed I looked for a replacement and found Zalman devices were no longer produced. The IODD looked the same, so worth a punt! Turns out it IS the same - and a closer inspection of the Zalman ZM-VE300 shows that the circuit board was made by IODD (take a look)!! It looks as if the only difference was the firmware which displayed the Zalman brand name.Based on my experience and comments from other posters, the device needs to be treated gently as the mechanical components are prone to fail otherwise. This is the only device that I have found with the functionality, so I will have to make it past. Shame you cannot buy spare 'heads'!! It is overpriced for what it is, especially given the perceived quality, but that is a price I will pay for its functionality - and it fits in the more robust Zalman sleeve (the IODD comes with a fabric sleeve)Hope this helps anyone else who has a faulty Zalman, needs reassurance that this is a viable replacement and has not heard of IODD (their web presented is at IODD.KR)

The iodd 2531 is like an SSD or mechanical keyboard. Once you have one, you don't ever want to not have one.I've had my iodd 2531 for just over a year now and in that time, I've only created one bootable USB stick and that was only created because it was for a relative. But I've used my iodd in place of a USB stick countless times. It has become an indispensable tool that makes installing operating systems on a regular basis a whole lot easier and quicker. You don’t have to find the right USB stick, check if there’s any data on it you want to keep and then faff about with creating a a bootable USB stick… only to find out that you should have used a different application to create the boot USB. With the iodd, you just put the bootable ISO into the “_iso” folder on the root of the iodd and then select the iso using the jog switch.I do wish it was a little bit more robust, specifically the jog switch. I’m worried that it’s going to break at some point… to the point that I’m seriously considering buying a second unit whilst they’re still available. I just hope that the iodd Mini is actually released at some point. I’d buy it in a heartbeat.There is one issue with the 2531 that makes it that little bit short of perfect and that is that when you add new ISOs, you'll sometimes be required to defrag the disk. Which is less than ideal if you've got an SSD but for me, that alone is not enough to knock a star off the rating.

After using this product for nearly 4 years, I think it is time to give a review.I have found this very useful as I have a lot of ISOs from Windows/Linux builders to Rescue Media recovery tools that I may need when I work. Rather than having about 20 USBs I can store all my ISOs in one place.This VHD has not had an issue since I bought it. The wheel to select/lock in ISOs is very intuitive.I use a Samsung evo 860 1TB SSD and had no issues getting the ISOs recognised when placing then in the _iso folder. Never had an issue with "ghost" isos if I deleted them.The Micro USB B to USB 3.0 cable originally provided is still in good, working condition and I have travelled quite a bit with this device.Only minor issue I have with this product is the Bootable VHD device does not lock into the case provided so detaches from the case if you grab it from the top but if you switch around HDDs/SSDs a lot I think this would be a positive.