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Recommended eSATA for MacBook pro
Using eSATA card is possible only if the MacBook Pro has the ExpressCard/34 slot.
The MacBook Pro has become the MacBook Semi-Pro as of June 2009. Only the 17" model still has the ExpressCard/34 slot as if December 2009.
Future models might benefit from high-speed USB 3.0, but that is likely mid 2010 for Macs.
Sonnet Tempo SATA Pro ExpressCard (MacBook Pro) PERMALINK
For MacBook Pro users, the Sonnet Tempo Pro ExpressCard/34 offers the highest performance yet seen for eSATA on the MacBook Pro Review. Typical speeds with the Tempo SATA Pro can be up to twice as fast as Firewire 800. Real-world results with Photoshop show significant speed gains with a dual-drive eSATA setup.
Be sure to get the “Pro” version; it uses a new chipset that allows the faster speeds. No matter what though, don’t expect a MacBook Pro with eSATA to perform at the same peak speeds as a Mac Pro; it’s just an inherent limitation of the ExpressCard slot. Still, it’s much faster than using Firewire 800. See the Photoshop test results. Your results may vary depending on the model of MacBook Pro you have; Apple keeps changing system software and firmware, and this also has affects performance, making it problematic to make absolute statements about speed.
