I'm looking for a fast and reliable high-capacity drive. Hard drive aren't really that expesive, so price isn't much if an issue unless it's ridiculously high.
Reliablity is number 1 for me. I don't want one that'll die in 2-3 years.
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Good external HD?
August 26, 2006 - 9:49pm
#1
Good external HD?
August 27, 2006 - 1:51am
#2
What type?
Are you talking about one powered by USB connection, or AC (or DC)?
I kind of like the kits where you can slap in a standard hard drive (especially if you have a spare one sitting idle) and it uses a USB connection...these are generally
AC powered. I've seen these kits down in the $30 range...if it is going to be run a lot/for long periods of time, there may be advantages to spending more for a kit that has extra cooling/heat dissipation.
August 27, 2006 - 3:17am
#3
Or
Do the same thing, but with an old laptop hard drive. Same result, smaller package. 
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August 27, 2006 - 4:50am
#4
I mean one that plugs into a
I mean one that plugs into a USB port, and if it needs to be plugged into a separate power source, that's fine. I don't have memory already, so I'm not looking for a kit that makes an internal HD external.
I've been looking around. Is Seagate a good brand? I've heard some bad things about Western Digital, and the computer I'm on now had a 20GB internal WD drive that died after only a few years.
August 27, 2006 - 10:29am
#5
*
I used to praise WD till I bought one of their first 200 Gig hard drives. It died after a year. I lost all my data. Needless to say, I still am not happy about it.
I have never had a problem with Seagate though.
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August 27, 2006 - 10:48am
#6
Heat....
Heat is usually the killer of hard drives. Get an external case with a fan (or fans). I have 6 external hardrives ranging from 6gb to 200gb. Four of the cases have fans, 2 are on a NAS and run continuous. Keep a close eye on the fans as they are more likely to fail than the hard drive.
I am partial to the cases made by Bytecc. They seem to be better built, but it's like every thing else. You get what you pay for. Here is a link to my latest and I like it a lot.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817145378
It has dual fans and keeps the drive really cool. One fan blows air directly on the electronics. It is available with USB and Firewire (I got that one).
Good luck,
Clair
October 9, 2006 - 12:35pm
#7
Do not buy Qrisma
I bought a 4GB Q USB drive. Had a problem and sent it back. They received it on 08/24/2006 and I still do not have a drive. The company said they had given it to another person. So my suggestion is not Qrisma.
August 27, 2006 - 1:35pm
#8
Simpletech
I bought this SimpleTech external drive for 69 bucks after rebate. 60GB, 8MB cache, 5400RPM. And it's entirely USB powered. It even has a dual-tip USB cable for when you use it on a PC that supplies a bit less power than it's supposed to. (It works fine on my desktop with just one plug)
I can keep every portable app on it along with my documents and my music collection easily.
August 28, 2006 - 4:01am
#9
$69 seems a bit high for 60
$69 seems a bit high for 60 gigs at 5400RPM.
I saw a Seagate 250GB (I'll have to double-check, but I'm pretty sure it runs at 7200RPM) for less than $120. So if Seagate makes reliable drives, I'll have to get it.
August 28, 2006 - 10:51am
#10
There's a reason
There's a reason for the price. It's a laptop-size drive (read:pocketable) and it's entirely powered buy the USB port. I've got a big 250gb drive I use for backups, too. But I sure wouldn't call it pocketable. 60GB, laptop-size, 5400RPM, 8MB cache, USB powered for 69 bucks is a great deal. They're usually over 100.
August 28, 2006 - 11:08pm
#11
yes the price is good.
yes the price is good.
there is a differnence between
3,5" and 2,5" external hard drives...
the first are desktop harddrives in a case and also need extra power.
the second are laptop hard drives, much smaller and get their power through the usb (thus they are very portable) but are more expensive and have smaller data space...
i have a 3,5" usb drive with 300 gb for all my mp3s and the like and a 30 gb 2,5" usb drive for data transport and portable apps 
August 29, 2006 - 2:24am
#12
So is Seagate reliable or
So is Seagate reliable or no?
October 9, 2006 - 4:38am
#13
I've been considering it
I've been considering it again, and I haven't seen any good advice so far...
October 9, 2006 - 4:44pm
#14
you have. youre just not
you have. youre just not able to tell us what exactly you want to do with your hard drive or whats important to you.
high capacity
high portability
dont blame others to not give you good advice when your are not able to ask good questions...
October 10, 2006 - 8:11pm
#15
Look at the initial
Look at the initial post.
I'm looking for a fast and reliable high-capacity drive. Hard drives aren't really that expensive, so price isn't much if an issue unless it's ridiculously high.
Reliablity is number 1 for me. I don't want one that'll die in 2-3 years.
October 11, 2006 - 8:21am
#16
http://www.newegg.com/Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822101016
Looks pretty good and has good reviews. Is Cavalry reliable?
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/SimpleTech-400GB-External-Hard-Drive-CCUS...
Or is SimpleTech better?
Same price and same capacity.
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