External Hard Drives

[Tom]

I'm after a 500G external drive. They seem to be two a penny these days. But which one is best?
Advice and recommendations really appreciated.

[Stephen]

Re: External Hard Drives

I'm after a 500G external drive. They seem to be two a penny these days. But which one is best?
Advice and recommendations really appreciated.

Its difficult to recommend, because it simply does the job without any fuss and I can't compare it with any other 500GB external, but the Lacie is compact and looks like a brick. I have a 360GB Seagate which might be a bit quieter, but its bigger. Unless you want whistles and bells you pays yer money and taker yer choice it seems to me

[Tom]

Re: External Hard Drives

Its difficult to recommend, because it simply does the job without any fuss and I can't compare it with any other 500GB external, but the Lacie is compact and looks like a brick. I have a 360GB Seagate which might be a bit quieter, but its bigger. Unless you want whistles and bells you pays yer money and taker yer choice it seems to me

Thanks Stephen. I'm not a whistle and bells man but it was any issues on reliability I suppose I was more interested in.

[Mick Johnson]

Re: External Hard Drives

I don't think anyone can really say which is the best but I would just go for a top brand. I have Western Digital and Samsung drives myself.

They only have a standard hard drive in them anyway so get a similar brand to whatever you already have confidence in.

Btw, the LaCie 500GB USB2.0 External Hard Drive (301285) has a Samsung Spinpoint Sata-ll (HD501LJ) drive in it.

[Ian]

Re: External Hard Drives

Its difficult to recommend, because it simply does the job without any fuss and I can't compare it with any other 500GB external, but the Lacie is compact and looks like a brick. I have a 360GB Seagate which might be a bit quieter, but its bigger. Unless you want whistles and bells you pays yer money and taker yer choice it seems to me

[paul.r.w]

Re: External Hard Drives

I bought a basic Maxtor from PC world. Don't bother with all the extras like buttons for backup there's plenty of free software out there.

[JSR]

Re: External Hard Drives

Although I don't have any 500GB drives here, I do have a couple of externals.

I have an Iomega USB 160GB (looks nice, good software that can bog down a system if it's not a powerful one); a USB/FW Western Digital 250GB (with card reader slots and buttons that I don't use, and USB/FW ports that I do) - came with Retrospect Express for backup, a pretty good backup prog; and a Freecom 400GB Storage Gateway WLAN which has everything including the kitchen sink but can't be used locally through USB.

None of these have let me down so far. The Freecom is on 24 hours a day and the fan can get pretty noisy but, then, it's not just a hard drive. The Iomega is the sleekest of the bunch and the oldest. The WD is the workhorse for local backups.

If I was going for a 500GB, I'd probably go for a WD out of the three. I don't really know what the Freecom has inside it.

[Patrick]

Re: External Hard Drives

Although I don't have any 500GB drives here, I do have a couple of externals.

I have an Iomega USB 160GB (looks nice, good software that can bog down a system if it's not a powerful one); a USB/FW Western Digital 250GB (with card reader slots and buttons that I don't use, and USB/FW ports that I do) - came with Retrospect Express for backup, a pretty good backup prog; and a Freecom 400GB Storage Gateway WLAN which has everything including the kitchen sink but can't be used locally through USB.

None of these have let me down so far. The Freecom is on 24 hours a day and the fan can get pretty noisy but, then, it's not just a hard drive. The Iomega is the sleekest of the bunch and the oldest. The WD is the workhorse for local backups.

If I was going for a 500GB, I'd probably go for a WD out of the three. I don't really know what the Freecom has inside it.

I have a couple if Iomega externals one 350gig the other 500gig (bought from Staples at very good prices) both are fine no problems in over a year.
Perhaps interestingly I have three other externals I assembled myself with H/D from past computers and external enclosures bought from PC world, a good option if you already have H/D's going spare, otherwise not particularly cost effective.

Patrick

[JSR]

Re: External Hard Drives

I have a couple if Iomega externals one 350gig the other 500gig (bought from Staples at very good prices) both are fine no problems in over a year.
Perhaps interestingly I have three other externals I assembled myself with H/D from past computers and external enclosures bought from PC world, a good option if you already have H/D's going spare, otherwise not particularly cost effective.

Patrick

I've seen ads for the latest external Iomegas - the red ones that look as sleek as Ferraris! It's tempting, but not even I can go for style over substance so I'd have to do some research before parting with my cash...

I've only assembled one external HDD in my time, and it wasn't a resounding success. I don't think I'd do it again.

[Ian]

Re: External Hard Drives

Although I don't have any 500GB drives here, I do have a couple of externals.

I have an Iomega USB 160GB (looks nice, good software that can bog down a system if it's not a powerful one); a USB/FW Western Digital 250GB (with card reader slots and buttons that I don't use, and USB/FW ports that I do) - came with Retrospect Express for backup, a pretty good backup prog; and a Freecom 400GB Storage Gateway WLAN which has everything including the kitchen sink but can't be used locally through USB.

None of these have let me down so far. The Freecom is on 24 hours a day and the fan can get pretty noisy but, then, it's not just a hard drive. The Iomega is the sleekest of the bunch and the oldest. The WD is the workhorse for local backups.

If I was going for a 500GB, I'd probably go for a WD out of the three. I don't really know what the Freecom has inside it.

My Freecoms have Samsung drives - these are top notch mechanisms.

It's worth distinguishing between pocket drives and desktop drives. The latter have 3.5 inch units, the same sort you find inside desktop PCs and range up to 500GB, commonly. Pocket drives have 2.5 inch or 1.8 inch drives and range up to around 160GB or 200GB (2.5") or up to 80GB (1.8"). Pocket drives can often be powered off a USB lead, whereas desktop drives need beefier power.

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: External Hard Drives

I've only assembled one external HDD in my time, and it wasn't a resounding success. I don't think I'd do it again.

Mine work fine never had any trouble, I suppose it depends on the quality of the enclosure, the three I have were branded Integral and were not particularly cheap.
In the absence of a spare H/D I shouldn't bother about assembling one there is no cost saving in fact in can work out more expensive. However if anyone has a spare H/D not installed on a computer then it is worth just buying an enclosure, they are simple enough to assemble and work with XP & Vista without installing drivers. Older O/S will require drivers.

Patrick

[JSR]

Re: External Hard Drives

My Freecoms have Samsung drives - these are top notch mechanisms.

I think the FSGs have different brands depending upon capacity and when you buy - at least, that's what the folks on the forum say when they've opened theirs up. The new DataTanks probably have something else entirely.

It's worth distinguishing between pocket drives and desktop drives. The latter have 3.5 inch units, the same sort you find inside desktop PCs and range up to 500GB, commonly. Pocket drives have 2.5 inch or 1.8 inch drives and range up to around 160GB or 200GB (2.5") or up to 80GB (1.8"). Pocket drives can often be powered off a USB lead, whereas desktop drives need beefier power.

All my three are mains powered.

Mine work fine never had any trouble, I suppose it depends on the quality of the enclosure, the three I have were branded Integral and were not particularly cheap.

Mine was a cheap enclosure from Maplin. It worked for a while but it wasn't all that reliable. One of those that if you breathe on it, it goes funny. It was an enclosure that could be adapted to CD/DVD drives. The mistake there is that if you only want to put a HDD in it, the size of the enclosure is massive compared to the size of the HDD you put inside it. If I'd investigated more thoroughly, I'd probably have bought a better enclosure but at the time I was ransacking an 80GB hard drive from an old PC and had no internal drive bays for it.

[Patrick]

Re: External Hard Drives

Mine was a cheap enclosure from Maplin. It worked for a while but it wasn't all that reliable. One of those that if you breathe on it, it goes funny. It was an enclosure that could be adapted to CD/DVD drives. The mistake there is that if you only want to put a HDD in it, the size of the enclosure is massive compared to the size of the HDD you put inside it. If I'd investigated more thoroughly, I'd probably have bought a better enclosure but at the time I was ransacking an 80GB hard drive from an old PC and had no internal drive bays for it.

Yes I bought a cheap enclosure some time ago, it never let me down but could be temperamental, these Integral would appear to be reliable, and boy are they smart, very stylish

Patrick

[RCE]

Re: External Hard Drives

I have a few external hard disks, my favourite is the Seagate FreeAgent. I have the 300GB version. It stands vertically, has a nice strip lamp that fades in and out as data is being written.

Runs silent and cool, goes to sleep when not being used, has a cable lock point so you can use a laptop lock to secure it to your desk. Even has a 5-year limited warranty.

[Tom]

Re: External Hard Drives

Thanks everyone. I went for the Freecom and it is now sitting pretty with its little blue light. Lets hope it's around for a few years.