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Western Digital External H/Ds

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  • 02-01-2008 9:11pm
    #1
    Jonny Arson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,124 ✭✭✭


    hi, just wondering does anyone here have any of these external hard-drives and what your experiences of them are?

    i'm thinking of buying this one from komplett - http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=318877#reviews

    if anyone knows it i could get this one cheaper from another website or could recommend an alternative brand for an external hard-drive that would be greatly appreciated also :)


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    #2
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    I have the 350GB standard edition version and have never had an ounce of trouble with it.


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    #3
    irlrobins
    Registered Users Posts: 7,544 ✭✭✭irlrobins


    aidan_walsh wrote: »
    I have the 350GB standard edition version and have never had an ounce of trouble with it.

    Ditto with the 250Gb version


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    #4
    zod
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,025 ✭✭✭zod


    for an extra tenner : http://www.pixmania.com/ie/uk/638818/art/maxtor/one-touch-4-750-gb-usb-2.html?type=i


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    #5
    Gadgetman496
    Registered Users Posts: 8,364 ✭✭✭Gadgetman496


    I have two of the 500GB WD's and have had no problems.

    -

    "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."



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    #6
    RuggieBear
    Registered Users Posts: 17,958 ✭✭✭✭RuggieBear


    500gb mybook and it's solid so far.


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    #7
    mordeith
    Registered Users Posts: 5,278 ✭✭✭mordeith


    I've the 500GB and again no problems so far. (although initially there was this stupid WD software that kept launching everytime I accessed the drive but I just removed it and its grand now)


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    #8
    Gadgetman496
    Registered Users Posts: 8,364 ✭✭✭Gadgetman496


    Just be aware that they come bundled with Google Toolbar, Desktop & Picasa & that they are shipped formatted to FAT32. I just reformatted mine to NTFS & all is well.

    -

    "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."



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    #9
    Soundman
    Registered Users Posts: 2,593 ✭✭✭Soundman


    zod wrote: »
    for an extra tenner : http://www.pixmania.com/ie/uk/638818/art/maxtor/one-touch-4-750-gb-usb-2.html?type=i

    Wouldn't go near that myself. Never had any luck with any product branded with Maxtor. So many people I know have bought those against my recommendation and ended up losing all their data a month or two later. In saying that, that is just my own opinion on Maxtor brand HDs.

    Have a 500GB Western Digital MyBook and not a problem with it yet. Had it over a year now I think. The Seagate FreeAgent ones look sweet too for a similar enough price if I recall.


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    #10
    RuggieBear
    Registered Users Posts: 17,958 ✭✭✭✭RuggieBear


    gadgetman496 wrote: »
    Just be aware that they come bundled with Google Toolbar, Desktop & Picasa & that they are shipped formatted to FAT32. I just reformatted mine to NTFS & all is well.

    -

    QFT. bloody FAT32. Couldn't figure out why my dvd backups were not copying over...:o


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    #11
    mathias
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,174 ✭✭✭mathias


    I have a WD passport 160 , a 500GB as posted and a 250GB , all have been working well now for at least a year , 3 years in the case of the oldest one.

    On the other hand , the last 3 maxtor drives I bought all died within a year , probably one of the reasons Maxtor are no more !!


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    #12
    twenty8
    Registered Users Posts: 456 ✭✭twenty8


    Was thinking of getting the same - however can anyone tell me what is the difference between the WD Passport 250gb for €149 and the WD My Book 500gb for €129.

    Is it just the size of the unit (not the storage)?

    Thanks.


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    #13
    irlrobins
    Registered Users Posts: 7,544 ✭✭✭irlrobins


    Yea I've had HD failures with three Maxtors, all within the expected lifespan. I wouldn't go near them with a bargepole. WD have a very good reputation for quality.


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    #14
    fatal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,424 ✭✭✭fatal


    i have a 500gb external HD and a 160gb internal one and ive never had trouble with either


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    #15
    Gadgetman496
    Registered Users Posts: 8,364 ✭✭✭Gadgetman496


    Soundman wrote: »
    Wouldn't go near that myself. Never had any luck with any product branded with Maxtor. So many people I know have bought those against my recommendation and ended up losing all their data a month or two later. In saying that, that is just my own opinion on Maxtor brand HDs.

    Have a 500GB Western Digital MyBook and not a problem with it yet. Had it over a year now I think. The Seagate FreeAgent ones look sweet too for a similar enough price if I recall.

    I would have agreed with you normally, but did you know that Segate own Maxtor for some time now? If you look at the fine print on the box of the Maxtor One Touck4 you will see it's a product of Seagate. I know one person that opened a 750GB one yesterday & it actually had a Seagate drive inside?

    That 750GB Maxtor One Touck4 was on offer in PC World yesterday for €129.99 & for the hell of it at that price I decided to give it a shot (All be it against what I would normally advise) :eek:

    I won't put any mission critical data on it until it passes the "Infant Mortallity" phase. It has a shop 12month & manufacturer 5 year warranty to fall back on.

    If it dies I'll be the first to post.

    "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."



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    #16
    Stephen
    Registered Users Posts: 18,484 ✭✭✭✭Stephen


    twenty8 wrote: »
    Was thinking of getting the same - however can anyone tell me what is the difference between the WD Passport 250gb for €149 and the WD My Book 500gb for €129.

    Is it just the size of the unit (not the storage)?

    Thanks.

    Yeah its just the physical size. The passport contains a small laptop disk (2.5") and is powered by the USB port (VERY convenient if you're not leaving it connected to the same PC all the time). The MyBook has a standard desktop disk (3.5") and needs an external power supply.


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    #17
    chris85
    Registered Users Posts: 4,502 ✭✭✭chris85


    Stephen wrote: »
    Yeah its just the physical size. The passport contains a small laptop disk (2.5") and is powered by the USB port (VERY convenient if you're not leaving it connected to the same PC all the time). The MyBook has a standard desktop disk (3.5") and needs an external power supply.

    Sorry if this is a bit off topic but thinking about that WD passport (160Gb version) but have heard that laptops sometime do not have enough power in the USB ports to operate external drives. Any one know anything bout this as really wanna get the passport!


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    #18
    mathias
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,174 ✭✭✭mathias


    have heard that laptops sometime do not have enough power in the USB ports to operate external drives

    If your laptop has USB 2.0 ports then at least one of them will be a high powered port , so you should be OK.

    For a Western digital passport , usually USB 1.1 ports will not work , though there are exceptions , generally a 1.1 port wont have the power.

    USB 2.0 increased the power available on the ports to 1.5 amps from 0.4 amps , thats the main reason.


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    #19
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,470 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    I have 3 WD MyBooks 500GB's and 1 WD MyBook 1TB drive, can't fault them and never had any issues,


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    #20
    Gadgetman496
    Registered Users Posts: 8,364 ✭✭✭Gadgetman496


    gadgetman496 wrote: »
    I would have agreed with you normally, but did you know that Segate own Maxtor for some time now? If you look at the fine print on the box of the Maxtor One Touck4 you will see it's a product of Seagate. I know one person that opened a 750GB one yesterday & it actually had a Seagate drive inside?

    That 750GB Maxtor One Touck4 was on offer in PC World yesterday for €129.99 & for the hell of it at that price I decided to give it a shot (All be it against what I would normally advise) :eek:

    I won't put any mission critical data on it until it passes the "Infant Mortallity" phase. It has a shop 12month & manufacturer 5 year warranty to fall back on.

    If it dies I'll be the first to post.


    I know that this is just too uncanny but.....

    The Maxtor I bought (Against my better judgement) was installed yesterday & was fine. At 2.30pm Approx today it just keeled over & died a death :eek: I kid you not, it really did. Irlrobins was so, so right. I knew myself they were crap but as I said in previous post "I took a chance at the price". of course the Seagate connection enticed me a little bit too.

    To end this saga for once & for all, I took it straight back to PC World & got a full refund (No questions asked).

    Maxtor are crap & that's undisputed now as far as I'm concerned.

    -

    "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."



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