Recommend me a good external hard drive

mehmeh12

Hi

Im looking for a decent 500GB drive or more for backing up data stored on a windows xp/linux ubuntu dual drive setup. Would be nice to find something non imposing-something i could easily hide in a desk drawer when not in use. Anyone have something along these lines?

Overheal

I use a Medion which is fine for backups but awful for extended use - heats up awfully. And I've bought my second WD Passport drive, they are wonderful.

For that much storage I'd grab a Western Digital Essentials drive. Or you could go for the MyBook which is a bit more intelligent, or go with the MyBook World and just go nuts. But for that much change I'd just get the HP Mediashare server, which is about the same price, and Expandable.

IT Loser

Hi there

I bought a 500gig LaCie designed by some fella called Neil Poulton. Its around 8" by 4" by 2" in dimensions. Makes a pleasant clicking noise when working and has a smooth fan. No heating issues as of yet.

Oh and it cost me around €87 which is a lot I suppose considering you can get a 1TB for the same sort of money.

electro-shocks

I'd recommend the western digital passport, great portable hard drive.
No need for plugs or anything, runs off usb.
Bit on the steep side but work it IMO
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/0623085/Trail/searchtext%3EWESTERN+DIGITAL.htm

IT Loser

electro-shocks wrote: »

I'd recommend the western digital passport, great portable hard drive.
No need for plugs or anything, runs off usb.
Bit on the steep side but work it IMO
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/0623085/Trail/searchtext%3EWESTERN+DIGITAL.htm

WHAT!!!!:eek:

€200 almost!!!!! Sure...just go and buy a cheapo laptop!!!:cool:

electro-shocks

You can pick them up on ebay for €75
Or you could get a hd caddy and buy a internal hd for cheap

rohatch

Buy some padding for the damn thing. This year I have dropped a 500gb and a fckin 320gb and now both are knackered.

IT Loser

rohatch wrote: »

Buy some padding for the damn thing. This year I have dropped a 500gb and a fckin 320gb and now both are knackered.

Yeah...I hear you.

mehmeh12

rohatch wrote: »

Buy some padding for the damn thing. This year I have dropped a 500gb and a fckin 320gb and now both are knackered.

I dont suppose you can buy drives that are toughened against physical shock can you? when you say dropped-how much much of a drop are we saying?

rohatch

mehmeh12 wrote: »

I dont suppose you can buy drives that are toughened against physical shock can you? when you say dropped-how much much of a drop are we saying?

2 - 3 foot. Off the edge of my desk.

The 320gb lasted 2 drops. You'd think I'd have learned but the bastarding things have a way, like anything with wires of getting caught in something they shouldn't have.

Overheal

IT Loser wrote: »

WHAT!!!!:eek:

€200 almost!!!!! Sure...just go and buy a cheapo laptop!!!:cool:

seriously wtf.

the 320gb option is many factors cheaper though. 500 passports are relatively new. you could have got one on cyber monday for 40 in most places. hard luck ^_^

Like others are implying though dont try and use them as a flash drive substitute. Keep a Sandisk Cruzer around for day to day file porting. My passport is basically my desktop hard drive, but for a laptop. It gets used when I want to pull out my extended music or movie collection, or perform a backup/reformat while on the road (which happens at an alarming rate...there is so much time to kill on the Amtrak!) I wont ever go back to the AC-powered drives if I can avoid it, Desktop PC or no. Theyre just that much extra work for not a lot of savings. The only exception I can see to that is a Network Storage Drive where it makes sense to keep it powered and sitting in the closet next to all the other Modem-crap.

Menengroth™

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=420463

have 2 of them myself, and bought another 3 for my sisters, they're the business.

Reginald P. DuM

electro-shocks wrote: »

I'd recommend the western digital passport, great portable hard drive.
No need for plugs or anything, runs off usb.
Bit on the steep side but work it IMO
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/0623085/Trail/searchtext%3EWESTERN+DIGITAL.htm

I have one of these too, very happy with its operation. Can't recall how much I paid for it, but I'm sure they are a touch cheaper than 200 now. Ya get what ya pay for in life!

ceoexec2

wd elements 500gb in pc world for 45-49euro