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    Any recommendation on 100-120GB External Hard Drive?

    Discussion in 'Accessories' started by Shel, Apr 27, 2006.

  1. Shel

    Shel Notebook Evangelist

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    Looking for a (preferably, portable) External Hard Drive to back up my laptop.

    Prefer USB powered, so I don't need power cord. Also, would like backup software included, if possible.

    Any suggestions or recommendations of what to buy/what to stay away from?

    Thanks!
     
    Shel, Apr 27, 2006
    #1
  2. titaniummd

    titaniummd Notebook Deity

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    Sandisk Firewire.
     
    titaniummd, Apr 27, 2006
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  3. Shel

    Shel Notebook Evangelist

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    Is firewire faster then USB 2.0?
     
    Shel, Apr 27, 2006
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  4. titaniummd

    titaniummd Notebook Deity

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    CORRECTION:
    Sandisk Firelite. It uses USB 2. It does not use an AC adapter and it is compact. Western Digital also has a small HD which is comparable.

    I have read that firewire 400 has constant throughput which is supposed to be faster than USB 2.
     
    titaniummd, Apr 27, 2006
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  5. foo_ball76

    foo_ball76 Notebook Evangelist

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    Best Buy has a 160 GB Western Digital USB, 8MB, 7200rpm. I don't think its the most portable but its on sale this week for $100- no rebates! :cool:
     
    foo_ball76, Apr 27, 2006
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  6. Shel

    Shel Notebook Evangelist

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    Foo
    Thanks for the heads up! I'll have to check that out.

    Thinking about it, as I don't plan to take the external drive with me on trips, I probably would be better off getting a non-portable drive. I'm sure that I could find a larger drive, perhaps 160GB, for less then a 100 GB portable drive would cost.

    How's Western Digital's reputation? Do they build quality drives?

    Thanks
     
    Shel, Apr 28, 2006
    #6
  7. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    If you want to go cheap, you can buy a case on NewEgg and a used hard drive on eBay. You don't need speed for storage.
     
    ZaZ, Apr 28, 2006
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  8. TedJ

    TedJ Asus fan in a can!

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    I also recommend buying an external enclosure and loading your own 3.5" HDD into it. Works out a lot cheaper than buying one of those Maxtor units, for instance... especially if you happen to have an older 100-120GB drive left over from your last desktop upgrade.
     
    TedJ, Apr 28, 2006
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  9. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    I think the OP is looking for a notebook drive.
     
    ZaZ, Apr 28, 2006
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  10. dgkulzer

    dgkulzer Notebook Enthusiast

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    I actually have a few external hard drives. One is a 2.5" external and the rest are 3.5". I have a coolmax that will accept 3.5" Sata and Pata drives, I have a Samsung 160Gb in it. I also have a 3.5" Eumax with a 80Gb IDE WD drive and I have a 2.5" Bytecc with a 40Gb Samsung drive.

    I would recommend buying the case and hard drive seperately, you can save quite a bit of money that way. Especially if you have a old hard drive lying around. If you get a case without a fan try to get a efficient hd so you wont have problems with heat, I use Samsung myself and have had good luck.

    One benifit to the 2.5" drives is that there is no power brick, but the drives cost more and are smaller.

    A pic of the coolmax with power supply and cables and the Bytecc partially assembled:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]



    For software there is some free programs out there, I havent tried these but they look promising:
    SyncBack Freeware V3.2.10
    Replicator v3.3.4
     
    dgkulzer, Apr 28, 2006
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  11. clintb

    clintb Notebook Guru

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    For 3.5" drives and only USB 2.0:
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817145656
    For 3.5" drives, USB 2.0 and Firewire:
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817145657
    For 3.5" drives with SATA interface, eSATA and USB 2.0:
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817145660
    For 2.5" drives, USB 2.0:
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817145658

    For the USB interface these enclosures use the Cypress Semiconductor chipset which is fast and reliable. Firewire uses the Oxford 911 or better chipset. Check the reviews...no b.s. with these enclosures.
     
    clintb, Apr 28, 2006
    #11