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    external hard drive questions.

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by Rahul, Apr 17, 2008.

  1. Rahul

    Rahul Notebook Prophet

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    1.


    I have seen some 2.5" external enclosure, where some can be powered solely from the USB/firewire port and others need separate power, like needing 2 USB ports or AC power. Why is this? Maybe the higher rpm HDDs can't be powered through the port alone or the transfer rate is then slower??




    2.

    I am also wondering the differences between a usb thumbdrive and a 2.5" external HDD. I am thinking of getting either a Microcenter brand 16gb USB drive for $60 or an external 2.5" HDD.

    Aside from the HDD being physically bigger but offering more storage for the price, any other differences to consider?

    I've heard stories of some thumbdrives just dying suddenly and that scares me. I hear HDDs are more reliable that they usually will not die suddenly but give warning?

    Thanks in advance.
     
    Rahul, Apr 17, 2008
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  2. captchaplus

    captchaplus Notebook Enthusiast

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    1. It's because some USB and FireWire (4-pin only) ports can't supply enough current to run a hard drive. Without the AC adaptor or the dual USB plug, the drive won't run. However, a 6-pin FireWire can supply enough current for a 2.5" HD. In most cases, the transfer rate with FireWire (400) is noticeably faster than USB 2.0.
    See Wikipedia's entry on FireWire

    2. Flash drives are more useful if you regularly carry them around. Hard disks are more fragile because they have moving parts. For flash drives, stick with the major brands and they'll last for a long time.
     
    captchaplus, Apr 17, 2008
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