Using an external HD constantly

I am quite an audiophile and i have filled up my 160gb computer with music and programs, i have no room left. I was wondering if it's safe to use an external hard drive as much as i would use my laptop's normal hd. Example.

I put My Music folder onto an external harddrive and play music from the external hard drive on an average of 5 hours a day, 7 days a week. Basically, is it safe to have an External HD on as much as my internal hd would be? Will this affect my computer's performance? Would it damage the External HD?

 

get yourself a hard drive enclosure and buy an internal hard drive for it that way you can be sure it is built to last a bit of punishment (long usage hours etc.) though if you have the option on you notebook get a firewire external enclosure, it'll be much faster ensuring you can listen to music smoothly

 

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As far as I know, hard drive manufacturers don't manufacture "computer" hard drives vs less durable "external" hard drives. The hardware should be identical, so as long as you keep it at a reasonable temperature and don't play tennis with your external, it should last you a good long while.

 

I run my WD passport almost all the time. I have had it for over 8 months and its still works great. I do make sure it gets proper airflow so that it does not get too hot. No issues thus far...

 

I am having some serious problems with my External HD...do u think its damaged?
Error msg:
An error has occured.
The Destination you have specified does not exist.It might be an offline network location or an empty CD or DVD drive.Check the location and try again.

My Posted problem: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=204084

 

I use external HDD a lot and got that message so many times, it may happen when the HDD is suddenly loses the power most of the time. I just unplug the HDD and plug it back again.

 

any recommendations for FW enclosures?

 

also...i've been reading and it seems that the 4pin FW (like the one on my laptop) isn't bus powered, meaning I would still need an extra source for power..is it worth getting FW800 and would an expresscard w/ FW800 ports be bus powered or should I just step up to eSATA

 

The usb 2.0 standard is more than sufficient for the needs that you guys above are interested in, that and the fact that there is a wider variety of external usb powered HDDs on the market than firewire, enclosures not included. Speed wise, eSATA is be the better way to go as it offers the fastest maximum transfer rates but you can typically find units that come equiped with both eSATA and USB 2.0. Some even have firewire 400 included as an interface option. The thing about firewire 400 or 800 and eSATA is that they are not bus powered so you will typically only find them in 3.5" drive enclosures and they will require an external power source. For convenience, size and portability USB 2.0 is the best option, assuming your notebook has a properly powered USB rail.

 

This is a great and flexible, universal solution.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817146057