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External HD for Powerbook 15"

Spectrum

Spectrum

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 23, 2005
1,813
1,117
Never quite sure
OK, time to do some backing up...

I'm torn between this for $210

and this for $230

Both have FW800/400/USB2

First is aluminium with a Seagate Barracuda 7200.8
Second is plastic with a Hitachi TZK250

Anybody have any experience with either?
Will a 15" PB have enough juice to power across FW800 without plugging them in to the mains?
 
Spectrum said:
OK, time to do some backing up...

I'm torn between this for $210

and this for $230
Click to expand...
I think both are fine. The second is not tacky, but i like clear. I would go for the first. Both use the Oxford 912 chipset- and I really havn't had problems with either Seagate or Hitachi drives. If the you have to choose, I'd go with aluminium for heat dissapation.

Both have FW800/400/USB2

First is aluminium with a Seagate Barracuda 7200.8
Second is plastic with a Hitachi TZK250

Anybody have any experience with either?
Spectrum said:
Will a 15" PB have enough juice to power across FW800 without plugging them in to the mains?
Click to expand...

The specs show this
OWC Mercury Elite-AL said:
100-240v 50/60hz US/International Auto Switching
[/QUOTE=OWC Mercury Elite]
100-240v 50/60hz US/International Auto Switching
Click to expand...

So, I think you have to use the mains. Even if you don't, powering a device via the FW bus drains batteries!
 
hmmmm...

well that is 4 votes for the Aluminium Seagate.

But I'd really like know whether either will be able to be powered off the PB's FW bus (even if I have to have the lap top plugged in - this is not a problem). I'd just rather not have to lug around TWO adaptors.
 
I also vote for the Aluminum Seagate.

I think you will have to carry both adaptors, on my external hd when I had it connected to my powerbook, it needed to be plugged in because I guess it uses too much power...but that might be different from these two drives, mine was a LaCie drive.
 
Spectrum said:
But I'd really like know whether either will be able to be powered off the PB's FW bus (even if I have to have the lap top plugged in - this is not a problem). I'd just rather not have to lug around TWO adaptors.
Click to expand...

Another option is to get a 2.5" HDD and enclosure. I know for a fact that it can be powered off the FW bus. They come in 7200rpm and 16MB cache, and I think the highest capacity is 120GB now. But it's obviously more expensive.
 
So... for archive purposes:

I decided to buy a 160GB 2.5" Seagate solution with FW800 and USB2 from OWC: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/on-the-go

It arrived last night and, as hoped, worked straight out of the box over FW800 without either the drive OR the laptop plugged in - I'm very happy :)

To test transfer, I backed up my home folder (about 43GB, with 19,000 files in it). It took just over half an hour - not as fast as I'd have liked - but still pretty speedy. At some points it was copying in the mid 30MB/sec range, but mostly around 20-25MB/sec (according to Activity Monitor).

Attempting the same feat over USB2, required AC power to the HD, and copying was around 12-14MB/sec. (The first 10GB took about 15minutes, then I got bored).

The drive has no obvious vents and is made of clear polycarbonate (I think), is actually a little quieter than the 100GB 7200rpm HD in my Powerbook. It got slightly warm, but nothing concerning at all. The carry pouch is kind of cheap feeling and a bit oversized, but it fits in the FW800 and USB2 cables to become snug - but no room for Power adapter.

This pouch will be perfect protect the HD during storage/transport, since i don't have a dedicated computer desk/area.

If anyone is interested, Weibetech makes a bus-powered 3.5" 7200rpm drive (http://www.wiebetech.com/products/ultragbplus.php) - but I chose against it because of size/weight, and the possibility that the powerbook would not provide enough juice.
 
For a longer drive life definetly go seagate. Hitachi is, meh, not up to par with seagate imo.
-dsm
 
I bought a 160 gig SimpleTech from Sam's for $89.95, spent $9.95 for the extended warranty which now gives me a total of 4 years warranty. For my needs it works just fine.
 
The people who wrote the reviews HERE don't have all that many nice things to say about that 300gb drive although folks around here seem to speak very highly of the Seagate's.
 
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