I have been searching the forums and can't seem to get a good answer for a fast, quality external HD to store video files with. 500gb Time Capsule is the same price as a 1tb raid Western Digital Mybook? Wireless speed vs. Firewire? Any suggestions?
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Best External Hard Drive for Mac Pro
- Thread starter cydspal
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have you seen the drobo? - if you want your data safe then its a good option and also you can upgrade it/add capacity as you wish. shame its not fw
Can make the Drobo a NAS or DAS - so can link via a network. It's an extra you link to the drobo.
Having just lost a Tb of data, I can tell you you want at least RAID 1 redundancy if you don't want to lose it. Recovery software won't help with a busted drive sometimes. Superduper & Time Machine for example can help. The thing with the drobo is that you can just plug more and more drives in, hot swap and upgrade the drives when you get higher capacity ones. Ain't seen that before.
Having just lost a Tb of data, I can tell you you want at least RAID 1 redundancy if you don't want to lose it. Recovery software won't help with a busted drive sometimes. Superduper & Time Machine for example can help. The thing with the drobo is that you can just plug more and more drives in, hot swap and upgrade the drives when you get higher capacity ones. Ain't seen that before.
I don't know. It would seem to be a good jumping point to serve iTunes and or iPhoto to multiple Mac's in the house and
TV too. It has it's usage, but it is only really worthwhile, in my opinion, if you are looking for a new N router.Hi Cyd,
Here's a question - you say for video files, but can you explain further? DVD movie files? video capture files? to be used as a backup only..or not?
There are plenty of options and it really depends on exactly what you'll be doing with it. For example, I have a 4 drive external array which is esata for my G5. I do alot of video transfers so space is much needed. You can buy a card to do the same with a MP. With esata, the HDs are as seamless as the other HDs are housed in my system. Works fantastic.
let us know and we'll be able to better direct you. The good news is that there are tons of options and the prices are good.
Cheers,
Keebler
Here's a question - you say for video files, but can you explain further? DVD movie files? video capture files? to be used as a backup only..or not?
There are plenty of options and it really depends on exactly what you'll be doing with it. For example, I have a 4 drive external array which is esata for my G5. I do alot of video transfers so space is much needed. You can buy a card to do the same with a MP. With esata, the HDs are as seamless as the other HDs are housed in my system. Works fantastic.
let us know and we'll be able to better direct you. The good news is that there are tons of options and the prices are good.
Cheers,
Keebler
Firewire is good but eSATA is better. It is good for your backup to be external in case your whole computer goes down.
Here is my set up:
I have a 500gb internal boot drive that I back up with a matching 500gb external hard drive (this is where I keep all my applications, music, and other stuff that I will always want available).
I also have a 1tb internal hard drive that stores my photos. I back that up with a matching 1tb external hard drive.
My hard drives are all Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 SATA. For the external drives I use the same matching drives but house them in an external enclosure that connects via eSATA (see the link below).
When the photo hard drives fill up I can take them out and replace them with new 1tb hard drives (my boot drive will never fill up). This will be the cheapest method possible over time because these drives are even cheaper than basic external firewire drives (the enclosure is a one time $100 cost). You'll also need a cable to connect to your mac pro via eSATA (see second link below - $25 - check to be sure it works with your computer before buying). The enclosure also connects via firewire and usb.
I back everything up using mirrored raid but you could use any back-up software that you want including time machine.
Hope the info helps...I really did my research.
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/MEFW924AL1K/
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer Technology/MPQXES2/
Here is my set up:
I have a 500gb internal boot drive that I back up with a matching 500gb external hard drive (this is where I keep all my applications, music, and other stuff that I will always want available).
I also have a 1tb internal hard drive that stores my photos. I back that up with a matching 1tb external hard drive.
My hard drives are all Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 SATA. For the external drives I use the same matching drives but house them in an external enclosure that connects via eSATA (see the link below).
When the photo hard drives fill up I can take them out and replace them with new 1tb hard drives (my boot drive will never fill up). This will be the cheapest method possible over time because these drives are even cheaper than basic external firewire drives (the enclosure is a one time $100 cost). You'll also need a cable to connect to your mac pro via eSATA (see second link below - $25 - check to be sure it works with your computer before buying). The enclosure also connects via firewire and usb.
I back everything up using mirrored raid but you could use any back-up software that you want including time machine.
Hope the info helps...I really did my research.
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/MEFW924AL1K/
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer Technology/MPQXES2/
If you're not looking to back up but just need more space, my recommendation is still valid. The drive in the external enclosure connected via eSATA should preform just the same as if it were installed internally. The benefit is that you can take it with you and connect it to any computer you want via just about any connection you could want.
What I am really trying to do is twofold: first, I love the idea of letting my kids and wife use my laserjet from their laptops, now they email things to print. So, using TC as the network hub connected to my HP printer is a real plus, if its compatable. Second, I want a back up drive for imported rough home video files for editing. Should I have gotten another internal drive instead or both? I was just hoping TC was a one stop shop! Thanks for all of your feedback!
Can't they just take their laptop to the printer, plug-in, and print? They have to go to the printer to get the print anyway right?
Also, I still say the internal hd in an external enclosure connected via eSATA is the way to go. You could just slap another internal in your computer but what if your computer goes down? Do you need the info on the backup available right away?
It may be cheapest to get a wireless router to connect your printer for printing from various computers and back up with above method.
It sounds like Time Capsule should work for your needs. Just know that backing up through wireless will be waaaaaay slower. Also, what happens when you fill the Time Capsule HD? Time Capsule will be more expensive than dealing with your problems as different issues.
Also, I still say the internal hd in an external enclosure connected via eSATA is the way to go. You could just slap another internal in your computer but what if your computer goes down? Do you need the info on the backup available right away?
It may be cheapest to get a wireless router to connect your printer for printing from various computers and back up with above method.
It sounds like Time Capsule should work for your needs. Just know that backing up through wireless will be waaaaaay slower. Also, what happens when you fill the Time Capsule HD? Time Capsule will be more expensive than dealing with your problems as different issues.
What I am really trying to do is twofold: first, I love the idea of letting my kids and wife use my laserjet from their laptops, now they email things to print. So, using TC as the network hub connected to my HP printer is a real plus, if its compatable. Second, I want a back up drive for imported rough home video files for editing. Should I have gotten another internal drive instead or both? I was just hoping TC was a one stop shop! Thanks for all of your feedback!
If the point of TC for you is a spot to edit video then I think you need another solution. The best method for the editing is to add a scratch drive internal - the amount of churn on this drive will be the factor I would suggest it. I still think that the TC is best suited for a distribution point versus a usage drive.
If all of your computers have wireless cards, I'm pretty sure you can set up a wireless network which will allow you to share your printer with other computers on the network? That would solve one of your problems for free.
Why have factory install? You can order more hard drives and install them yourself for less. Installing them was as easy or easier than installing ram.
This is true, and very simple indeed. All you have to do is turn on Printer Sharing in your System Preferences under Sharing on all of the computers. It is how mine is hooked up. And then get either an eSATA or Firewire 800 drive for backups. I've never used eSATA, but I have a Firewire 800 drive and it is pretty darn quick. G-Tech makes some nice drives, plus they match the MP.
Plus it's cheaper! (Right? Someone correct me if I'm wrong.)
Edit: Sorry, didn't realize you already said it costs less.
Forgive me on my lack of knowledge on this. Ok, so I can work on my new Mac Pro and "share" the printer with the 3 Vista Laptops in the house.....how?
I had just warmed up to using Time Capsule since it would be a printer "server" along with being a hard drive. How do I do this without some type of printer server?
I had just warmed up to using Time Capsule since it would be a printer "server" along with being a hard drive. How do I do this without some type of printer server?
yep...it's possible. you should be able to figure it out using mac help and/or google.
Time Capsule caught my attention at first too. It sound really cool but after some thought I realized it is not the most efficient way to back up large amounts of information (i.e. digital video).
You have many options but it seems your decision "in a nut-shell" is this:
1. Spend $300 on time machine for 500gb hd and printer "server".(slow editing)
2. Spend less than $300 for 750gb hd and use networking to share the printer.(fast editing)
3. Get hard drive (internal or external) for video and tc for other stuff
Time Capsule caught my attention at first too. It sound really cool but after some thought I realized it is not the most efficient way to back up large amounts of information (i.e. digital video).
You have many options but it seems your decision "in a nut-shell" is this:
1. Spend $300 on time machine for 500gb hd and printer "server".(slow editing)
2. Spend less than $300 for 750gb hd and use networking to share the printer.(fast editing)
3. Get hard drive (internal or external) for video and tc for other stuff
Drobo: Good
As a Drobo owner (6 months) I say that's the way to go. Price is a factor, however. It'll cost you $1,000 to get up and running with 1.5TB of usable, redundant space, but if your data is worth anything to you, it's worth $1K.
Plus, they verify that it is Time Machine compatible. A couple caveats:
1.) Can't use Time Machine with the DroboShare NAS device -- Time Machine doesn't work over a network I guess.
2.) Avoid Samsung drives -- there are a couple models that are incompatible with the Drobo.
As a Drobo owner (6 months) I say that's the way to go. Price is a factor, however. It'll cost you $1,000 to get up and running with 1.5TB of usable, redundant space, but if your data is worth anything to you, it's worth $1K.
Plus, they verify that it is Time Machine compatible. A couple caveats:
1.) Can't use Time Machine with the DroboShare NAS device -- Time Machine doesn't work over a network I guess.
2.) Avoid Samsung drives -- there are a couple models that are incompatible with the Drobo.
If you want a place for every one to access files and share a printer, Time Capsule is a bargain. You can store your videos for back up as well but unless everyone in your family has wireless N the best transfer rate your going to see is 130 mb, even if everyone has wireless N backing up files to it will be slower than a link drive; at best, 300 mb according to wireless N spec. If you're planning on editing off your time capsule you're going to see dropped frames.
I have an airport extreme with two 500 gb hard drives daisy chained to it that cost me over $600. Time capsules start at $300 for 500 GB or $500 for 1 TB, again a bargain.
If I were you, depending on how much I wanted to spend, I'd buy the $300 Time Capsule and a $200 quad interface external 500 GB external for editing. If it were me I would buy the 1 TB Time capsule and an external for editing, However, if you get the 500 GB Time capsule you'll be able to add a usb hub to it to share the usb port with another hard drive if needed.
I have an airport extreme with two 500 gb hard drives daisy chained to it that cost me over $600. Time capsules start at $300 for 500 GB or $500 for 1 TB, again a bargain.
If I were you, depending on how much I wanted to spend, I'd buy the $300 Time Capsule and a $200 quad interface external 500 GB external for editing. If it were me I would buy the 1 TB Time capsule and an external for editing, However, if you get the 500 GB Time capsule you'll be able to add a usb hub to it to share the usb port with another hard drive if needed.
I guess I should have told you all... budget is around $500 - $600. That being said, I think I will lean towards the last few responses.....get the $300 TC use it for the printer network setup and basic Time machine file backups and get another firewired external HD to keep vid clips on for pulling in/out of the Mac Pro when editing. Sound OK? If so, any takers on suggesting the external firewired HD, does 400 vs. 800 firewire matter that much and/or how about Western Digital My book with RAID? Thanks everyone!
http://www.pacificgeek.com/product.asp?c=202&s=1001&ID=62385&P=F
http://www.pacificgeek.com/product.asp?c=202&s=1001&ID=62385&P=F
there you go...get the time capsule like you want to, but, get another drive (internal or connected via eSATA if possible) for video editing.
The firewire drive you are looking at will probably work fine for you but why not go eSATA for $25.
Drobo is not only expensive buy only connects via usb...right?
The firewire drive you are looking at will probably work fine for you but why not go eSATA for $25.
Drobo is not only expensive buy only connects via usb...right?