Best External HD for new MacBook Air? Thunderbolt?

[bob99]

So, the new MacBook Airs are out. Sweet! We've all been waiting a long time for this

I want to get an external HD for my new MBA, but what's the best BUS powered USB2 drive to pair this with? I don't need it immediately, would it be better to wait for a Thunderbolt-powered 1TB drive? Any idea when those babies will be coming out?

I'd like something sleek and small that matches the MBA. I know Western Digital has some good looking slim drives, but none of them are Thunderbolt yet.

Any opinions would be appreciated!

Bob

 

[Hellhammer]

There are no TB drives yet other than Promise's Pegasus which starts from $999. There are many good 2.5" drives but personally I prefer LaCie.

 

[bob99]

I find a lot of the LaCie drives to be too chunky / boxy. I've got a few of their 3.5" external drives, but they don't have anything slim enough.

This 1TB WD seems to match the aluminum look of the air, and the capacity is good:
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=450

 

[Duke15]

Any good one, and slim ones that have firewire?

 

[theSeb]

Any good one, and slim ones that have firewire?

Hitachi gdrive mini

 

[WardC]

The Promise 12 Terabyte RAID system should work just fine

 

[Sarsay]

Did some of you try the G-Drive Slim (http://www.g-technology.com/products/g-drive-slim.cfm)?

I'm thinking of buying it given its MBA-like design, but I'm not so sure about its performance... the price, however, seems to be awesome!

 

[Kafka]

Did some of you try the G-Drive Slim (http://www.g-technology.com/products/g-drive-slim.cfm)?

I'm thinking of buying it given its MBA-like design, but I'm not so sure about its performance... the price, however, seems to be awesome!

Owned one for 2 or 3 days and returned it. The so called aluminum is so cheap it feels plasticky, 320gb is too low, and it's missing FW for when/if you use it with another Mac.
Can't tell about performance but whatever, it's USB2 only so it's slow anyway.
Buy only if slimness is a must for you, I prefer my Rugged drives also from Lacie that I can mistreat all I want.

If you don't care about USB only, I've seen these in a store once and they look nice. Lacie regularly tries offering externals with a built-in cable and I appreciate that.

It's a real pity there's nothing for the MBA somewhere between the slow/cheap USB2 and the ultra-fast/expensive/nonexistent TB.

 

[go4theko]

in the same boat. Guess we'll just have to wait for a TB enabled drive or a TB to firewire converter