best external hd

[zblaxberg]

whats the best external hd I can get (that is cheap but good) with about 120gb or higher that will be compatible with macs and pc's...my pc just got a trojan that macaffe can't delete and I had to back everything up onto my mac and I'd like to get an external hd so I don't kill my mac...any suggestions?

edit: so by formating it to fat32, it won't matter what hd I get really? Like I'm very computer literate but that's with pc's so when it comes to the mac side its kinda like...uhhhh...you know? Basically if I get any external hd, I'll be fine??

 

[epochblue]

I've had a LaCie Triple Interface 250GB drive for the past 2 years and haven't had a single problem with it. The Triple Interface (FW400/800 and USB2.0) is great because almost any computer has one or more of those ports. I'd highly recommend it. Here's a link:
http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?pid=10058

Whatever you choose, make sure to format it as FAT32 so Windows and OS X can write to it and read from it.

Edit: w00t, 1,000 posts!

 

[~Shard~]

I've had a LaCie Triple Interface 250GB drive for the past 2 years and haven't had a single problem with it. The Triple Interface (FW400/800 and USB2.0) is great because almost any computer has one or more of those ports. I'd highly recommend it. Here's a link:
http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?pid=10058

Yeah, Lacie drives are fairly reliable from what I've read. Just keep in mind, if it matters to you, that Lacie does not actually manufacture hard drives. If you buy a Lacie drive you are actually buying a Maxtor or what have you - not that it's a big deal, but it is a common misconception many people have...

In general, I recommend Seagate (especially due to their 5-year warranties) and WD.

Edit: w00t, 1,000 posts!

Pffft, celebrate when you get to my level...

 

[eyebeaz]

If you buy a Lacie drive you are actually buying a Maxtor or what have you - not that it's a big deal, but it is a common misconception many people have...

In general, I recommend Seagate (especially due to their 5-year warranties) and WD.

Isn't Maxtor a part a Seagate?

 

[~Shard~]

Isn't Maxtor a part a Seagate?

That is correct, Seagate acquired Maxtor late last year.

 

[zblaxberg]

now what would be a reasonable price for say...a 160gb usb 2.0 hard drive...I saw today at walmart a 160gb for about $98. While there was a 320gb for like $140 if I'm not mistaken.

 

[brop52]

now what would be a reasonable price for say...a 160gb usb 2.0 hard drive...I saw today at walmart a 160gb for about $98. While there was a 320gb for like $140 if I'm not mistaken.

If you are on a mac you are going to want a firewire external HD. I'd recommend you buy from newegg...

Anyway, if you want an 8MB cache drive (which I recommend for the price unless you want a higher end 16MB cache drive) this is a good list to choose from. Just pick the interface you want to use. (USB, firewire, or combo). These are the ones made specifically for macs but can be used for windows. You can also take a look at the generic external drives but they tend to be geared toward USB and not firewire.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...552+1333723951+1334823957+1333623954&name=8MB

 

[skinnylegs]

I have a Seagate external HD. Love it....no problems whatsoever.

 

[steviem]

Lacie drives are great!

I have an 80 gb lacie, that is now a 40gb lacie after swapping the drives between my iBook and the lacie so I can store all my music on the iBook..

I'm just waiting for a 320gb Western Digital Mybook to keep at home to use as backups and to hold movies and tv shows i have on there.

 

[Crazy-Horse]

Hi there, although I don't have personal experience of all the competing brands, I've had a WD MyBook 250gb Essential USB drive for over a year now and it's been great for me, quiet and reliable (and looks great next to my blackbook ).

Again I'd also definitely recommend paying a little extra for a USB/FW400/800 triple interface drive as, from what I understand, FW 400 offers superior sustained transfer rates to USB, and if you ever require additional storage having the option of daisychaining is a definite plus when connection ports are at a premium.

Unfortunately I didn't realise the benefits of FW when I bought my USB-only version, live and learn...

 

[cube]

Get a quad interface from macsales.com, so you can also connect via SATA.

 

[warfa]

I am also interested in this. i plan to purchase a 500GB or 1TB external from either Seagate or WD when i purchase the upcoming MBP! i have heard good things from both of them but don't know which to go with yet!
what do you guys recommend?

 

[iBookG4user]

I've had an Acomdata Firewire 160GB external hard drive for a couple months now and it's been working great. It was a bit cheaper than the Lacie, but I'm pleased with it. I've also had good experiences with Seagate, but bad experiences with Western Digital.