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Best Portable Hard Drive for MacBook
- Thread starter DarthBowie
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Probably not the ones you build yourself. Some have varying current requirements and some won't power up with some drives with every USB socket (i.e. they require more current when the HDD is spinning up than USB sockets are 'legally' allowed to give out. A problem in certain cases).
I would recommend the Freecom HDD's. Bear in mind I use USB drives for PC/Mac use - don't really have a use for Firewire drives, which as the post below says will allow you to boot from it.
The FHD-2 is an aluminium encased drive with a minUSB socket. Pretty low profile, smart looking and very cool in use. 4 still used at home, about 10 still in use elsewhere, 1 failure in just under 2 years. Very reliably bus-powered. Practically every USB port I've plugged this drive into powers it, which is not the case for all USB 2.5" drives - especially the third-party enclosures I mentioned above. I'd recommend this if you don't feel you need the drop-resistant features of the Toughdrive mentioned below. Another feature is that if you dismount the drive, it switches off (can't remember whether it worked all the time on a Mac). The data sync button doesn't work on a Mac.
http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_detail.asp?ID=3542&CatID=8020&sCatID=1146438&ssCatID=1146441
I was casting around for replacements to the FHD-2's and having bought a few, I decided on the Toughdrive as the most viable replacement for actually portable use.
The Toughdrive is of course bus-powered, and is just like the FHD-2 in terms of powering reliability. It has a captive USB plug (and an extension cord), rubber buffers around the drive in a plastic shell, which is itself encased in rubber. Gets warmer than the FHD-2 in use, but extended run-time testing has found no functional issues. I initially bought a batch for my own use, found it excellent and we acquired a large number recently. No failures to date but it's fairly early days. The captive, flexible USB plug is a good idea once again for actually portable use (Forgot cables? you'd be stuffed with a regular drive. Not with the Toughdrive), but the elastomer it is made out of will break down and become brittle after about 5 years of use.
http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_detail.asp?ID=3506&CatID=400
All Freecoms seem to use Samsung drives.
I would recommend the Freecom HDD's. Bear in mind I use USB drives for PC/Mac use - don't really have a use for Firewire drives, which as the post below says will allow you to boot from it.
The FHD-2 is an aluminium encased drive with a minUSB socket. Pretty low profile, smart looking and very cool in use. 4 still used at home, about 10 still in use elsewhere, 1 failure in just under 2 years. Very reliably bus-powered. Practically every USB port I've plugged this drive into powers it, which is not the case for all USB 2.5" drives - especially the third-party enclosures I mentioned above. I'd recommend this if you don't feel you need the drop-resistant features of the Toughdrive mentioned below. Another feature is that if you dismount the drive, it switches off (can't remember whether it worked all the time on a Mac). The data sync button doesn't work on a Mac.
http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_detail.asp?ID=3542&CatID=8020&sCatID=1146438&ssCatID=1146441
I was casting around for replacements to the FHD-2's and having bought a few, I decided on the Toughdrive as the most viable replacement for actually portable use.
The Toughdrive is of course bus-powered, and is just like the FHD-2 in terms of powering reliability. It has a captive USB plug (and an extension cord), rubber buffers around the drive in a plastic shell, which is itself encased in rubber. Gets warmer than the FHD-2 in use, but extended run-time testing has found no functional issues. I initially bought a batch for my own use, found it excellent and we acquired a large number recently. No failures to date but it's fairly early days. The captive, flexible USB plug is a good idea once again for actually portable use (Forgot cables? you'd be stuffed with a regular drive. Not with the Toughdrive), but the elastomer it is made out of will break down and become brittle after about 5 years of use.
http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_detail.asp?ID=3506&CatID=400
All Freecoms seem to use Samsung drives.
Love the portability of my firelight. Also I can boot to it because its firewire...a major plus to verify a carbon copy backup (also restoration is much easier). Love the ease of use of the maxtor one touch 3, the one touch backups of selected folders, great for night time press and forget backups.
Love my nas, i never have to worry about cords. Its always attached if im on the network, and i can ftp to it anywhere. The speed isnt that great but its nice to know i can get anything anywhere and throw a dvd somewhere need be off my hd. Even though that will take a good 40 mins.
Love my nas, i never have to worry about cords. Its always attached if im on the network, and i can ftp to it anywhere. The speed isnt that great but its nice to know i can get anything anywhere and throw a dvd somewhere need be off my hd. Even though that will take a good 40 mins.
I just want a portable drive so I can store Word files, pics, as well as music I purchase from iTunes. Which one should I go with?
Thanks!
Thanks!
If it is a Macbook, then USB is just as good for booting from.
I currently use a Freecom mobile 160GB, a WD 120GB Passport and a LaCie Rugged 160GB (FW800). I still have my older lower capacity Smartdisk Firelites in USB2 and FW400 flavours. They all work fine. A PC Mag I read recently said the Freecom was slower than most of the rest of the market, but it has always felt fast enough for me.
I have only ever had one mobile drive die on me and it was a minor name I picked up in the Netherlands. The housing had a weak chip on board which required 2 USB ports to power the drive, which the others do not. The housing eventually failed and I transferred the hard drive to one of my Smartdisks.
The Smartdisks are upgradable, in that they are easily dismantled. The LaCie can also be taken apart with some care. The Freecom and WD appear to be sealed units.
Take your pick.
I currently use a Freecom mobile 160GB, a WD 120GB Passport and a LaCie Rugged 160GB (FW800). I still have my older lower capacity Smartdisk Firelites in USB2 and FW400 flavours. They all work fine. A PC Mag I read recently said the Freecom was slower than most of the rest of the market, but it has always felt fast enough for me.
I have only ever had one mobile drive die on me and it was a minor name I picked up in the Netherlands. The housing had a weak chip on board which required 2 USB ports to power the drive, which the others do not. The housing eventually failed and I transferred the hard drive to one of my Smartdisks.
The Smartdisks are upgradable, in that they are easily dismantled. The LaCie can also be taken apart with some care. The Freecom and WD appear to be sealed units.
Take your pick.
I think formac has some really nice hard drives that go nicely with the Macbook (www.formac.de)
Not so sure though where you can get them in the US but I imagine there is a distributor that sells them also.
byakuya
Not so sure though where you can get them in the US but I imagine there is a distributor that sells them also.
byakuya
If it helps ive had numerous wd passport 120 or 160g recomendations and as a result it will be my next portable hd
I've been looking...and don't think they are available in the US. THey should though because I think they would sell a few of them.
WD 250GB Passport drive. On sale now.
http://www.buy.com/prod/western-dig...-external-hard-drive/q/loc/101/204777423.html
http://www.buy.com/prod/western-dig...-external-hard-drive/q/loc/101/204777423.html
Yeah, but it's not too bad. I can have it open, install drive and closed usually within 8 minutes. Of course, I've probably done it 10-15 times.
yeah i've only done it once, but i'd love to have more space. I currently have 4gb free.
Ouch. I just ordered the 200gb 7200 rpm Hitachi to throw in my MBP from Newegg, so that thing should stroke along nicelyyeah i've only done it once, but i'd love to have more space. I currently have 4gb free.
Yes it is. Use Carbon Copy Cloner to create an exact image of your current drive. Works like a charm.
When my new drive arrives, I have a external casing that I put the new hard drive into, then connect via Firewire. I create an exact image of my current MBP hard drive to the external drive.
Then, unplug and take the MBP apart. Take the current drive out, and put in the new drive that I just created the hard drive image on. You get the same exact drive, with a lot more room
To transfer the information over to the external takes about 2.5 hours.
Bought a few for my the office.. Based on "looks", and not price..
The WD passport is beautiful.
The WD passport is beautiful.
I love my G Drive Mini, it's small, matches my MBP, uses firewire 400 so I can boot off of it in case my internal hard drive fails, and it even comes with a carrying case! (not that I take it anywhere, but if I did I'd be set).