buy/return. exeternal boot camp install troubles/none charging usb hub (solutions)

[benlangdon]

First let me state what i am trying to solve/achieve.

i need an external hard drive for
1. 65 gb + (growing very rapidly)
2. to run boot camp on exclusively
3. to run time machine on.

i need a usb hub for
1. possibly the external hard drive ( explain later )
2. keyboard
3. mouse
4. camera
5. printer
6. ipod

now here is my dilemma.

i had purchased a western digital My Book 500 gb external hard drive that is only usb ($160). Along with this i purchased a Belkin usb plus hub adapter with 4 ports ($35). after i purchased the items i went back to the apple store and they told me that if i want to run boot camp exclusively on the external hard drive it had to be fire wire. is this totally true? Now for the usb hub which technically worked for me, but does not charge items connected to it even though it is powered.

so after looking around i came across a couple solutions.

first for the external hard drive.
1. this is what the apple store suggested i replace it with is the western digital my book 500 gb that is fire wire. it is essentially the same but firewire and is $25 more. i could not find a link for this drive. ($190)

2. this is a maxtor 750 gb ($200)
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8490634&type=product&id=1186003684035
or the one touch IV plus 500 gb version at ($154)
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8490581&type=product&id=11860036837673.
the this one one touch III 750 gb
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3539874&CatId=2423
( i am kinda confused buy this whole maxtor drive models)

3. this is the iomega minimax 500 gb ($199)
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8411426&type=product&id=1181347723845

4. seagate free agent pro 500 gb ($200)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3094183&CatId=136

5.laCie 500 gb d2 Extreme quad hdd
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...cessories/storage&nplm=TM773ZM/A&mco=9107DB8B

then we have the usb hubs. i was going to post all the links but its a pretty basic setup. anyone just have one that works well with preferably 7 ports and can be able to charge devices through it.

but yet another option is this which is from ultra and is a 6 port usb hub with a all in one card reader. then it has a case for a hard drive that you purchase which is good/bad. and a power station on the bottom.

usb port and card reader ($40)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1800606&CatId=392

then the hard drive holder ($34)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1800603

then the power station ($69)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2700087

then i would also have to buy a hard drive to go along with it and someone was saying something great about cariar drives from western digital. one called the caviar se 500 gb ($119)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3226300&CatId=2459
here is there website. i don't really know which one to pick either.
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/ProductMatrix.asp


so...
i need a external hard drive and usb hub. i have $250-$300 to spend.
any help would be greatly appreciated.
if anything is wrong on here its because its 3:30 in the morning and i have just wrote this 4 times to get it cleaner for you guys to help me out more easily.

also where do you guys mostly buy your electronics off of. best buy is crap and frys is an adventure to get too one. you guys like tiger direct .com