External HD: Western Digital or Maxtor?

[Squire]

Hi.

I'm in the market for an external hard drive for my 17" iMac. When I bought my Mac, I thought the 80 GB hard drive would last forever. Not so. Anyway, I'm sort of torn between a Western Digital drive or a Maxtor one. The WD models are considerably cheaper than the Maxtor but I've heard great things about Maxtor. Have any of you had experience with either of them? These are the models I'm looking at:

Maxtor 3000DV 80GB Firewire

OR

Western Digital WD800B008 80GB USB 2.0 ($40 cheaper than Maxtor)
Western Digital WD1200B008 120GB USB 2.0 ($10 cheaper)
Western Digital WD1600B008 160GB USB 2.0 ($25 more)

It looks like the 160GB WD is a no brainer. I'd like something that I could use with both my Mac and my PC. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Squire

 

[JamesDPS]

My understanding has generally been that WD is better than Maxtor, but I've heard Maxtor drives are becoming more reliable, etc. I just did a bunch of research and decided to go with an old favorite (and sure thing as far as reliability/durability and service go), LaCie. But I needed a bigger drive. Anyways, here's what I bought.

Note the 8MB buffer cache -- I think the WD and Maxtor drives you were looking at have that -- but what drew me to LaCie (in addition to the reputation) were the FW800 ports (2 of them) as well as the regular Firewire and USB 2.0 ports, so this thing can do it all, and will hopefully serve me for a long time.

BTW on a side note, I bought a totally cheap drive a few years ago -- Beyond Micro (i.e. "generic") and it sucks, but I don't use it for anything really important, basically just backing stuff up and as a dump for audio. So you can get away with it if your data isn't super-important, but if you're keeping sole copies of anything crucial on there, I'd say go with a reputable brand like LaCie or Seagate (for example).

PS sorry to sound like a LaCie ad -- I've just had good experience with them, that's all.

 

[Squire]

...sorry to sound like a LaCie ad -- I've just had good experience with them, that's all.

Thanks for the info and no worries about the ad-like comments. That's actually what I'm looking for: people preaching the advantages of a certain product. (That's how I ended up with a Mac in the first place.) I noticed the other thread on LaCie drives and decided to check them out. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be available here.

Squire

 

[MacRAND]

...I just did a bunch of research and decided to go with an old favorite (and sure thing as far as reliability/durability and service go), LaCie.
here's what I bought.
Note the 8MB buffer cache...but what drew me to LaCie (in addition to the reputation) were the FW800 ports (2 of them) as well as the regular Firewire and USB 2.0 ports, so this thing can do it all, and will hopefully serve me for a long time.
BTW on a side note, I bought a totally cheap drive a few years ago -- Beyond Micro (i.e. "generic") and it sucks, but I don't use it for anything really important... I'd say go with a reputable brand like LaCie or Seagate (for example).
PS sorry to sound like a LaCie ad -- I've just had good experience with them, that's all.

I'd like to echo support for LaCie d2 drives, including Firewire800 , but also Seagate and Hitachi/IBM over Maxtor or WD. The LeCie d2 has such a solid case plus no need for fan (very quiet), find way to buy -- they last forever, and HD can be replaced using superior enclosure. Figure out way to buy in US and ship to Korea.

 

[Squire]

I'd like to echo support for LaCie d2 drives, including Firewire800 , but also Seagate and Hitachi/IBM over Maxtor or WD. The LeCie d2 has such a solid case plus no need for fan (very quiet), find way to buy -- they last forever, and HD can be replaced using superior enclosure. Figure out way to buy in US and ship to Korea.

Your closing statement (my bold type edit) is pretty strong. If these drives are that great, I guess I'll just have to figure out a way to get my mitts on one. The triple-interface drive really piqued my interest. It would be nice for my eventual move up the Apple hardware hierarchy.

Squire

 

[MacRAND]

LaCie d2 HD are solid investment

Your closing statement (Figure out way to buy in US and ship to Korea) is pretty strong. If these drives are that great, I guess I'll just have to figure out a way to get my mitts on one.
The triple-interface drive really piqued my interest.
It would be nice for my eventual move up the Apple hardware hierarchy.
Squire

You have nailed the essence of the LaCie d2 drives' benefits.
Oddly, LaCie sells a "competing" line of drives (Porsche) with a loud fan at about the same price and I cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to buy one unless they think it is "pretty"(?).
I got the LaCie d2 case with a 4x SuperDrive & Pioneer DVR-A06 inside, and love the solid design of the well designed enclosure, which I would keep and use long after the drive inside is obsolete, dead or worthless.
The LaCie d2 is the only line of exterior hard drives displayed (or sold) at the Phoenix Apple Store. Hands down, I think it is the best - even if it is made by a French company (don't get me started - compromis contre le Français).

• You do understand that LaCie makes enclosures - the drives inside are selected from the best it can find among hard drives offered by other Manufacturers, which could be Hitachi, Seagate, Toshiba, etc.
• Their claim to fame and fortune is the excellent & durable design of the d2 enclosure, including the FW800, FW400 and USB 2 ports/interface making them state of the art. That's what you are paying for with a LaCie.

 

[jsw]

You have nailed the essence of the LaCie d2 drives' benefits.
...
• Their fame and fortune is the excellent & durable design of the enclosure, including the FW800, FW400 and USB 2 ports/interface making them state of the art. That's what you are paying for with a LaCie.

Agreed. My 18-month-old d2 has been a real trooper, and it's built like a tank. I'm thinking of upgrading the innards with one of my 160GB Seagates so I can put a Raptor in my G5.

 

[MacRAND]

You are putting a 10,000 rpm Raptor 74 GB drive inside your G5?

Agreed. ...
I'm thinking of upgrading the innards with one of my 160GB Seagates so I can put a Raptor in my G5.

Like the -
Western Digital Raptor WD740GD
74 GB Serial ATA 10,000 rpm Hard Drive with a
4.5 ms average data seek time.
w/8MB Buffer and Serial ATA Signal Cable Bundle?
(for $220 at ZipZoomFly.com )

What is the reputation on this setup in a Mac?

Do you know a Mac person who has installed this in their PowerMac G4 or G5?

ZipZoomFly's description of the drive seems to indicate PC requirements?
"Western Digital SATA drive is compatible with any computer with an available 32-bit, 2.1 - or 2.2- compliant PCI slot and a 3.5-inch or 5.5-inch internal drive bay using Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Linux."

Can it really transfer data that fast using the
G5's existing HD connections, or

do you need the bundle that includes a Serial ATA Signal Cable (above), or
are you hooking it up using an Ultra fast SCSI PCI board with connector?

The 4.5ns seek time would be an amazing addition for a G5.

What's the planned setup, and
what are your expectations?

 

[jihad the movie]

I have a Western Digital USB 2.0/Firewire 400 120 GB drive. It works great, however, when I use it for a Video Scratch Disk, it becomes PAINFULLY slow. But then again, I should probably use an Internal HD for video since it is faster. Great for backup, not great for dumping video. I would pick one up if I were you.