Macbook Pro internal HD and LaCie External HD

[jmeaux6]

I just bought one of the new baseline 17" MBP's but Apple didn't have the one with the 7200 rpm drive in stock in the store so being impatient I opted for the 5400rpm drive.

Because I do a lot of video editing I am about to buy an external hard drive, a LaCie 301832 320GB 5400rpm Rugged All-Terrain to be specific, and I was wondering if paying the extra $100 for a 7200rpm external LaCie would pay off and be significantly faster or would it be a waste of money?

Thanks!

 

[xoggyux]

If you want to use the FW you can go that way, but I think those drives are awfully overpriced.
Here are a few cheaper HDDs:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822216051
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822186129
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149084
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822186086
This one is the one I have, and it performs great + its silent and looks awsome besides my MBP.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148341

If you don't mind having to use an external power adaptor, then you can go with the 7200rpm versions which offers MORE GB for less $$.
here are a few:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822216047
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148356
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145191
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148405

These offer FW and eSATA (faster):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148352
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822165097


If you going to go for FW or eSATA interfaces I rather recomend you get one of the big ones (7200rpm) since 5400rpm drives will not get the most out of FW (for instance my 5400 rpm HDD tops at 40MB/s while USB tops at 60MB/s and FW tops at 100MB/s so it should not be difference in performance due the HDD tops at lower speed that the slowest interface (tis does not happen though because those speeds are theoretical and almost never are accurate, however the real difference for a 5400rpm is very low, you will not notice it)