Portable Hard drives for macbook pro?

[sim667]

I'm after a portable hard drive for my macbook pro as Im getting quite into applications like resolume and ableton and dont want to fill my Macbook pro HD up with samples and video clips.

Can anyone recommend any drives that are portable and about 2TB? I know that Western Digital do one (A passport, very bad rep for failing quickly), and there's a new toshiba canvio basics out today, but obviously it hasnt been out long enough to be properly reviewed.

Any other suggestions?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Do you have a 2012 MacBook Pro? If so, you could use a USB 3.0 drive with 2 TB capacity.

Anyway, you probably have a 2010 MacBook Pro, thus Firewire 800 might be the fastest port on it, thus the WD My Passport Studio 2 TB HDD could work for you. I have the 1 TB version of that and it is quite good.

 

[sim667]

Do you have a 2012 MacBook Pro? If so, you could use a USB 3.0 drive with 2 TB capacity.

Anyway, you probably have a 2010 MacBook Pro, thus Firewire 800 might be the fastest port on it, thus the WD My Passport Studio 2 TB HDD could work for you. I have the 1 TB version of that and it is quite good.

Yeah its april 2012 I got it, I thought it was meant to be USB 3, but im not sure, I can check.

I'd read the WD passports fail a lot, and I remember trying to fix my freinds that failed about a year after she got it......

There's a toshiba one out too, its only a 1.5tb, they've released a 2tb one (its a canvio basics), but its only just out, so doesnt look like its available anywehre yet..... im seriously considering one of them though.

 

[jterp7]

Yeah its april 2012 I got it, I thought it was meant to be USB 3, but im not sure, I can check.

I'd read the WD passports fail a lot, and I remember trying to fix my freinds that failed about a year after she got it......

There's a toshiba one out too, its only a 1.5tb, they've released a 2tb one (its a canvio basics), but its only just out, so doesnt look like its available anywehre yet..... im seriously considering one of them though.

I'll vouch for the passports (have a 250gb, 1tb, and 2 2tb). Hell even my 250gb from years ago is working strong and that thing's been disconnected many times mid transfer by accident (not me hah). Seagates are marginally faster generally speaking but usually run hotter and are much louder. Their desktop counterparts were known to cook themselves in their enclosures.

 

[Badrottie]

Try Seagate GoFlex ultra portable. I am happy with this one. It comes with USB 3.0 and FireWire 800 adaptors.

 

[Spink10]

Yeah its april 2012 I got it, I thought it was meant to be USB 3, but im not sure, I can check.

I'd read the WD passports fail a lot, and I remember trying to fix my freinds that failed about a year after she got it......

There's a toshiba one out too, its only a 1.5tb, they've released a 2tb one (its a canvio basics), but its only just out, so doesnt look like its available anywehre yet..... im seriously considering one of them though.

You must have a 2011 model - those are USB 2.0

 

[sim667]

You must have a 2011 model - those are USB 2.0

Yeah I think you're right..... I've got a midi controller that you were meant to have to do somethnig complicated to get it to work on USB 3..... but it worked perfectly first time without fiddling....

Im going to look at the seagate, but the wd is looking good!

 

[dma550]

I have the Tosh usb3 1.5tb, it's cheap and fast. Ugly too!

 

[hallux]

You must have a 2011 model - those are USB 2.0

The OP does, the 2012's came out in late June.

I'll also vouch for WD drives, I have 2 My Books, 3 Black drives in my desktop and a 2 TB Passport. None have caused me any issues thus far.

 

[Fishrrman]

My suggestion:

Look around for the 2.5" "bare drive" of your choice (from vendors like newegg.com, amazon.com, etc.).

Then, pick up an external USB3 enclosure with either a
- ASMedia 1051e
or
- ASMedia 1053
...controller chip.

Then, use a screwdriver to put it together yourself. Initialize with Disk Utility and you'll be set to go.

This will take only a few minutes and you'll end up with a drive as good as anything else you could buy "in a box".

For an enclosure, I recommend this one:
http://oyendigital.com/hard-drives/store/U32-M.html

 

[Giuly]

+1 for the 2TB Western Digital MyPassport Studio, as Seagate nor LaCie has 2TB portable drives.

Or you get a MiniPro 2.5" 15mm FireWire800 enclosure and install a 2TB 2.5" WD Green drive, but that would be the same actual hard drive.

 

[sim667]

My suggestion:

Look around for the 2.5" "bare drive" of your choice (from vendors like newegg.com, amazon.com, etc.).

Then, pick up an external USB3 enclosure with either a
- ASMedia 1051e
or
- ASMedia 1053
...controller chip.

Then, use a screwdriver to put it together yourself. Initialize with Disk Utility and you'll be set to go.

This will take only a few minutes and you'll end up with a drive as good as anything else you could buy "in a box".

For an enclosure, I recommend this one:
http://oyendigital.com/hard-drives/store/U32-M.html

I did contemplate doing that, but in my experience ones I've done previously don't take so well to being moved about