WD My Passport Portable Hard Drive usb v. firewire

[GregPQ]

One of these days Apple Computer is rumored to release a new MacBook Pro notebook. When they do, I will buy it. In the meantime, I am researching portable HDD's that I could use with Time Machine.

I have read very positive reviews about the Western Digital My Passport series. The major complaint seems to be that the Firewire connection can fail. For use with Time Machine, I'm wondering if I should just get the USB-only version, which is a bit cheaper. I'm a fairly patient chap and don't have a lot of large video files.

Thanks for any insights,
Greg

 

[spinnerlys]

Any drive will do, and if you don't have a problem with USB, get that version.

Here is a rather extensive guide for external HDDs, often overlooked as it seems:
http://guides.macrumors.com/External_Hard_Drives

 

[Hellhammer]

USB is okay for you. FW is nice but it isn't that much faster and as yo said, you don't much to backup anyway. FW is a must if you backup lots of data or big files frequently.

 

[MacDawg]

USB is okay for you. FW is nice but it isn't that much faster and as yo said, you don't much to backup anyway. FW is a must if you backup lots of data or big files frequently.

Agreed... the cost difference in your case is probably not worth it
While Firewire is much quicker in my experience, USB will serve you well
You would likely only see a difference in large files or large backups

 

[Alvi]

Better get a firewire though, it would save you the USB ports I prefer to get FireWire Hardware so i don't eat up my USB ports because i even have some usb devices which eat up both my USBs and it would be a pain to unplug my HDD just because of a Memory stick i have that is pretty wide

And also, there are some USB+Firewire ones which are pretty good, go firewire, it's more useful if you don't use your firewire port a lot

 

[Badger^2]

Any drive will do, and if you don't have a problem with USB, get that version.

Here is a rather extensive guide for external HDDs, often overlooked as it seems:
http://guides.macrumors.com/External_Hard_Drives

that guide doesnt really *say* anything tho.

Get whatever is cheapest.

Ive got an almost 2 year old FW800 WD passport drive that I use all day everyday, it works fine. The much bigger issue is that it will NOT boot via firewlre. ugh.

I would probably wait to buy. Drives drop in price pretty quick, $150 today might be $130 in 2 weeks.

 

[serega]

that guide doesnt really *say* anything tho.

Get whatever is cheapest.

Ive got an almost 2 year old FW800 WD passport drive that I use all day everyday, it works fine. The much bigger issue is that it will NOT boot via firewlre. ugh.

I would probably wait to buy. Drives drop in price pretty quick, $150 today might be $130 in 2 weeks.

I never had any problems to boot from FW400. Is it changed on FW800?

 

[bcburrows]

Go NAS

Forget the firewire/USB - this is only an issue for your first back up - which I did by simply leaving my mac plugged in via usb over night. Then attached my NAS to the wireless router and now have time machine wireless backups throughout the day - saving my FW an USB ports - and i now back up more often