I just bought a Macbook but want to get an external HD to keep all of my music and movies on, plus would like the ability to backup to it. I've noticed that I can buy a 120GB Western Digital for only $20 less than I can get a 320GB Iomega. Is there a difference between these 2 brands? Does anyone have any experience with either of these - is one better than the other? Also, let me know if there is anything I should look for when buying one of these to make it work best with my mac (ie. does it matter if it connects through USB or firewire?, etc). Thanks for your help!
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What external HD to buy - Iomega or Western Digital?
- Thread starter KekelaNikol
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i haven't tried either one. i got my MB back in dec and just used my maxtor 100 GB ex-HD that i had used with my pc. yeah had to reformat it but no big deal. just my 2 cents.
I got a 500gb WD mybook for $119 last month at Bestbuy while in ny state. I've had no complaints. Excellent value.
i have actually used both and i must say there is really no difference. They both did great jobs. But, recently i have purchased a 120gb Lacie Rugged External Drive for classes (I'm a college media production student). The Lacie does not need to be plugged in to an outlet, so if you're on the go, it is excellent. But as far as the Iomega and WD go, i think you'll be fine with either one. Just dont drop it!
If you're going for the WD external drive, my only suggestion is to check out their warranty policy: http://support.wdc.com/warranty/policy.asp#policy
Make sure the model you're getting has a 3-year warranty (some of them only have a 1-year warranty). Else, it would be in your best interests to pick up a HDD and enclosure separately, giving you up to 5 years of warranty (Seagate), depending on brand.
Make sure the model you're getting has a 3-year warranty (some of them only have a 1-year warranty). Else, it would be in your best interests to pick up a HDD and enclosure separately, giving you up to 5 years of warranty (Seagate), depending on brand.
Sadly, I just bought a 120g WD portable harddrive for a working trip out of town and it failed - first time anything like that has happened to me. I handled it carefully (even put it in a hard case for protection). Possible lemon alert.
(To be fair, WD is a brand I'd heard many good things about, which is why I picked it in the first place.)
(To be fair, WD is a brand I'd heard many good things about, which is why I picked it in the first place.)
Thanks everyone for your input - it is greatly appreciated! From everyone's advice and more extensive research, I am definitely not going with the Iomega, and now I'm looking at WD and LaCie. I still have no idea which one to get...if only I was good at making decisions
Not to hijack the thread or anything but anyone have any suggestions on an enclosure to convert a WD hard drive to an external drive?
2.5" or 3.5"? And what interfaces are you planning to use it with (USB/FW400/FW800/eSATA)?
If you haven't purchased it yet, you should really just get an internal hard drive and buy a case. The warranty is going to be a lot longer than for an external and you will save a bundle of money. To give an example, you could probably make a 400gb external with firewire for $120ish on newegg.
I have been using Western Digital external harddrives for quite a while, and I can certainly vouch for them. I have never had one fail on me, and their performace has been good. Just to let you know, the harddrives I used were on PCs, but I dont believe that they will be any different on Macs.
If you are going to purchase an internal HDD and an enclosure, I would personally recommend getting a Segate HDD.
If you are going to purchase an internal HDD and an enclosure, I would personally recommend getting a Segate HDD.
To answer the OP's question - I'd actually say neither and go with Seagate. 
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/external/pushbutton_backup
I haven't had my 750 GB version long enough to vouch for longterm use, but it works like a charm on my G5 iMac and I only regret not getting it sooner. Good luck with your decision!
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/external/pushbutton_backup
I haven't had my 750 GB version long enough to vouch for longterm use, but it works like a charm on my G5 iMac and I only regret not getting it sooner. Good luck with your decision!
To answer the OP's question - I'd actually say neither and go with Seagate.
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/external/pushbutton_backup
I haven't had my 750 GB version long enough to vouch for longterm use, but it works like a charm on my G5 iMac and I only regret not getting it sooner. Good luck with your decision!
Taken from the product overview: "Worry-free, one-year warranty"
I'd advise against this particular product. Why forego the five-year warranty that comes standard on their standalone HDDs? It's almost always better to buy a HDD and enclosure separately.
3.5". Internal IDE interface, external either FW 400 or FW800 (strong preference for FW800)
Might want to check out the Vantec NST-360UF-BK (However, I believe it's only FW400):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817392003
Alternatively, the Wiebetech ToughTech XE supports pretty much every external interface in existence - albeit at a hefty price:
http://www.wiebetech.com/products/toughtech.php