external Hard drive

Calumetbud · Nov 2, 2009, 09:29 PM

Im going to get my a GF a ext HDD for her birthday to put all her pictures and movies on of her family. So its going to be used for a back up/ and so she can carry and put the pictures on other computers as well,(sisters bros and such). Can anyone offer a suggestion on any hard drives that will do. Thx

simonw · Nov 2, 2009, 10:24 PM

While I cannot recommend a specific brand from personal experience, I just bought an external HDD enclosure and HDD separately, I think the price is about the same as a pre-built one.

Calumetbud · Nov 2, 2009, 10:37 PM

ok thanks for the reply

BlueMak · Nov 2, 2009, 10:47 PM

How much space are you looking for?

Calumetbud · Nov 3, 2009, 04:53 AM

500gig+

BlueMak · Nov 3, 2009, 06:53 AM

Most of the external hard drives have some terrible customer reviews. I have a couple and I do not feel too safe with the data saved there.
If the files are important then I must insist that whatever you choose, the HDD will not hold the only copies of the files or else you might regret it.
HDD do fail.

For ready solutions, I have very good experience with Iomega solutions (www.iomega.com). They use a variety of HDDs and good cases. The only downside is that usually their warranty is only a year. I am sure there are people who lost data from them, as with any other brand. I have a 80GB HDD USB2.0 from 2002 iirc and it still works fine.

I also have seagate's freeagent pro models. I had to upgrade their firmware since they were in a batch of HDDs by Seagate that had issues. I have them for a year and a half now and they work. Again, people have lost data to them.

What I would do is check a couple of sites like newegg, amazon etc and find internal 3.5" drives and the customer reviews. You will always find negative reviews, but the amount and the content should be of help. After you choose one, do the same for case to use the HDD from.

I am hoping to do the same in a few months if I can afford it, and get this case Raidsonic ????? 3,5" / 2X Sata USB / JBOD (Black) - Frames & ????? ??? HDD - plaisio.gr the good thing about it is that you can put 2 drives in it.

If you decide to go for WD drive, try to avoid any of their Green models. Not the best reputation so far...

Calumetbud · Nov 3, 2009, 09:40 PM

stupid question....what does the case do for the HDD...My stupidy but i thought you could just buy a ext HDD and use it for storage kinda like a flash drive..My GF has a crap load of pictures on my HDD and I'm scared if something happens I will have to leave to country..If something happens to her pictures. plus she would want to carry them around and put them on er moms and sisters computers..Thx again for everyones replies

BlueMak · Nov 3, 2009, 09:48 PM

When you buy a ready made external HDD, you buy the hard-drive and the case already one piece.
When you buy a case and an internal drive, it is up to you to plug in the drive inside the case, close the case and there you would have an external hdd.

Tyrsonswood · Nov 3, 2009, 09:55 PM

You can buy an external or make your own by buying a drive and a case seperately and just assemble it. Build your own usually gets you a better warrenty on the drive and size selection, could save some cash, depending on where you shop.

The other point about needing a backup of these photos is valid..... hard drives fail and if these are the only copy they're gone. Also external drives get "banged around" more than a desktop drive so the posibility is higher for failure. Best to have these files in two places.

Calumetbud · Nov 3, 2009, 09:59 PM

Thanx for the Help,sounds like i need to back them up on a new partition on my HDD and buy her something like a passport or a something if she wants to tote it around and share her pictures

joytime365 · Nov 4, 2009, 03:47 AM

Hehe, why not get this WD My Book Home Edition 500GB External HDD for only $51 bucks.

Nov 2, 2009, 09:29 PM	#1
Calumetbud DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 94 Rep Power: 0	external Hard drive Im going to get my a GF a ext HDD for her birthday to put all her pictures and movies on of her family. So its going to be used for a back up/ and so she can carry and put the pictures on other computers as well,(sisters bros and such). Can anyone offer a suggestion on any hard drives that will do. Thx

Nov 2, 2009, 10:24 PM	#2
simonw DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 77 Rep Power: 6 System Specs	Re: external Hard drive While I cannot recommend a specific brand from personal experience, I just bought an external HDD enclosure and HDD separately, I think the price is about the same as a pre-built one.

Nov 2, 2009, 10:37 PM	#3
Calumetbud DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 94 Rep Power: 0	Re: external Hard drive ok thanks for the reply

Nov 2, 2009, 10:47 PM	#4
BlueMak DH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 8,265 Rep Power: 118 System Specs	Re: external Hard drive How much space are you looking for? __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Nov 3, 2009, 04:53 AM	#5
Calumetbud DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 94 Rep Power: 0	Re: external Hard drive 500gig+

Nov 3, 2009, 06:53 AM	#6
BlueMak DH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 8,265 Rep Power: 118 System Specs	Re: external Hard drive Most of the external hard drives have some terrible customer reviews. I have a couple and I do not feel too safe with the data saved there. If the files are important then I must insist that whatever you choose, the HDD will not hold the only copies of the files or else you might regret it. HDD do fail. For ready solutions, I have very good experience with Iomega solutions (www.iomega.com). They use a variety of HDDs and good cases. The only downside is that usually their warranty is only a year. I am sure there are people who lost data from them, as with any other brand. I have a 80GB HDD USB2.0 from 2002 iirc and it still works fine. I also have seagate's freeagent pro models. I had to upgrade their firmware since they were in a batch of HDDs by Seagate that had issues. I have them for a year and a half now and they work. Again, people have lost data to them. What I would do is check a couple of sites like newegg, amazon etc and find internal 3.5" drives and the customer reviews. You will always find negative reviews, but the amount and the content should be of help. After you choose one, do the same for case to use the HDD from. I am hoping to do the same in a few months if I can afford it, and get this case Raidsonic ????? 3,5" / 2X Sata USB / JBOD (Black) - Frames & ????? ??? HDD - plaisio.gr the good thing about it is that you can put 2 drives in it. If you decide to go for WD drive, try to avoid any of their Green models. Not the best reputation so far... __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Nov 3, 2009, 09:40 PM	#7
Calumetbud DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 94 Rep Power: 0	Re: external Hard drive stupid question....what does the case do for the HDD...My stupidy but i thought you could just buy a ext HDD and use it for storage kinda like a flash drive..My GF has a crap load of pictures on my HDD and I'm scared if something happens I will have to leave to country..If something happens to her pictures. plus she would want to carry them around and put them on er moms and sisters computers..Thx again for everyones replies

Nov 3, 2009, 09:48 PM	#8
BlueMak DH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 8,265 Rep Power: 118 System Specs	Re: external Hard drive When you buy a ready made external HDD, you buy the hard-drive and the case already one piece. When you buy a case and an internal drive, it is up to you to plug in the drive inside the case, close the case and there you would have an external hdd. __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Nov 3, 2009, 09:59 PM	#10
Calumetbud DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 94 Rep Power: 0	Re: external Hard drive Thanx for the Help,sounds like i need to back them up on a new partition on my HDD and buy her something like a passport or a something if she wants to tote it around and share her pictures

Nov 4, 2009, 03:47 AM	#11
joytime365 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 11 Rep Power: 16	Re: external Hard drive Hehe, why not get this WD My Book Home Edition 500GB External HDD for only $51 bucks.