Advice on buying an external hard drive device

I'm looking to buy an external firewire device as a way of backing up my files and hard drive. I've never bought one before and I would appreciate a bit of advice.
Has anyone bought one of the devices from Apple and could recommend it?
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/1.RSLID?pn=2& mco=65B5114C&nclm=1A3883B1
I notice that devices with the same storage capacity sometimes have a big price difference. When I click on the learn more link, I am overwhelmed with the information. I don't really know what I'm looking for in order to make a decision. I would just get the cheapest device. What should I look for when choosing storage devices?
I have a 60GB hard drive.
Thanks for your help.
MacBook Mac OS X (10.4.8)

i would recommend getting a 120GB+ XHD. i have 2 250GB LaCie (1 USB 2, 1 FW400) and they both work amazingly. I would definalty recommend getting a 250 from LaCie, they are around $150 and really reliable, assuming you treat them with respect.

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Buying an external hard drive

I just learned that memory and hard disk capacity are not the same thing. Anyway, since I've just increased my memory from 2 to 4 GB, while since my computer is now telling me that my "Starter Drive?" is full, I've decided to buy an external hard drive for my MacBook. However, since I don't know anything about them, I'd like to read a good article or two on selecting one before making my purchase, so I came here to see if anyone has any ideas on the subject. Can anyone make any suggestions?
I don't want to spend more than $150, preferably much less. Also, I want one that is EASY and SIMPLE to use. There will probably be other considerations, but not until I get some basic information on types, features, usages, etc.

lenn5 wrote:
There's only a couple things I think about when purchasing an external drive.
1. How much space do I need.
The minimum right now seems to be around 320GB for most people. That's what I have and it's fine more my needs. I don't edit video so I don't need a huge drive.
2. What type of connection: Firewire, USB2, eSATA or a combination of them.
Mine has Firewire800/USB2. It comes with a FW 400 adapter so it works with my iMacCore Duo. I wouldn't get an external without Firewire. USB2 only is too slow.
3. Brand.
That's up to the buyer. I chose Western Digital Studio drive. I'm mostly happy with it. Nice enclosure but is alittle noisy in a quiet room.
Most of the top drives are good. OWC, WD, G-Tech, LaCie ect.
Just do a search using the brand and review. There are alot of reviews on the net.
4.Price
Individual preference.
I've probably missed something but these are what's important to me.
lenn
Thanks. I have decided to buy one, but I just have to do more thinking about what to buy. At first, being a beginner, I was just thinking in terms of capacity (bigger must be better), but now that even Terrabytes can be obtained at reasonable prices, I question that. I haven't yet read anything that completely answered the question for me, but I will be reading more comparisons and buying guides in the near future. One thing I'm still thinking about is how to use it. Will it be better to use it for storage, or do I want it to be an active part of my computer. I might add that the main reason I want to get one is to improve the speed and efficiency of my computer. I've seen many, many articles that warned of the catastrophe of crashing discs, but that doesn't worry me. The first time that happened, I felt like I had lost a child, but the second, third, and fourth times it happened it didn't bother me so much. No, I'm really most interested in doing what I can to get my computer to run as fast and with as few complications as possible. You did remind me of one thing I hadn't thought of recently: noise. That's important. In fact, that's why I bought a Mac. After doing quite a bit of research, I had decided on buying the PC that was always wining popularity contests. I was just about to buy it, and even took a PC course at my college to get ready for it, when I realized that the Mac was meant for me because of its quiet operation (the PCs at school were just too noisy for me) and and its compactness. Of course, when I bought my printer, the compactness issue went out the window. Even so, I still think I made the right decision. I only regret replacing my desktop model with a laptop.

My logic board has failed, and I'm having to buy an external hard drive. Can someone walk me through thr process of how to do this?

My logic board failed, and I need to buy an external hard drive. Can someone walk me through the process of doing this? Will the Genius Bar do it for free?
Also, I have a borrowed Mac right now. If I put the new hard drive on this computer will it erase the computer's current hard drive? Do I have to put the hard drive on another Mac?
Any help is greatly appreciated!

if your logic board failed then connecting an ext. drive will be non productive.
if you take your hdd out of the failed mac and replace it into the borrowed mac you can then extract everything from that hdd. simply connect the external hdd, go into time machine preferences select your new ext. drive as the destination.
the external drive has to be formatted to mac os extended journaled. however you can purchase ext. drives already formatted for mac.
if you are having the logic board replaced then just put the old hdd back in, it will boot up normally.
you can rest easy knowing that if anything goes wrong, you have the ability to use your fresh backup to produce the same operating environment that you were using before things went wrong.

Is is better to buy an external Hard drive or an external CD RW Burner?

I am shopping to buy an external hard drive, too, to back up all my important data.....but could I buy a external CD RW Burner to burn back-up disc and it will do the same job. Or is is better to buy an external Hard drive to save the data? Will I be able to burn CD Back-ups from my external hard drive?
In other words, I am a little confused on whether to buy an external hard drive or external CD RW Burner? What is the best route?
Thanks for any body that can help with this issue.

Hi,
Welcome to Apple Discussions
I suggest getting a external hard drive over getting an external CD-RW or DVD-RW. One of the major reason is that its great for backing up your internal hard drive; you can do it all in one place. One should always backup their hard drive just incase anything happens to your computer. One can't predict the day when a friend trips over their own feet; knocking your iBook on the floor with a huge crash. The most annoying thing to carry around when traveling is the Mac OS X install discs. I hate bringing them with me because I am in constant fear that I will loose them. The reason I bring them with me is because if something happens while I am away, I can troubleshoot my problem. I can startup from the install disc and then run Disk Utility, Archive and Install, Erase, and partition my hard drive. Once someone has a problem on the road; they will never leave their house without the discs. Instead of carrying around those discs, I partitioned one of my external hard drives into three sections, one for backup (140Gb), one for Mac OS X Tiger (10Gb), and the last one is for Panther (10Gb. I gave my girlfriend an iBook and she has Panther on it). This means I am equipped to startup my computer without using my internal drive.
Have you ever lost your iTunes library or your TurboTax data? Well, by backing up your hard drive (internal to external), you can save all your vital data incase something happens. You will find it a life saver if anything ever happens.
If you are looking into external hard drives, I suggest anything from LaCie, SmartDisk, or Western Digital
I recommend the LaCie D2 Hard Drive Extreme w/ Triple Interface, SmartDisk CrossFire, or the WD Dual Option.
I use a SmartDisk CrossFire for both my iTunes library as well as my iPhoto library. If you need help moving your iTunes library you might want to look at Knowledge Base Document #301748 explains How to Move Your iTunes Library.
I don't think you want an external burner of any kind for backing files because it will cost you a lot more in the end. You will have to use multiple discs for one big folder like iTunes. It is a pain and is also expensive. You can easily loose a disc or scratch it up.
Jon
PS Duane brings up the a really good point.
Macbook 2.0 White (100Gb HD 2Gb RAM) Mac Mini 1.42Ghz, iPod (All), Airport (Graphite & Express), G4 1.33Ghz iBook, G4 iMac 1Ghz, G3 500Mhz, iBook iMac 233Mhz, eMate, Power Mac 5400 LC, PowerBook 540c, Macintosh 128K, Apple //e, Apple //, and some more... Mac OS X (10.4.7) Moto Razr, iLife '06, SmartDisk 160Gb, Apple BT Mouse, Sight, Minolta 5D...

Is there an application where I can back up all my info that I have on my computer so I don't have to buy a external hard drive?

Is there an application where I can back up all my info that I have on my computer so I don't have to buy a external hard drive?

Yes, but off-site storage (i.e. Mozy) is more expensive in the long-run than an external drive, however, off-site storage is safer (not sure if I trust the security though), and even with a fast connection, the inital backup can take days

How do I figure out if I have usb 3.0? I am trying to buy compatible external hard drive (western digital my passport for mac) and I can not figure out if it will work with my mac book.

how do I figure out if I have usb 3.0? I am trying to buy compatible external hard drive (western digital my passport for mac) and I can not figure out if it will work with my mac book.

Dont buy a Western Digital, get a Hitachi or Seagate (Toshiba is made by Hitachi). These are the most reliable, and the HD used inside Macs.
ALL HD can be made compatible with your MAC (including a WD if you already bought same), ......they just need to be formatted for the Mac platform, format them in Disk Utility as Mac OSX extended journaled.

Buying an external hard drive that works on both!

I am looking to buy and external hard drive that can be accessed by my pc and mac book pro. Using mac drive or the like is not an option. This is because I am looking to go over to a mac full time. At we have a windows network. The techies won't install mac drive, so I need one that works on both.
Do they exist?
I had bought a fujitsu. Formatted it on the macbook and doesn't work on the school network. Is there anything I can do with that so it can be accessed by both?

I use Mac OS X (10.6) as my primary OS with Windows 7 under Boot Camp for games. Pretty much any USB drive will do, I have WD Elements 500GB 3.5in one partitioned approximately 300/200 between HFS (the partition scheme for Mac OS) and NTFS. This allows me to do my Time Machine backups and still have a usable amount of extra storage for windows. Under Snow Leopard I can read both partitions from windows, no problem, but beware, in my experience, Mac OS won't see the windows partition on the external drive if you're using one of the partitions for Time Machine.
Hope this helps,
lambda.

Advice needed on buying an external hard drive

Hello everyone,
I have a very old pc packed with photos that I'd like to store in an external hard drive but still with the option of uploading them onto my shiny Mac. I'm not sure if that's a straightforward deal or I need to buy/know something specific? Basically, I'm unsure if the files on my pc will be read by the Mac. I know you can connect the Mac to the pc directly but I checked and the pc is way too old for that easy option.
Apologise for my total untechyness but if you could keep any replies basic I'd be hugely greatful!
Many thanks for your time and patience,
Michelle

Hello flymissy,
You don't say which shiny new Mac you have or the Operating System.   Suggest you pop it into your profile when you have a minute.
I'm pretty sure someone will come along in a minute but if not the ideal place to put this post is in iLife (iPhoto) columns.   The reason I say that is because people with specific knowledge hang out there and I get the feeling that your old computer is not a Mac ... and I am unsure if the transfer won't therefore want special care.
The external HD will be needed for you to utilise Time Machine with your new Mac and it can be partitioned to have a separate section for your photo library. The actual model is a subjective question.   I use WD equipment and have one with twice the capacity of my machine Hard Drive.

I need to buy an external hard drive for my MacBook Air as it is almost full. Which one should I buy?

Do I need to buy an Apple external Hard Drive for my MacBook Air?

There is no such thing as an Apple hard drive, ...Apples doesnt make same.
avoid western digital if possible.
Yes, having an external HD is necessary for data backups and keeping large media files for packing around etc.
you need data redundancy.
best options for the price, and high quality HD:
Quality 1TB drives are $50 per TB on 3.5" or $65 per TB on 2.5"
Perfect 1TB for $68
http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Portable-Hard-Drive/dp/B005J7YA3W/ref=sr_1_ 1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379452568&sr=8-1&keywords=1tb+toshiba
Nice 500gig for $50. ultraslim perfect for use with a notebook
http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B009F1CXI2/ref=s r_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1377642728&sr=1-1&keywords=toshiba+slim+500gb
Best small HD for the money:
2.5" USB portable High quality BEST FOR THE COST, Toshiba "tiny giant" 2TB drive (have several of them, LOT of storage in a SMALL package) $117
http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Connect-Portable-HDTC720XK3C1/dp/B00CGUMS48 /ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1379182740&sr=1-4&keywords=2tb+toshiba
*This one is the BEST portable external HD available that money can buy:
HGST Touro Mobile 1TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive $88
http://www.amazon.com/HGST-Mobile-Portable-External-0S03559/dp/B009GE6JI8/ref=sr _1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383238934&sr=8-1&keywords=HGST+Touro+Mobile+Pro+1TB+USB+3.0+7 2 00+RPM
Most storage experts agree on the Hitachi 2.5"
Hitachi is the winner in hard drive reliability survey:
Hitachi manufacturers the safest and most reliable hard drives, according to the Storelab study. Of the hundreds of Hitachi hard drives received, not a single one had failed due to manufacturing or design errors. Adding the highest average lifespans and the best relationship between failures and market share, Hitachi can be regarded as the winner.

I want to buy a mac book air what it's better upgrade the flash drive to 512gb or to buy a external hard drive of 1tb?

What do you recommend me to do upgrade from 200gb flash drive to 500gb flash or for chepear a good external hard drive of 1 tb this is on the macbook air

Go with the upgrade. Buying an external drive as a primary source of storage would defeat the purpose of buying a MBA, or any notebook, in my opinion.

Need advice on purchasing an external hard drive for video editing

Hi,
I looking for advice on which external hard drive to get. The main purpose for the hard drive will be storing video files on for use with Final Cut Pro. I have the 12 inch powerbook G4 so I plan to use the FireWire (400) port to connect the drive. I'm interested in getting comment from others who use their external hard drives for video editing.
Thanks!

Firstly your decision to use FireWire is a good one, as not only will it free up the USB it performs much better on sustained transfers.
That said you're still limited by the FireWire interface, so opt for a drive with a big cache (16MB would be good) and fast spindle speed (7200rpm+).
Some of the newer enclosures are compatible with SATA drives. While these are easier to install and theoretically will perform better, I'm not sure that the performance would justify the extra cost.
Matt

Advice about buying a new hard drive

I have a TOSHIBA Satellite L25-S1216. I have not been able to boot into Windows XP for 3 years using the factory Recovery and Applications/Drivers DVD and the Fully Recover procedure on the back of the DVD packae. I have been using Linux for the past 3 years. Ubuntu SMART test disk utility tells me I have 20 bad hard drive sectors. I have concluded I should buy a new hard drive, since mine has 20 bad sectors. My current hard drive is ATA-6, so I know I need a PATA compatible hard drive. I'd like to increase to maybe 60 GB from the current 40 GB. I'd also like to go with a solid state drive, but there don't appear to be many PATA compatible solid state drives.
And I don't want to get too complicated or expensive; I want to stay with my current Windows XP. Not sure if a SATA PATA interface adapter would work to allow me to use a SATA solid state hard drive or not. I know (from reading knowledge base posts) there is also the potential problem of the older BIOSs not recognizing the newer Advanced Drive Format drives.
QUESTION: Does anybody have any advice about buying a hard drive that would work for me? How can I be reasonably sure a hard drive I buy is compatible with my computer?
Thank you,
Bob
Solved!
Go to Solution.

either get a pata drive (you can get larger than the stock 40gb) or use your $ towards a more current new/used laptop. pata ssd would be a waste and I doubt adapter would work. also, ms is dropping support for xp so it would be a good time to upgrade to something with a more current os as well.
L305-S5955, T9300 Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 60GB SSD, Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit

External Hard Drive/devices not showing up

I just tried connecting my external hard drive to my computer and it's not appearing in my finder or on the desktop. I've tried several different cords and two other hard drives and one external device. All of these devices and cords have worked in the past. Nothing shows up now.
I've read multiple threads on this issue but the suggestions I've tried of unplugging, turning off, etc., etc have not worked. One discussion mentioned going into the finder library under the go tab but I cannot figure out what that's all about since i don't have a 'library section listed under the go tab.
Anyone have a solution?

If your OS update was to Lion or Mountain Lion from Snow Leopard and your other, unidentified OS on the unidentified laptop, OS is still Snow Leopard, then you may need firmware or software updates for your externals. Check with their manufacture's web sites, if that's the case.
Once again, we can only make wild guesses because you haven't supplied any details.
You've updated your desktop, please identify, from what to what?
Your laptop, please identify, is running what?
You're using FireWire 800, 400, or USB?
Example: http://www.lacie.com/us/support/drivers/index.htm?id=10007

I am looking to buy an external hard drive for my maced to time machine.

I am looking an external hard drive for my mac and I do see one in PC world that is compatible with time machine. I do not want it connected to time machine and wonder if I can use it without connecting.

In my view you need to have one external drive connected to Time Machine all the time in order to receive the true benefits it can give. Do not use your internal HD for this purpose.
Having said that, to double up on back ups is a very practical thing to do. I would advise you get a portable HD, say 1TB, from WD or the like, back up your system, disconnect, then top up by connecting it every couple of months or so.
You can then store the portable away from the machine, perhaps with a trusted relative, so adding safe keeping against fire, theft or power disasters
Message was edited by: seventy one

I'm looking to buy a external Hard Drive, is Maxtor any good?

I am looking for a external Hard Drive for my Mac Mini, i heard that Lacie is pretty good because it fits right under the Mini but i have never heard of this brand and $130 is a little to much for me right now.
I have found a Maxtor 100GB External USB 2.0 Hard Drive for only $70 but i don't know if Maxtor HD's work with Mac's, should i get WD's My Book HD instead or stick with Maxtor?
EDIT: I Just noticed that the one and only Firewire connection on my Mac Mini is free, is FireWire a better way to go?
Thanks.

I've had my Maxtor external OneTouch 250GB for about 18 months now and it hasn't skipped a beat. I have hear of people having their Maxtor drive just up and die but you will probably find that goes for all manufacturers.
By the way, Maxtor is, amongst others, an OEM supplier to Apple.

Advice on buying an external hard drive device

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