Buying Desktop External HD / What IOmega Units Are S/Leopard Compatible?

I own an IMAC and have never set up Time Machine. I was going to buy a Time Capsule however my printer is already wireless so I so ne real advantage. What Iomega external hard drives are plug and play?

Most any drive will work with Macs, and Time Machine.
Most drives come formatted for Windoze, but most of them can be re-formatted on your Mac to work with it. See item #5 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip.*
Also note item #1 there for size considerations; and items #3 and/or 4 for using with other data and/or other Macs.
If you think you ever might want to put a "bootable clone" on it, be sure it's a bootable drive (some WDs aren't). Most PPC Macs can boot only from FireWire; most Intels can boot from F/W or USB.
Depending on what ports you have, FireWire 800 is by far the fastest; FireWire 400 next, and USB slowest (F/W 400 and USB 2.0 are rated about the same, but since your Mac's CPU has to do more of the work with USB, actual throughput is usually less).
Many folks think USB is less reliable than FireWire. If you do get USB, be sure to connect it to a port on your Mac, not a keyboard (that may be only USB 1.0). Try to avoid hubs, too.
It's usually best to get a drive with it's own power supply, as taking power from your Mac can be a marginal proposition.
Take any advice for or against particular makes or models with a grain of salt: all makers (of just about anything) can have a "run" of bad components, or a relatively few early failures. Plus, by the time any really good trends are noted, the model has probably been revised or replaced anyway!

Similar Messages

  • I bought a GoFlex desktop external hard drive and when I attached to my old mac toer and transfered all my files they are all in asian text? It took all weekend to tranfer and when I attached it to my new mini allthe transfered files are in asian ... what

    I bought a GoFlex desktop external hard drive and when I attached to my old mac and transfered all my files they are all in asian text? It took all weekend to transfer and when I attached it to my new mini all the transfered files are in asian ... what can I do to change them into English?

    What kind of files are these?
    Are the Filenames in asian also?
    Can you paste some of the asian here so we can have a better guess at what's going on?

  • Buying an external DVD burner, what to look for?

    Hi, I am buying an external DVD burner in the morning, anything I should look for feature wise, any models which are recommended?
    Cheers, S.

    Patrica, we'll forgive you this once! For future reference at the top of each Discussions Forum section there's a blue "Post a New Topic" link - that's where you start. Anyway as to your problem as to what to do now. You can ignore the "Easy Media Creator" disc - this is an application for Windows machines.
    All you need now is a blank DVD to record onto. Usually LaCie include a complimentary DVD-R disc - didn't you get one?
    It's useful because it will give you a good idea as to which brand of disc works best with your burner. My LaCie likes Maxell and Verbatim but not TDK even though it's on LaCies's approved list (which you can find on their website). Buy a small pack until you are sure they work OK. Whether you get DVD-R or DVD+R is up to you, but the minus format tends to work better with domestic DVD players.
    I don't know what you want to burn onto DVD - is it files or movies? If it's the former you have all the software you need in Disk Utility. As far as I know iDVD on the other hand doesn't work with an external burner (someone please correct me if I'm wrong!) you need to buy something like Toast for that. I notice also that you're in the PowerBook forum although you have an iMac! Does this not have an internal DVD writer? I thought all versions of the G5 had a SuperDrive? My final bit of advice to you would be to get yourself whichever of these http://www.missingmanuals.com/ you feel you might need. Certainly the 10.3 book will help you enormously. Good luck.

  • External HD: What to buy?

    Hi everyone!
    I'm interested in buying an external HD for backing up important stuff (like English papers!!! )
    What ones have people tried and liked/disliked?
    I've never bought one before, and I just want some guidance to which ones would be most worth the money and are easy to use.
    I don't want anything too expensive (my parents will likely buy it for me) and something that has a good amount of space for the money.
    Thanks everyone!
    -MacDarling55
    p.s. I am not interested in the Time Capsule at all. I already have a gaming router and don't need another source of Wi-Fi.
    Message was edited by: MacDarling55

    Just a suggestion.....purchase a drive that can be installed in your MacBook if need be and an enclosure for it to reside in the mean time...clone your MacBook to it and you will be ready for a worst case HD scenario....OWC is a good place to shop

  • Need advice on what to look for when buying an external HD

    Hello iBook enthusiasts,
    I want to buy an external HD for backing up my important documents, and for having a way of booting up just in case the iBook should fail. I have searched some of the old posts, but I am still a bit confused.
    So far, it seems that the most important criterion is that the drive have FireWire in order to be bootable.
    I don't want to spend a ton of money. Somehow, I get these emails from Buy.com, advertising their specials. For example, they had a 250G one for $100 (although that particular deal is now expired). This seems like a good deal to me. Is that right? Should I try to buy the largest or smallest one that's in my price range? If iBook does die, I would like to still be able to use the HD with whatever replacement I get.
    Also, is there any particular brand that I should either look for or avoid? How do I know these things?
    Anyway, sorry these questions are so vague. Thanks in advance for any advice.
    Anna
    Ibook G3 500 MHz   Mac OS X (10.3.9)   14 GB HD, 640 MB RAM

    Anna:
    Yes, rule no. 1, Firewire or FW/USB
    2. Largest HDD you can afford (having more space than you need it not a problem; needing more space than you have, is.)
    3. 7200 rpms. (Most of them are, but not all)
    Here is a list of some of the best buys already sorted for 200-300 GB.
    Different folks like different manufacturers. I have had my LaCie for 2 years. No problems. I like it for it's compact size and elegance.
    Here are some good hints from Dr. Smoke on Backup and Recovery. Instead of Retropect, which I could never quite figure out, I use Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper.
    Post back with further questions or comments.
    Good luck.
    cornelius
    Message was edited by: cornelius

  • 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.

  • I can't remember my security questions and have used the maximum number of tries, how do I find out what my answers are so I can log in and buy some music?

    I can't remember my security questions and have used the maximum number of tries, how do I find out what my answers are so I can log in and buy some music?

    From a Kappy  post
    The Best Alternatives for Security Questions and Rescue Mail
    1.  Send Apple an email request at: Apple - Support - iTunes Store - Contact Us.
    2.  Call Apple Support in your country: Customer Service: Contact Apple support.
    3.  Rescue email address and how to reset Apple ID security questions.
    An alternative to using the security questions is to use 2-step verification:
    Two-step verification FAQ Get answers to frequently asked questions about two-step verification for Apple ID.

  • What are the mac-compatible internal/external dvd burner for 12"Pbook

    what are the mac-compatible internal/external dvd burner for 12"Pbook

    ibodnano:
    You will find internal optical drivers from OWC here. You will find external DVD burners from OWC here.
    For the external drives, almost any Firewire burner will be supported by your PowerBook. Here are a few. You can further refine the filters.
    Good luck.
    cornelius

  • If I buy LR4 now will I receive LR 4.1 free of charge?  What future upgrades are free to me?

    If I buy LR4 now will I receive LR 4.1 free of charge?  What future upgrades are free to me?

    zpowderhound wrote:
    If I buy LR4 now will I receive LR 4.1 free of charge?  What future upgrades are free to me?
    You will get LR 4.1 through 4.x (whatever) up until LR 5.0. That's when you'll have to pay for an upgrade.

  • HT201257 Tried to perform the Apple Hardware Test by holding down the D key on restart - goes straight to my desktop.  Was told to try using te original cds that came with the computer - can't find them. Can I buy new ones or what do I do?

    Tried to perform the Apple Hardware Test by holding down the D key on restart - goes straight to my desktop.  Was told to try using te original cds that came with the computer - can't find them. Can I buy new ones or what do I do?

    Have the Mini's Serial# handy & call Apple Care, they usually have original replacement Discs available.

  • What new laptops are coming to Best Buy soon (June or early July)?

    Anyone have confirmations or rumors of what new laptops are coming soon to BestBuy?

    "Markus" Please read my comments below
    That is the exact news I was hoping for. I had one of the 3 blue label laptops with the Intel Wireless Display (Dell 1569). I Loved everything about it, except it was garbage. I had 3 of them. First one, the Media Center crashed and GeekSquad couldnt fix it, second one came with a squeaky mouse button and they replaced it again, and  for the third and the worst one. The Wi-Fi card actually burnt and melted the bottom of my laptop plastic (left an indention of my finger print on the bottom of the laptop. Thank goodness, even though the laptop was 2 months old, the manager gave me a full refund in the form of a gift card.)
    So, I am basically looking for the same exact type of laptop, but would actually be reliable. The Dell had the Wi-DI, an I5 processor, lighted keyboard, and a lot of other extras. Should we expect to see something compariable coming in that time frame that you mentioned?
    Also, not to question your timeframe. but from looking at Intels website, it stated that the 3 blue label laptops that came with the WI-DI (Intel Wireless Display) would start to be at Best Buy stores by January 17th and with them having a 6 month exclusive contract on that technology. Wouldn't that mean that there would not being any new Intel Wireless Display Technology laptops until atleast June 17th?
    Lastly, any new laptops coming in that timeframe or a little later (a couple weeks or so) that would be equipped with Nvidia Optimus graphics card? As I read and saw a youtube video showing that the Nvidia Optimus graphics card actually work with the Intel Wireless Display Technology.

  • What language subtitles are available if i buy a movie in english on itunes?

    what language subtitles are available if i buy a movie in english on itunes? or if i buy a movie in italian will i have the option to use english subtitles? i'm living in italy and learning italian so i like to have those options when i buy a movie.

    Only if you put it on your iphone.

  • Now that my Mac OSX v10.5 is not supported by Firefox, and I'm not ready to buy a new computer, what are my options?

    I'm wondering if I can, or should, upgrade to 10.8 Mountain Lion?????  Or, should I switch to Safari?  There is not much stored on my computer except for usually about 500 pictures.   

    Upgrade Paths to Snow Leopard, Lion, and/or Mountain Lion
    You can upgrade to Mountain Lion from Lion or directly from Snow Leopard. Mountain Lion can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $19.99. To access the App Store you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later installed.
    Upgrading to Snow Leopard
    You can purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard — Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.
    After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mountain Lion if your computer meets the requirements.
         Snow Leopard General Requirements
           1. Mac computer with an Intel processor
           2. 1GB of memory
           3. 5GB of available disk space
           4. DVD drive for installation
           5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider;
               fees may apply.
           6. Some features require Apple’s iCloud services; fees and
               terms apply.
    Upgrading to Lion
    If your computer does not meet the requirements to install Mountain Lion, it may still meet the requirements to install Lion.
    You can purchase Lion by contacting Customer Service: Contacting Apple for support and service — this includes international calling numbers. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax.  It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation.
         Lion System Requirements
           1. Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7,
               or Xeon processor
           2. 2GB of memory
           3. OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
           4. 7GB of available space
           5. Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
    Upgrading to Mountain Lion
    To upgrade to Mountain Lion you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Purchase and download Mountain Lion from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mountain Lion is $19.99 plus tax. The file is quite large, over 4 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
         OS X Mountain Lion — System Requirements
           Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion
             1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) — Model Identifier 7,1 or later
             2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) —
                 Model Identifier 5,1 or later
             3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
             4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) — Model Identifier 2,1 or later
             5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
             6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
             7. Xserve (Early 2009) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
    To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
    Are my applications compatible?
             See App Compatibility Table — RoaringApps.
         For a complete How-To introduction from Apple see Upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion.

  • Buying a used Mac - what to look out for

    I'm not really sure this should be in the MacBook Pro forum, but I had to put it somewhere.
    I'm considering buying a used Mac for my son. My daughter is using an old Aluminum PowerBook and when she gets older, I'll upgrade her as well. For my son the unit will be for mostly at home, so it doesn't need to be a laptop, but since laptops can basically be used as desktops as well, I'm posting here.
    What I want to know are any "gotcha's" that might not occur to me. For example, such and such types don't have particularly good battery life, the hard drive on this one is easy to change but not on that one. This one is known to have video problems but that one is great, etc.etc. Things to look out for or be aware of.
    I'm not adverse to buying old PPC based systems. Some of the old PowerMacs with G5 processors can be had for really, really low prices, but they're obviously limited to Leopard.
    This is a 10 year old boy, so I'm not going to spend a fortune on it. Kids will be kids, you know.
    Thoughts anyone?

    I assume you're ruling out completely all iBook G3's, right?
    If you got a butt kickin' PowerMac it might be quite a machine at quite a price. I've seen some G5 quad core's selling for as little as $100. With something that old, though, how long will it be before there's something like a power supply failure.
    Watch out for 17" iMac's from the 2006-2007 era. The displays have a tendency to develop vertical lines, and once they start doing it, it spreads like a disease across the display. WIth a unit like that you would have to use an external display and hide the original.
    Some of the earlier MacBooks had some battery issues and charging issues.
    I know for a fact that if you get a 2009 MacBook and put 4G of RAM into it you can comfortably run Mavericks. Of course if you read the posts of some of the people on this site they will claim you can ***never*** run Mavericks comfortably on anything. I'm not really sure what their problems are. You can pick one of these up for less than $200 for one in moderate shape to slightly over $200 for one in good shape.
    As with any laptop, check the battery out. On all systems check the HD and OD, especially the latter, to see if their working. I had to do a refurbishment/resell program on some of our older stuff and the ODs were bad in almost all of them. Thoroughly check the HD if the unit is a laptop or it's over 3 years old (just my advice).
    As far as PowerBooks, they're going to be too slow to handle any online video, but probably suitable enough for anything else. You can (I'm not joking) pick up a decent 12" model (1.33GHz, for example) for less than $70. You could also look at the 15" models but be wary of a problem some of them developed over time with RAM chips in a certain bank not being recognized.
    For reasons known only to God, old Titaniums are selling for more than Aluminum PowerBooks. I really wonder if people on eBay see the black Titanium keyboard on the metal base and think they're getting a new unit. Titaniums in good shape are a rarity because the hinges in the back liked to bust. They also ran hot enough to burn your legs. I'd steer clear of them.
    Most of the G4 iBooks we had and tested seemed OK. Some of the iMac G5s seem to be remarably solid. With the 2009 Intel iMac's (and maybe 2010 as well) you may need to be careful about the drive you install do to an unusual thermal monitoring setup.
    Well. That's if for me now.
    Later.

  • 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.

Maybe you are looking for

  • Windows Server - Mac Client Permission Issues?

    To start off, I'll summarize our current set-up. We've got Contribute Publishing Server running on Windows Server 2003. We have numerous Contribute clients spread out over our campus. They've all been using Windows XP. They connect via the LDAP setti

  • Default logs

    Hi Where would all the default logs for an Interface go and where is the option in Interface to give the log file for the interface..

  • After transfer only sound in 1 headphone

    Hey all, When i import my CDs using itunes, they import in stereo format. When i update my ipod 20G with these albums, however, some of the albums play through one earphone only - the rest are fine. It is not a problem with the earphones as i have tr

  • I am trying to unistall dynamic-pricer from my computer

    I need help unistalling dynamic-pricer from my computer.  It keeps popping up every time I open up a new tab/window?

  • How to center an image in the specified limits in labview 7.1

    I am using labview 7.1..i want to center the image in the limits i like without using IMAQ software.please help me out Solved! Go to Solution.