Looking for an external hard drive for my ibook...

I know there are a lot of posts related to external hard drives, but I have very specific needs that haven't been answered as far as I can tell. I run Tiger 10.4.11 on my 1.33 ghz ibook (which WON'T DIE) and need a hard drive that:
1) is Mac-friendly
2) Can be set to do auto backup when I plug in my computer
3) has at least 500GB storage
4) has at least a 3-year warranty
5) can run, power-wise, off my USB hub (though this is the least of my concerns, frankly)
6) can be used with a Macbook when I buy one next year (very important)
I'm not so concerned with speed, as I will mostly be doing backup at night, while I'm asleep. Does such a drive exist for around $100?

1) is Mac-friendly
98% of the drives meet this criteria
2) Can be set to do auto backup when I plug in my computer
I don't know any drives that will do that. Some have buttons that allow you to do backup by pushing the button.
3) has at least 500GB storage
4) has at least a 3-year warranty
A lot of those available.
5) can run, power-wise, off my USB hub (though this is the least of my concerns, frankly)
Look for a "portable" external drive.
6) can be used with a Macbook when I buy one next year (very important)
Any drive that matches the criteria above.
Does such a drive exist for around $100?
Yes many. You can watch Dealmac.com for hard drive deals. It is pretty easy to get 1 TB for $100 these days.

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What format is best for an external hard drive for video editing on a mac?

What's the best format for an external hard drive for video editing to be use with a mac only? I need to format my new hard drive and want to be sure I choose the right format.

I concur with Kappy. His suggestion is correct.
Allan

"How to partition for an external hard drive for windows and Mac backups"

I have two PCs, Dells, and 1 Macbook Pro. They are set up on a wireless network. I would like to set up an external hard drive to backup all three automatically. Does anyone know how I can do this? Do I have to partition the external hard drive?

You would need to partition the hard drive using the GUID partition scheme. Your non-Apple machines would need their partitions formatted MS-DOS (FAT) and the Mac partition would have to be formatted Mac OS Extended. Note, however, that using the MS-DOS format may cause some problems with filenames on an NTFS formatted Windows drive.
Now you could use Mac OS Extended formats on all three partitions, but then you would need third-party software on your Windows machines to enable them to read and write a Mac-formatted drive.

Any recommendations for a external hard drive for a mac pro 10.4.11?

I need to back up my computer before installing a new operating system and I have no clue how to do this. I'm not very computer savvy.

I recommend that you get a good Firewire drive to Clone your Internal drive to.
http://eshop.macsales.com/search/firewire+drives
Many of those come with Backup SW, or...
Get carbon copy cloner to make an exact copy of your old HD to the New one...
http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html
Or SuperDuper...
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/

Looking for external hard drive for Mac book air

I'm looking for a external hard drive for my Mac book air

What features are important to you?
Size?
Capacity?
Speed?
Price?
Reliability?
HDD or SSD?
Desktop or portable?
Just about any USB external drive will function properly, with only a few exceptions. I would avoid the Toshiba Canvio using USB 3.0, as it has been the topic for numerous threads here wherein users have had problems using them with the MacBook Air.
My personal favorite external HDD right now is the Seagate GoFlex, as I can use them with the Thunderbolt adapter. But I have been eyeing the new LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt.
For super speed, I use a Crucial model M4, either using the Seagate Thunderbolt adapter, or I have some mounted in USB 3.0 housings.

External Hard Drive for my G4?

Hi --
I'm looking for an external hard drive for my Dual 450 MHz PowerPC G4 but I'm not sure about a couple of things: My machine's older (built in 2001 or so), running OS 10.4.6. Here are a couple more details:
Machine model: PowerMac 3,3
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (2.9)
L2 Cache per CPU: 1 MB
Memory: 384 MB
Bus Speed: 100 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 3.3.1f1
(For what its worth - serial number SBO322XKJ3C)
I'd like to buy a LaCie "Rugged All-Terrain Hard Drive" (80GB, 5400 rpm) but don't know if my machine has FireWire 800, FireWire 400, or USB 2.0 connectivity.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Hi, Laura -
Welcome to Apple's Discussions.
Your G4 dual 450MHz Mac is a Gigabit Ethernet model. There is a bunch of info about it available on this page at apple-history.com.
Re your specific questions -
Firewire - the built-in firewire on that model is FW400.
USB - the built-in USB on that model is USB 1.1.
Many, if not most, USB 2.0 devices are backward compatible with USB 1.1, but will operate at USB 1.1 speed.
You can add a PCI card to get USB 2.0; not sure if such a card is available for FW800.
Even with an added USB 2.0 card, USB 2.0 would be usable only when booted to OSX; OS 9 does not support USB 2.0.
According to the info you provided, "Boot ROM Version: 3.3.1f1" indicates the firmware on that machine is 3.3.1. It would be a good idea to update it at some point; the current version for that model is v. 4.2.8. You can download the 4.2.8 firmware updater from this page -
Article #120068 - G4 Firmware Update 4.2.8
Note - in order to install that firmware update, the machine must be booted to OS 9 from a writeable local drive (this usually means the internal hard drive), and the firmware updater must be run from the same drive.
You may also find that increasing the installed RAM will increase the machine's response and smooth it a bit. According to the info you provided, it has 384MB RAM in it now. That model has a max capacity of 2.0GB RAM, more than four times what is now in it. If it were my machine, I'd add at least one 512MB module (that's the largest module it can use).

Best external hard drive for Macbook pro and Aperture

Hi, any recomendations for an external hard drive for the macbook pro and aperture. I was looking for approx 300Gb !
Many thanks
macphi

Personally I have had poor luck with LaCie Big Disk peformance and support and don't recommend LaCie. However I do recognize that my sample of one is statistically insignificant.
The eSATA concept is interesting, but bleeding tech edge at the moment. For a solid solution that works now I recommend FW800 (forget USB) and RAID 0 technology. I have had great success with OWC and just bought their least expensive (in $ per GB) 640 GB FW800 US$370 RAID O drive setup: <http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/ME8R7640GB16/>.
Just this week OWC introduced RAID 0 +1 drives that have RAID 0 speeds but also provide mirror backups. Perhaps the very best solution but pricey.
EDIT: If you bought a 15" MBP instead of the 17" you forever lack FW 800. Go for a FW 800 or an eSATA Express Card solution when available. You could buy an OWC drive now and jusr run it FW 400 until you get an Express Card FW800 port. The OWC drive came with ports and cables for both FW 800 and FW 400.
-Allen Wicks

External Hard Drive for PowerMac G5 for use with FCP Studio

Hello,
I'd greatly appreciate any recommendation for an external hard drive for a PowerMac G5 for use with FCP Studio.
Thanks.
-graziemile

We see alot of Lacie issues here and elsewhere.
Drives fail... period. I believe you hear more about Lacie drives failing because they sell a ton more of them than many other suppliers. I've got 8 of em sitting right here on the desk and two more at the second station. I've lost one since I started using them years ago (and it had problems right out of the box) and I use them pretty heavy.
I understand that they use several different brands of drives in their enclosures, but from my experience they must have pretty good QC standards for what they package.
The guy said the G Techs were a little overkill for his needs. Lacie doesn't pay me. But if someone asks "how are Lacies?" I'll tell them they've been great for me and many others I know, especially if your requirements are capturing DV.
In five years, I ain't heard anybody say anything about it.
As for FCP. I love it! In 20 years of business, it's probably the purchase that's given me the most bang for my buck. But if you haven't heard people knock it, you've never met an Avid zelot, bruhhhhh, just the thought gives me shivers.
The drives X mentioned are designed for video work.
What Studio said, well he gives out some of the best advice on this board
(and maybe the most! ) and my reply to his post... that's why I used the little smiley face. No offence intended X.
I only meant to say that, in a world where software like FCP can do what it does at the price it does it, and drives like Lacie and G Tech can give you the storage they do for the price they do, the line between consumer and professional products is easily blurred.
rh

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

How can I use one external hard drive for both Time Machine and iPhoto Library?

I have been using a 1 TG LaCie external hard drive for Time Machine backups. My (older) Mac has 160 GB and is almost full. I would like to move my iPhoto Library to the external hard drive, but I've heard Time Machine doesn't share one space well. Should I
1. create another partition (but will this erase what I've already saved) with Disk Utility? *I am running Snow Leopard*
2. create another volume to use for iPhoto, and if so, should the two volumes be of equal size?
3. leave it with one partition and move the iPhoto Library to the same partition with Time Machine back ups?
I know I don't need the entire 1 TG for back up of 160 GBs. Please advise the best path to take. Thank you!

You are getting incorrect information from your ASP. If you look at drive specifications the heat generated is no different for high vs low capacity drives.
I have upgraded the internal drive in my iMac 2007 with a 3TB Hitachi drive without any heat issues or other problems.
Larger hard drives have higher density platters so to access any given amount data the drives travel a shorter distance. Higher capacity drives should therefore run cooler than lower density drives because the drive spends less time spinning to access data.

How do i use an external hard drive for all my itunes music?

how do i use an external hard drive for all my itunes music?

Hi valleydave,
Here are two good links for you to check out:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1751
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1449
The first one goes over, in-depth, what you're looking for in regards to "off site" iTunes.

What is the best external hard drives for macbook pro?

I am looking to buy an external hard drive for my macbook pro urgently.
I was intending to purchase a time capsule but am really concerned with the reliability concerns of the time capsules where they stop working after 6 months to 18 months as posted on various forums.
I was considering purchasing a western digital external hard drive but they also receive a lot of negative feedback.
I have never used firewire previously but am interested in getting feedback as to how useful forum readers find this feature.
In terms of size am looking for 1TB approx.
Thanks in advance for your assistance as i need to purchase one immediately and i do not have time to research fully. Make, model number and approximate cost would be very helpful as well as where i could purchase hard drive in london. I am more concerned with quality rather than cost.

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Choosing an external hard drive for back up

This is more for general advice than a specific question. Right now I have my hard drive partitioned and use the second as a backup with Time Machine. It will work for most situations but not all, such as a home fire or break-in (all my photos and music, lost forever!).
What I want to do is buy an external hard drive for backup and keep it at work. I would then bring it home every few weeks to update, but otherwise not store it in the same place as my computer. That way I would never lose more than a few weeks worth of stuff. So, a few questions, the nature of which will let you know how much of a novice I am at this.
1) Right now, Time Machine automatically updates once per hour. When I am using the external drive will I be able to set Time Machine up to only update my back up files when I connect the external drive. Is this difficult.
2) Any suggestions on what kind of external hard drive I should buy, or what features I should look for would be appreciated. I live in a remote area, so something I can get from futureshop.ca would be preferable.
3) My hard drive is about 280 GB. What size should I buy.
Advice on any of the above would be appreciated. Also feel free to toss in anything else you think I should know or consider.
Rgds
PF

Snowfog wrote:
This is more for general advice than a specific question. Right now I have my hard drive partitioned and use the second as a backup with Time Machine. It will work for most situations but not all, such as a home fire or break-in (all my photos and music, lost forever!).
What I want to do is buy an external hard drive for backup and keep it at work. I would then bring it home every few weeks to update, but otherwise not store it in the same place as my computer. That way I would never lose more than a few weeks worth of stuff. So, a few questions, the nature of which will let you know how much of a novice I am at this.
1) Right now, Time Machine automatically updates once per hour. When I am using the external drive will I be able to set Time Machine up to only update my back up files when I connect the external drive.
This is what I am currently doing among 3 different backup disks (1 Time Capsule, a WD500GB, and a Lacie 160GB). You won't have to "set" anything up other than attach the new drive and select it in the TM prefs. Then when your done, reselect your normal TM disk.
2) Any suggestions on what kind of external hard drive I should buy, or what features I should look for would be appreciated. I live in a remote area, so something I can get from futureshop.ca would be preferable.
Most any drive will do, as you partition it correctly to begin with.
*_How Should a Time Machine Hard Disk be Prepared?_*
For Time Machine to work properly, the hard disk must be formatted “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” and its’ Partition Scheme should be either GUID or Apple Partition Map.
Time Machine is incompatible with disks partitioned as Master Boot Record (MBR). Unfortunately, this describes nearly every hard drive you can buy because MBR is a Windows partition scheme. (Naturally, this DOES NOT apply to Apples’ Time Capsule.)
For some, Time Machine begins to perform as expected with a new external hard disk. But then the initial full backup or subsequent incremental backups fail. The user only later discovers the hard disk was still partitioned as Master Boot Record (MBR).
One article on Time Machine made this observation: “Virtually everybody will have to open Disk Utility and repartition the disk as APM or GUID. It doesn't really matter which one because the Time Machine disk will not be bootable anyway. APM allows a disk to boot a PowerPC, GUID allows the disk to boot an Intel processor but both are easily digestible by Time Machine on either kind of processor.” [http://www.girr.org/mac_stuff/backups.html]
It’s been recommended by many here that your reserve +at least+ double the size of your primary hard disk, that way Time Machine backups have room to grow as the size of your data grows. Additionally, the more space you give Time Machine the more history it can preserve. The less space you reserve for Time Machine the sooner older backups & deleted items will disappear.
One poster recommended this regarding multiple partitions: “If you do create multiple partitions (half and half would be a good place to start), make sure you use the first partition for Time Machine, and the second for your own stuff (the first one will be on top in the graphical representation shown in Disk Utility; you'll understand when you see the partition tab). This way, you can expand the Time Machine volume at any later time by deleting the second partition. Disk Utility allows this dynamic re-sizing of volumes, but volumes can only be expanded toward the end of the drive, when a volume that comes after is deleted to create the room.” [http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1712437&tstart=0]
Procedure
Connect the hard disk you wish to use for Time Machine backups.
Launch Disk Utility.
It will appear twice in the pane on the left. (Make sure you recognize that it is different from the 2 icons that represent your Macs' internal drive.) The upper entry represent the device as a whole, including the controller inside. The lower entry represents the hard disk contained within the device.
Click on the upper icon of the external hard disk.
Select the "Partition" tab.
For "Volume Scheme" choose "1 partition". (Choose 2 partitions if you intend on storing other data on the disk besides your Time Machine backups. Ensure that the two partitions have different names.)
Name the disk.
Format should be "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)".
Click "Options".
Select either GUID or Apple Partition Map. (See above for significance)
Click "OK".
Click "Apply". Then click “Partition”.
Once the external hard disk is repartitioned, select it again in Time Machine preferences and use it for your backups. If you chose to create 2 partitions, then select the first partition for Time Machine backups, and the second for additional files/folders.
3) My hard drive is about 280 GB. What size should I buy.
Any TM backup drive should be +at least+ twice as large as your Macs internal hard disk.
Let us know if this resolves your issue.
Cheers!

I have a 250GB western digital external hard drive for my time machine backups. if i just want to backup and recover my photos and movies how do i do that with time machine?

I have a 250GB western digital external hard drive for my time machine backups. I did not download the software that came with the external HD. If I only want to backup my photos and movies from my Macbook how do I do that in Tme Machine with my external HD?

Format the HDD in Disk Utility>Erase to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and the open System Preferences>Time Machine and set up the external disk as the Time Machine HDD. Then look at the Options, and exclude what you do not want backed up.
Ciao.

Can i use the time capsule as just an external hard drive for music or does it have to be used soley as a backe up?? im thinking for music and photos

Can I use the time capsule as just an external hard drive for music or does it have to be used soley as a back up? I'm thinking for music and photos

Nickles96 wrote:
Hello friends.. I have a similar question, in that I would like to purchase the 2TB TC for use as a NAS device, in addition to taking advantage of the Air Port extreme.. Then I could dump my Linksys router.
I was originally looking at a Synology NAS solution, but the TC seems like it can meet my needs.
I have a Synology NAS as well as the Time Capsule. If you look at the 3.2 beta program, the Synology actually attempts to replicate TC functionality in that you can use it with Time Machine on your Mac.
I must say, Airport on the TC is definitely a nice feature!
Nickles96 wrote:
In addition to the obvious feature of the backup, can I indeed also use the TC as a NAS drive to access from remote locations (example from the office)?
I'm surprised more people aren't using the TC as a dedicated NAS deviced.. I've searched high and low on forums around the web, and don't seem to see many people trying to use it as I've outlined.
I can't see why this wouldn't fufill my needs, and take the place of a separate NAS solution (like the Synology, or iOmega, Seagate, etc....)
Has anyone used this TC as such?
Yes, you can do this and it's something I've been trying to do, but I'm currently having issues. I have another thread stating I consistently get "connection failed" messages. I'm basically storing my music/photo/video files on the TC and keeping my Mac hard drive fairly lean. In terms of NAS functionality, the TC is very basic. Synology/QNAP and others have a lot more features so don't rule them out.

Looking for an external hard drive for my ibook...

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