Need advice on what external hard drive to purchase-

hello everyone-
i couldn't find a similar topic so i thought i'd post this.
i'm looking to buy a hard drive to support my laptop but as usual trying to buy something can be quite a fuss with all the choices and reviews.
anyway, i'm assuming that Lacie is a good option for the Mac.
can anyone recommend any other brand? i've read both amazing and nightmarish things about the brand.
also, how good is Firewire 800? i thought it would be good to get something that hosted this option since my laptop can support that speed.
any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you don't need the portability of having the data remotely with you, I'd suggest you get an external firewire drive (you'll want FW if you want to boot from an external drive). Further, I'd recommend you assemble your own. Here are some considerations using a 320gb drive as an example:
A Western Digital 320 gb external enclosure (USB/FW) goes for around $200. However, all have one year warranties.
Assemble your own, requires the hard drive and case: A 320 gb Western Digital, with a 3 year warranty, 7200 rpm ultra ATA interface, cost for the drive around $106. I prefer Western Digital drives over Seagate drives, as I've found them to run cooler.
Add a Rosewill RX30 external case (includes power supply and USB/FW 400) $60. This brushed aluminum case looks like it was made to sit right next to our PB's (I've got one). You can see it at their web site at http://www.rosewill.com/product/product.aspx?productId=80. So for $166, you can have a 320gb hard drive with a 3 to 5 year warranty, and a stunning case. If you want, the Rosewill case also comes with FW800 for another $35.
Assembling it is very easy - you can read the directions on Rosewill's site at http://www.rosewill.com/RosewillSoftware/RX30_eng.pdf , for example. You disassemble the case by taking out 4 screws on the bottom of the Rosewill case, plug the included plug into the hard drive, secure the hard drive with 4 screws to the case, and reassemble it.
I used a 320GB drive as an example....a 160gb drive is a little less expensive. Once you start gathering video and sound files, they gobble up space quickly. If you start out larger than you think you'll need, you'll have space for growth, and if you choose, multiple levels of system backup.
And I would recommend FW800, to get maximum transfer speed.

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