View Full Version : Ext Hard Drive - Your opinions please
joe2812
2nd Jan 2005, 22:13
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=4221721659&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=62848
Can I have opinions from those slightly more in the know before I part with my hard earned cash?
Am I correct in thinking I can literally just plug it in and drag stuff onto the drive?
goates
2nd Jan 2005, 23:23
That's basically how they work. You want to make sure both the drive and your computer are USB 2.0 High Speed or Firwire (IEEE1394) compatible though, otherwise you will be waiting a long while for the files to copy over.
goates
Daysleeper
2nd Jan 2005, 23:53
I dunno bout the "porsche designed" sounds a bit gimmiky really. I have the Lacie Firewire 80gb ecternal hdd to back up our 2 laptops and it works with no problems.
Got it as a warrentied customer return from dabs was about 40% off original price.
I use it about once a month. with a mac program called carbon copy cloner which basically just photocopies the hard drive across to the external.
You can drag files back and forth of you dont want to do the whole thing.
---Spelling mistakes are 10 month old daughter induced-----
Background Noise
3rd Jan 2005, 08:06
Ditto, don't think I'd pay for the design. There are 80gig drives for the same price.
I have a usb-to-ide connecor and use an old internal drive (not so pretty but cheap) and it works just as you suggest - plug it in and XP sees it as another drive. I think you need to be win 98se or better for usb and XP manages without additional drivers.
There may be other comments about this but the one you suggest has no additional power (eg ac adapter) and uses the host power - I presume this would make it mobile but would deplete a laptop battery pretty quickly?
lacie have a pretty solid reputation [the dvd drives work well].
Check out the "d2" models if you don't want to pay for the designer name.
Fletchers Left Boot
3rd Jan 2005, 18:59
go to http://www.ezcomputers.co.uk/iShop.aspx
and do a product search on
HDD-ENC35-MEN
You can put an existing HDD in the housing. I have one and it seems to be as fast as my internal hard drive.
Comes with an external power supply which it needs, so you cant use it so easily on the move.
Hope that helps.
FLB
joe2812
3rd Jan 2005, 22:27
Ok, points taken and search continued...
What about a NetDisk ? (http://www.ximeta.com/)
Ebay 1 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5153957264&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT)
Ebay 2 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5151200170&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT)
Oh and some laptop-related questions:
1) How do I know if i've got USB 2.0
2) What is firewire and how can I tell if i have that?