| Author |
Topic: External Hard Drive Advice |
Tommy Mc
From:
Middlesex VT
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Posted 18 Apr 2007 6:50 pm |
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My daughter who is a film major has informed me that she needs an external hard drive to handle the digital footage for her final project. Her professor is recommending at least 200GB. We've found a couple on sale that I like to run by some of you more techy folks. This one seemed like a great deal:
Seagate 320 GB External Hard Drive http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4165349 Currently she is using a PC laptop, but intends to buy a Mac for her next computer. Apparently Apple has superior video editing software. Anyway some hard drives say they are only PC compatible. This one is vague.
The other one we are considering is this: Seagate Freeagent 320GB http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4160638 which claims to be PC and Mac compatible...also has a 5 yr warranty. The specs say that it is formatted for PC but can be reformatted for Mac. My daughter says she needs one that she can jump back and forth from Mac to PC and that if it is formatted FAT32, it can work on both. I'm throwing terms around here that I don't fully understand, but my question is will either or both of these hard drives work for her.......or any better options without spending more money? |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 19 Apr 2007 1:59 am
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| I agree, Western Digital is the preferred brand. |
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Joe Harwell
From:
"I've never been bad." ........ Many, LA
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Posted 19 Apr 2007 6:45 am
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WD are excellent. Seagates are excellent, too.
Every manufacturer has budget models all the way up to industrial strength models.
So it depends on which model you get from any maker as to its quality.
Firewire IEEE 1384b have faster data transfer rates.
I believe the fastest is FW800. So look for the spec if you go Firewire.
USB is slower and the spec you want to see on it is 2.0.
With any type of digital editing you want to be able to stream data in an uninterrupted rate which is determine by the computer and the software it is running. That is why many digital editors prefer FAT32(without going into all the techno-babble about file allocation unit sizes and their configurations).
FAT32 can stream big chunks of contiguous data.
7500 RPM drives with a fast read/write access time seem to work well.
Personally, I do not prefer to use external drives as my "working" drives. Internal drives are best. External drives function as handy storage and convenient transportation.
Here are some other lesser known but quality alternatives that have been around a while with good reputations, especially in the MAC world:
http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?pid=10723
Their flagship model.
http://www.newertech.com/products/ministackv2.php
Small footprint with multiple hub ports.
Other specifications to look at on any storage device are its RPM, Read/Write Access times(Affected by RPM but not necessarily. The lower this number the better the performance, i.e. 10ms or less preferably), MTBF(Mean Time Between Failures-this is how long in hours you can expect the drive to last under "normal" conditions).
But the factor I look for is the warranty period.
Generally, the longer the warranty the higher quality the drive.
And higher the price.
I've found really good service/prices from NewEgg.
Below is a link to all the Firewire external hard drives, if you want to check.
Plus, you can read reviews from users on the products.
Firewire Connection Only Click Here.
Both USB and Firewire Connection Click Here.
With both USB and Firewire connections, it would accommodate computers without Firewire.
_________________
Joe in LA
"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak & the strong; because, someday in life you will have been all of these". |
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Tommy Mc
From:
Middlesex VT
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Posted 19 Apr 2007 9:13 am
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| Thanks for all that great info. LaCie was another name that her friends had recommended BTW. Somehow I get the feeling this is going to cost more than I thought...... |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 19 Apr 2007 11:50 am
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| Tommy Mc wrote: |
| Thanks for all that great info. LaCie was another name that her friends had recommended BTW. Somehow I get the feeling this is going to cost more than I thought...... |
Ya gits what ya pays fer!
Check your local Office Max to see if they have SimpleTech external USB drives on sale this week. I bought a 250 GB Simpletech, with a WD drive, for only $99.00 a while back, and it is flawless.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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