external hard drives

[fireball]

If and when you reply to this I want you to keep in mind that I am not computer literate. I can type and that is about it.
I am in need of an external hard drive for my iTunes files. I was thinking of something between the 250GB and 500GB range. I need simplicity, reliabilty and value. Does anyone have recommended brands and places to buy?

[DaveA]

We have had real good service out the the Seagate brand. We have been them using them fo several years.

[viking33]

Hard Drives are all pretty reliable today. It seems everyone has their own brand preferences. Mine are Seagate, Western Digital, Maxtor and Hitachi.

I find some very good buys on not only Hard Drives but other types of hardware is at NEWEGG

Good prices and fast delivery.

[bigaldoc]

Hey, welcome to the Lounge.

I guess I'm in agreement with Dave and Bob in that all USB external drives are very cost effective and reliable these days, so it comes down to size and price and where you like (trust) to shop. Like Dave, I happen to have two Seagates USB drives and they've both performed flawlessly ever since I've had them. It so happens that I like and trust Buy.com - usb drives: Computers Search Results but there are a gazillion places to buy from.

[WyllyWylly]

I purchased (and love) an external Ximeta NetDisk drive from Radio Shack. You can get these enclosures with or without a hard drive installed. In my case, I already had a drive that needed an enclosure, so $40 USD was all it took to be up and running. The Ximeta also has direct connectivity to the home network - I can plug it right into the router where my Internet connection comes in from the street, and all the PCs in the house can see and access it. Go to Unity Electronics and search for "Ximeta" at the top of the page, and you can see a variety of NetDisk devices.

[IMNetUser]

Hi Fireball,

For what it is worth, I came across this Portable media player/storage enclosure that allows you to go from computer to TV to DVR - MacAlly PHR250M4.

You have to add the hard drive, EASY and comes with a remote control. In addition to movies, music, and sharing files, you can use it to backup data from your comuter.

I have one setup for my 86 year old aunt to download pictures and music from her grandchildren so she can share with friends she visits (easily hooked up to any TV, VCR, etc).

Hope this helps.

[jscher2000]

I've been using three different lines of "ready to use" external hard drives. (Previously I built one of my own from an enclosure and an internal drive, but it's a bit of a hassle.)

(1) FreeAgent

These are now a Seagate product with the 5 year warranty. The basic models do not include any backup software, but perhaps you don't need any. The drives are fairly compact because unlike older designs with a large case and a fan inside, the heat is dissipated through the base. The drives power on automatically when you connect the USB cable to your computer/laptop, and they turn off when you use the "Safely Remove Hardware" widget on the task bar. Prices are good, especially on sale. The Pro models include more connectors, but all models support USB 2.0.

(2) Seagate Pushbutton Backup

This older design also has a 5 year warranty. They're larger and louder than the FreeAgent drives and you turn them on and off manually using a power button. They have a cheap plastic clip that lets you use them vertically, or you can stack them horizontally if that works better in your space. If a FireWire connection is important to you (unlikely), note that there are USB-only models and USB+FireWire models, and it might be difficult to tell them apart on web sites.

The third one is a lower capacity portable drive that draws power from the USB port. I love the design, but just use it for backups while traveling.

Maxtor, also a Seagate company, has a relatively new line of OneTouch 4 external drives with the 5 year warranty. I haven't used any of those yet, but in the past the OneTouch series has received good reviews.

[DaveA]

There are also some real small ones, that the power is through the USB and you do not have all those power cords. These are great for the use with a laptop. I have a 120 Seagate and the wife has a 160 (I think) Free Agent. If one port does not provide a fast enough speed a second port can be used (same cord) for extra power. I have not needed to use the extra port.

[Jezsik]

I urge you to work on your computer literacy with all haste. A lot of external drives offer one-click backup options and market it as a brainless way to handle your files. That may be true, but all the idiot-proof software I've ever used have included some pretty serious "gotchas" that could come back to haunt you later. When you learn to navigate the folder tree, view, create, copy and move files and directories, you'll know just enough to handle an external drive with some confidence.

[fireball]

I bought a WD My Book 500 GB. Haven't played with it yet. I'll let you all know. Thanks for all your input.
fireball