# Recommend a Good External HD **URL:** \ **Category:** random\ **Created:** [March 19, 2006, 4:17am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533 "2006-03-19T04:17:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Maroneyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Maroneyi](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Maroneyi)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 4:17am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/1 "2006-03-19T04:17:18Z")
Birthday is up and coming and I would like to get a nice external Hard Drive. Can anyone suggest one? A few rules though. Musts: Mac Compatible. Good lifetime (I have read that Lacie products die quickly and often). At least Firewire 400. At least 80 gigs. Hopes: Portable would be nice. Self powered would be cool. 100+ gigs would be great. (Want to be able to back up my 160 gig HD). Firewire 800 would be awesome. I would like a buffer more than 2 MB. So anyone who is in love with theirs or can recommend something nice and new, I’m all ears.:ear: ---
**Author:** ![Templarian](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/templarian/32/7152_2.png) [@Templarian](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Templarian)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 4:51am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/2 "2006-03-19T04:51:30Z")
160gig self powered… highest i’ve seen is like a 74gig. [http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=2000150414+1035307794+1035407758&Subcategory=414&description=&srchInDesc=&minPrice=&maxPrice=&ATTR2=&ATTR3=2000150414+1035307794&ATTR5=&ATTR7=](http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=2000150414+1035307794+1035407758&Subcategory=414&description=&srchInDesc=&minPrice=&maxPrice=&ATTR2=&ATTR3=2000150414+1035307794&ATTR5=&ATTR7=) But almost all in that list are USB 2.0. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Wheeler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/59ef9b/32.png) [@Jeff\_Wheeler](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Jeff_Wheeler)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 4:55am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/3 "2006-03-19T04:55:11Z")
I really like my LaCie 250GB, except I can’t seem to find the right cable at the moment (only lost since Wednesday). In the meantime, I’m stuck with my internal hd (:() and a 100GB Western Digital… ---
**Author:** ![G111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ea924/32.png) [@G111](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/G111)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 9:43am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/4 "2006-03-19T09:43:05Z")
I know its now the same but I bought a hard drive case and just slapped whatever hd in there. Just do a search for external hard drive cases then buy a normal hd of whatever size you want. ---
**Author:** ![unclesond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@unclesond](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/unclesond)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:52am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/5 "2006-03-19T11:52:37Z")
I have a LAcie 160GB ext powered, the “porsche” one and a few of my friends have that one in the 160/250gb versions. We’ve never had probelms with them, mines almost a year old too. I use to have an Iomega one, and love my Lacie alot more, so not sure about them dying but from my experience they seem solid and reliable…plus they look better than all other HDs too 😉 look out the for the amzing lego one too! :krazy: Self powered is obviously a big bonus, but costs per gig goes up big time. ---
**Author:** ![grimdeath](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/grimdeath/32/7124_2.png) [@grimdeath](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/grimdeath)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/6 "2006-03-19T13:25:42Z")
You can also buy a 2.5 hdd and use an enclosure most 2.5 are usb powered so its relly great downside is the storage capacity at the moment aint too great. A internal hdd with an enclosure is much cheaper and more storage for your money, us2 2.0 has the same or better transfer speed than firewire, so dont limit youself to firewire. You can get a usb+firewire combo case but its pretty expensive. You have options which is the good part, good luck. ---
**Author:** ![teet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@teet](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/teet)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 5:00am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/7 "2006-03-20T05:00:22Z")
> I know its now the same but I bought a hard drive case and just slapped whatever hd in there. That’s what I did too. I picked up a 120 gb seagate barracuda 7200 RPM drive with a 5 year warranty for $30 (after rebates) during the day after thanksgiving sale. Then I got a case off of tigerdirect (nothing fancy…usb 2.0 and NOT self powered) and I have a nice little external for ~$60. This is certainly the cheaper way to go if you can find a good deal on a hard drive…plus you can always take out the hard drive and use it in a desktop if you need to. -teet ---
**Author:** ![minimalistik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@minimalistik](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/minimalistik)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 7:15am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/8 "2006-03-20T07:15:06Z")
[http://www.seagate.com/products/retail/external/usbfirewire](http://www.seagate.com/products/retail/external/usbfirewire), eat your heart out. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![squireglig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@squireglig](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/squireglig)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/9 "2006-03-20T13:36:29Z")
I have an 80gig Iomega drive and it’s been working great for about three and a half years now. It is USB 2.0, however. ---
**Author:** ![simplistik](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/simplistik/32/7747_2.png) [@simplistik](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/simplistik)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 2:10pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/10 "2006-03-20T14:10:26Z")
I have a 250gig Maxtor II One Touch USB/Firewire (had a 160 too), it works great… I’m able to use it on my PC and my Mac w/o any issues (thus far). I’d recommend them… relatively inexpensive IMO, $1 / gig ---
**Author:** ![JoshuaJonah](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/joshuajonah/32/1775_2.png) [@JoshuaJonah](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/JoshuaJonah)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/11 "2006-03-20T14:26:50Z")
I have a LaCie “Porche” 250g. I don’t know where you’re getting your information from, but it’s solid as a rock. Maybe you got that idea from a forum/rating system. For your information, not very many people post to say “Hey, my HD is working great!”. Most of the time the only people who voice an opinion are the user who are upset. Where i work, I get customers on the phone every day saying “It’s all over the discussion forums, everybody is having the same issue! Is your company ignoring users?”. Truth is, the discussion boards is where people go when their having an issue. Even if theres hundreds of people reporting an issue with a product, they are still representing about 1.5% of customers. Moral of the story, dont base your opinions off people who are emotional. ---
**Author:** ![Neo\_Geo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Neo\_Geo](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Neo_Geo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/12 "2006-03-20T18:12:28Z")
I have Lacie for 2 years and its still working. or you could try this… [http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/products.asp?DriveID=148](http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/products.asp?DriveID=148) ---
**Author:** ![simplistik](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/simplistik/32/7747_2.png) [@simplistik](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/simplistik)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/13 "2006-03-20T18:32:35Z")
> [@Defective](#): > > For your information, not very many people post to say “Hey, my HD is working great!”. Most of the time the only people who voice an opinion are the user who are upset. :lol: so true ---
**Author:** ![DDD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc348/32.png) [@DDD](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/DDD)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/14 "2006-03-20T19:27:27Z")
I have the lacie 160gb external designed by porsche…(why its designed by them I dont know)…But it is very cool, quiet and doesnt get hella hot. ---
**Author:** ![LoungeActx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/71c47a/32.png) [@LoungeActx](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/LoungeActx)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/15 "2006-03-20T19:53:02Z")
i use a maxtor 250gig USB2 hard drive with my Power Mac G5 ---
**Author:** ![bwh2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@bwh2](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/bwh2)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/16 "2006-03-20T21:23:58Z")
we frequently get the 250gb maxtors from vendors and they work alright. ---
**Author:** ![Maroneyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Maroneyi](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Maroneyi)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/recommend-a-good-external-hd/182533/17 "2006-03-21T21:36:42Z")
Question everyone… **Is SATA II the same as SATA, just faster?** (If I decide to take the drive out of the external enclosure someday, will my powermac [uses SATA] support a SATA II drive?)