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-   -   My SD Top 5 (For Compatibility) List-External Fw Drives-Yours? (https://www.shirt-pocket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3091)

yaloxx 11-01-2007 06:25 PM

My SD Top 5 (For Compatibility) List-External Fw Drives-Yours?
 
Hey,

I thought this compatibility list may be helpful for people looking for a new external fw hard drive to use with superduper.

My List;

1) The old Seagate (square box-blue hd light) external fw hd, comes in the big square yellow box (300/400 gig). A tad slow compared with the newer drives out there but rock solid for compatibility with superduper.

2) None yet. Maxtor and Western Digital have not been impressive, Lacie is next up

t3rockhall 11-01-2007 09:15 PM

Well, I voted for LaCie, because that's the one I own. I have no idea if it's "best". It just works for me. I think the survey's poorly worded because most of us wouldn't have more than one external drive anyway -- we only know if OURS works properly. No? You have more than one in your home?

justG 11-01-2007 10:39 PM

I would hate to see people make purchases based on the results of a poll like this one. I mean no offence, but hard drive biases tend to be similar to network hardware biases: I like <this> because my experience with it has been great, hate <that> because my experience with it has been awful. Know what I mean? People are pretty opinionated about Belkin vs NetGear vs D-Link vs LinkSys, just as they are about Seagate vs WD vs Hitachi vs Lacie vs Maxtor.

A lot of people might go with a WD My Book Pro because it's priced pretty well, looks nice, offers multiple interfaces, and they have experience with internal WD drives. Others will swear by LaCie and wouldn't touch a WD with a barge pole. Still others would go to OWC and buy their "house" brand (standard drive + their enclosure) because they trust them so much.

My own experience in this area leads me to believe that the top brands with a decent warranty aren't too different from one another; all things considered, I'd get the one on sale, provided it had the space, interface(s), and aesthetics I wanted. My own bias is such that I'd stay away from most of the generic brands that you might find at an electronics retailer. Other than that, I don't think it matters too much.

Of course, ymmv. =)

dnanian 11-01-2007 10:52 PM

My general opinion: make sure you get a drive with an Oxford chipset from a manufacturer that has long supported the Mac.

yaloxx 11-02-2007 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t3rockhall (Post 15112)
Well, I voted for LaCie, because that's the one I own. I have no idea if it's "best". It just works for me. I think the survey's poorly worded because most of us wouldn't have more than one external drive anyway -- we only know if OURS works properly. No? You have more than one in your home?

Actually I have owned several external hds over the years sometimes more than one at a time (home/office) ;-)

yaloxx 11-02-2007 12:37 AM

You Wrote,

"I would hate to see people make purchases based on the results of a poll like this one. I mean no offence, but hard drive biases tend to be similar to network hardware biases: I like <this> because my experience with it has been great, hate <that> because my experience with it has been awful. Know what I mean? People are pretty opinionated about Belkin vs NetGear vs D-Link vs LinkSys, just as they are about Seagate vs WD vs Hitachi vs Lacie vs Maxtor."

well said :-)


"My own bias is such that I'd stay away from most of the generic brands that you might find at an electronics retailer."

another good point


Actually I put the poll in to stir up conversation on peoples experiences with different brands.

I agree people should not rely solely on the poll for buying advice.

Good Post :-)

anijhenry 11-02-2007 07:57 AM

I currently own two Western Digital externals and will soon purchase a third for use with Time Machine. I have experienced zero problems with the brand and SuperDuper! so they easily get my vote.

t3rockhall 11-02-2007 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dnanian (Post 15114)
My general opinion: make sure you get a drive with an Oxford chipset from a manufacturer that has long supported the Mac.

So? Which ones have the Oxford chipset?

dnanian 11-02-2007 10:32 AM

The manufacturers we recommend in the User's Guide have always used Oxford chipsets. When in doubt, ask the manufacturer (and don't let them get away with "Oxford" when they really mean "Oxford Compatible").

visch1 11-02-2007 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dnanian (Post 15127)
The manufacturers we recommend in the User's Guide have always used Oxford chipsets. When in doubt, ask the manufacturer (and don't let them get away with "Oxford" when they really mean "Oxford Compatible").

I use a varity of internal drives, WD, Hitachi, and Seagate in enclosures with the Oxford Chips. I try for enclosures with internal fans, though small, does move some air out. If they get too warm I have a small fan blowing on the enclosure. I think I got most of my enclosures from OWC.

djlynch 11-02-2007 03:43 PM

I second OWC...strong mac sales company. good products IMHO
I bought 3 drives from them.

yaloxx 11-02-2007 03:54 PM

"I currently own two Western Digital externals and will soon purchase a third for use with Time Machine. I have experienced zero problems with the brand and SuperDuper! so they easily get my vote."

Which models? :-)

TMay 11-03-2007 11:00 PM

I third or fourth or whatever it is OWC. I have bought a number of drives from them over the years (and a bunch of other stuff) with good luck. I think I have owned (in full or half format) drives from every major brand sold in the U.S. Only WD back when it was a cheap piece of trash ever gave me any trouble....Seagates, Maxtors, etc. were fine. And I now have two of the newer WD internals and they seem to be fine. Of them all, I've always preferred IBM/Hitachi, especially in the 2.5 inch format.

For the little externals, I have always bought cases (four now) from OWC, all with the Oxford chipsets.

iGrooveLA 11-04-2007 01:39 AM

hi all...i just got the Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750GB external HD and i'm very pleased w/it so far...it's quite, doesn't get too warm, cool design, has changeable connections (firewire, usb 2, e-sata) and is fully bootable! i had to reinstall tiger after a faulty leopard install and it worked like a charm (thanks to SuperDuper! too, of course)! plus the price is right at costco for $199!

anijhenry 11-04-2007 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yaloxx (Post 15134)
"I currently own two Western Digital externals and will soon purchase a third for use with Time Machine. I have experienced zero problems with the brand and SuperDuper! so they easily get my vote."

Which models? :-)

Only one of them is a firewire drive - the Western Digital 250GB Dual Option USB 2.0 & FireWire - External Hard Drive. I purchased it last year for $99 from Amazon during one of their specials. A great drive that has multiple USB and firewire ports on the back which serves as a hub for other computer accessories (very convenient considering I have a notebook). I partitioned the drive into two - the first half is for SuperDuper while the second is for miscellaneous junk I'm not ready to let go of. My parents also have this same model at home.

The second WD external that I have is USB 2.0 - it's a WD Passport 120GB. Used mainly for school and music.

The third one will probably be the new 500GB My Book with the triple interface. I was going to purchase it this weekend but I decided to wait until Black Friday to see what kind of deal I can get. ;)


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