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  #1  
Old 10/07/2005, 09:50 AM
bigdee65 bigdee65 is offline
Hi
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Westchester, NY
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Suggestions on External Hardrives

Does anyone have any suggestions on an external HD? I am looking for something in the 250gb-350gb range that runs on high speed USB for XP. My budget is around $250.

I have never bought an external HD before so I am not sure what companies are the most reliable and which ones are the best. I am getting close to filling my 100gb HD on my laptop and I need something to last me.

Thanks for any help!!!
  #2  
Old 10/07/2005, 10:01 AM
JuanGil75 JuanGil75 is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Leesburg, Florida
Posts: 341
I usually look at stuff from

newegg

or

Computer Geeks

Depends on what I am looking for. They usually have good deals.

Juan
  #3  
Old 10/07/2005, 10:19 AM
Q-ball Q-ball is offline
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I've got an 80gb Western Digital that I've had 2 years so far without any problems
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  #4  
Old 10/07/2005, 11:37 AM
bigdee65 bigdee65 is offline
Hi
 
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Thanks for the info guys. I am thinking about getting a Western Digital Internal IDE 3.5" drive and purchasing an external case for it. This seems to be the cheaper and better way to go.

Does anyone else have any input? Thanks again!
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  #5  
Old 10/07/2005, 12:19 PM
slipknottin slipknottin is offline
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I too would just buy the model/brand drive I want, then get an enclosure for it. It should be slightly more expensive, but you know more about the drive (specs, life, etc)
  #6  
Old 10/07/2005, 12:27 PM
Hobster Hobster is offline
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I bought a Maxtor as a backup drive when it was on sale. Seems fine to me.

http://www.maxstore.com/product.asp?sku=2603453
  #7  
Old 10/07/2005, 12:27 PM
bigdee65 bigdee65 is offline
Hi
 
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Location: Westchester, NY
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Quote:
Originally posted by slipknottin
t should be slightly more expensive, but you know more about the drive (specs, life, etc)
Actually its kinda cheeper this way depending on what drive and what case you get. I am looking at around $175 for a 300gb drive and a case. much better than the $230-280 I have seen for the prefab ones.
  #8  
Old 10/07/2005, 12:31 PM
Mykayel Mykayel is offline
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Location: Kansas City, MO
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Just rember that the exteral hard drives require its own power supply.... or at least mine does and I assume all 3.5 HD's will. The smaller "laptop" drives might be different and be able to run in the USB power alone but You'd have to check into that.
  #9  
Old 10/07/2005, 12:43 PM
bigdee65 bigdee65 is offline
Hi
 
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The enclosures that I am looking at for the internal HD comes with all the cables needed to hook up the 3.5 HD. It has its own fan and ports so it basically make it into the same thing you would buy as an external HD.
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  #10  
Old 10/07/2005, 07:23 PM
bigdee65 bigdee65 is offline
Hi
 
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Besides the Western Digital HD's can anyone else suggest another quality brand?
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  #11  
Old 10/07/2005, 07:55 PM
slipknottin slipknottin is offline
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Maxtor, Samsung, Seagate, and Hitachi.
  #12  
Old 10/07/2005, 08:14 PM
Scuba_Dave Scuba_Dave is offline
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Location: Asylum, South of Boston, MA
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My "external" hard drive is a spare PC p4 -1.7g in the basement with a 120g hd in it. Cost - free
If my main PC dies, I can simply bring that one upstairs & use it - with all my data already there
Or I can use my laptop & access the data
  #13  
Old 10/07/2005, 10:21 PM
pnosko pnosko is offline
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I'll never buy another Maxtor for the rest of my life. I had 3 in a row fail on me. The warranty replacements are sitting in a drawer. They are the Rios of hard drives as far as I'm concerned.

Seagate, and Hitachi are decent, although I heard wind of Hitachi having problems just around the time they were rebranded from IBM.
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  #14  
Old 10/08/2005, 08:04 AM
clord clord is offline
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I fix computers for a lot of schools the number 1 hard drive to fail is maxtor..When we get replacements they send wd, or seagate which i have never seen fail. So that should tell you something
  #15  
Old 10/08/2005, 08:26 AM
bigdee65 bigdee65 is offline
Hi
 
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Thanks for the info guys, I will stick with a WD or a Seagate
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