Looking for an external storage solution

[flamingspinach]

OK, what I'm looking for is some sort of external hard drive (maybe 500 GB or so) that I can use with my laptop while at college. I'll be going back to school in August and I have a few internal hard drives lying around here at home from computers I used to use in high school and middle school, and I'd like to get the data from those and keep them in some central location, as well as have a place to store large files (my laptop's hard drive is insufficiently large).

So it looks like my choices are to either get an external enclosure and an internal hard drive to put inside it, or get an external hard drive which some manufacturers are selling these days. How portable are these two options? I want to be able to carry it around with me if possible, though not strictly necessary (files I'll be needing during the school day I can probably keep on my laptop's internal). I'll also be carting it around on airplanes, I don't suppose there's too much magnetic hazard on that front? (and in airports, etc.) I can keep it in my laptop shoulder bag I guess, well, depending on the thickness.

So anyway, would an external enclosure + internal hard drive be suitable for these purposes? Are they even any cheaper than external drives, anyway?

Oh, and when it comes to connection interfaces, is USB 2.0 too slow? The "basic" and cheapest external drives seem to only come with USB 2.0, so I'm wondering if I really need any more than that. The main use for this drive would probably be storing video and audio files, maybe rarely some CD images and stuff like that - if I ever installed a game, say, it would be on the internal hard drive. What's the verdict there?

Thanks in advance for any help I might be getting

EDIT: Oops, almost forgot - if you have any specific recommendations for a brand or model, please do let me know I've heard good and bad things about the seagate freeagent and western digital mybook series, but not much about anything else...

 

[cprince]

USB 2.0 is more than fast enough. The bottle neck is the actual read/write to the hard drive's platters. Depending on how much data you have, I would recommend a 2.5 inch external hard drive since it's pocket sized and powered by the computer's usb bus--you don't need a separate power adapter as in the case of the 3.5 inch external hard drive. However, these max out at about 250GB in capacity and are more expensive than the bigger 3.5 inch. I recommend Western Digital for either the 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch.

 

[flamingspinach]

Great, thanks for the advice. I'll probably go with a 3.5 inch one since 250 GB won't be enough, I think. I guess in your opinion external enclosures are entirely out of the question, then? Since they seem to be even less portable than the 3.5 inch externals... By the way, just how durable are hard drives? Is it safe to carry them around in a shoulder strapped laptop bag during normal walking (and occasional sprinting ) across a college campus, do you think? EDIT: Well, I guess I already carry around my laptop like that and it shows no signs of damage, yet it contains a hard drive... hmm.

 

[cprince]

Originally posted by: flamingspinach
I guess in your opinion external enclosures are entirely out of the question, then? Since they seem to be even less portable than the 3.5 inch externals...

Not really, 3.5" external enclosures are just as portable as 3.5" external hard drive(already made). It depends on the economics. If you already have an internal hard drive and want to use it as an external hard drive, then go for the enclosure. However, if you don't, then buying an already made external hard drive is better. Keep in mind that 3.5" external hard drive(already made) or enclosure will have a separate power adapter that you have to carry around in order for the device to get power.

 

[flamingspinach]

Well the requirement of a power supply doesn't worry me - I can live without being able to carry it around school, and if take it with me while travelling, the power supply isn't fragile (I assume) and I could just pack it in a suitcase.

Anyone have anything to add? Brand names to suggest? The Western Digital MyBook is looking good, I must admit, though the newegg comments seem to suggest that it is sort of prone to failure... Who are LaCie? I've never heard of hard drives made by them, but the comments at newegg seem to recommend them wholeheartedly... are they just building the external structure and sticking in a hard drive by a more well-known manufacturer?

 

[fredhe12]

I have owned two external drives from AcomData and have never had any issues. They're very solid, if not spectacular, performers. Setup is a snap and they work right out of the box.

Just sold my 160gb to get a 320gb of the same model.

Here's a list of of their product line from NewEgg.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: flamingspinach
Who are LaCie? I've never heard of hard drives made by them, but the comments at newegg seem to recommend them wholeheartedly... are they just building the external structure and sticking in a hard drive by a more well-known manufacturer?

The four LaCie that we purchased for one client all had Seagate drives inside. We had a lot of problems with those LaCies. We were using them daily to make 150GB backups.

As a rule, I prefer housings with built-in fans. Especially for hard use with large, frequent, backups. But I have no proof that they are really any better.

I also recommend at least two backup drives for "home" use. One to leave connected with automated backups occurring, and a second disconnected drive stored somewhere safe. Rotate those two drives on some sort of schedule. This give the best odds of backups actually happening, while it keeps a disconnected drive safely stored elsewhere in case of theft or power surges.

 

[ColdFusion718]

I bought a 500 GB MyBook drive (USB 2.0) from Office Depot for about $100 after rebate. If you don't need it immediately, I suggest you wait for a good deal.

 

[flamingspinach]

ColdFusion718, wow, seems like a good deal I'd need it before I head back to college in August, but I'll keep an eye out.

As for fans, well, I'm going to college in Singapore, so would that make a stronger case for getting something with a fan? It's only a couple degrees north of the equator, and it can get pretty muggy there at times...