What brand external hard drive do you recommend?

[vi5]

I need to upgrade the storage size of my external USB hard drive. Right now I have an Acomdata 80gb and I'm going to get a 120gb. The acomdata has given me no problems and has been super easy to use and super fast. But are Maxtor or Western Digital better? Or is it pretty much just a pure crapshoot and you're likely to find good and bad examples of all brands working well or crapping out.

[supernova]

1. I want to know too

I was thinking about getting an external HD. My puter is 5 years old this year and this measly 13G is getting full.

[parasim]

2. LaCie for me

I've got a LaCie 200GB external harddrive and love it. It's Firewire 2 so it's incredibily fast. (it'll also got Firewire 1 jacks.)

http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?id=10123

on edit: I also have an ACOM and a Maxtor as well... still prefer the LaCie.
also, added link

[telamachus]

7. 2nd that

no problems only use mine for a full backup dump though. Seems way fast with 45 gig backups. (OSX)(firewire)

also high quality construction and durability a plus

had problems with Iomega externals

[BlackVelvetElvis]

3. I heard from a tech not to buy Iomega.

Lots of problems.
I just bought a Maxtor 80G. It's still unopened until I can get my USB 2.0 card.

[supernova]

5. IOMEGA is crap

are they still making this zip drives? They had LOTS of problems. So much so that their help line used to say:

"For customer service, press 1"

"For technical support, press 2"

For legal questions regarding IOMEGA, press 3."

:crazy:

[BlackVelvetElvis]

8. Yeah, they are.

I've had lots of problems with Iomega products in the past as well.

[soothsayer]

9. I have a whopping maxtor too, but haven't opened it either...!

not sure why, but I'll get around to it

[lpbk2713]

4. I used to use nothing but Western Digital hard drives.

Now I won't have any part of em. They screwed me on a $30 rebat, said I didn't send in my paperwork before the offer had expired. Funny thing about it is, the post card they mailed me to tell me I didn't qualify was even dated before their expiration date. They may have kept my thirty bucks but I tell this story whenever possible to keep them from getting anyone else's.

[Billy Burnett]

6. Make sure you get one that has multi interfaces

USB 1.0 is so damn slow it is almost useless for real time audio.

Make sure you get one that has multi interfaces - USB 1.0, USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 and 800(IEEE-1394), that way when you eventually get a new computer you won't be tied down with such a slow interface as USB 1.0 is.


I use several LaCie external drives (7200 RPM) with Firewire 400 and 800, as well as USB 2.0 for multitrack audio production. I love them.


You can check them out here,
http://www.lacie.com/

[politicat]

10. LaCie Firewire is what we use.

good size, big HD, small footprint... Fast, too. Reliable.

we have 3 externals, two handbuilt and the lacie. I love the lacie and carry it almost everywhere.

Pcat