NT GEEKS: School me on External Hard Drives

[acosta2]

Alright so it looks like my measly 60GB HD on my desktop computer is reaching the limit (thanks MU & RS!). I want something simple and easy to plug in andtransfer my music/video files to and save to in the future.

My main concern is simplicity. I don't want something over complicated that requires me to upgrade anything on my computer. I only use it to surf the net,type school papers and update my iPod. For all that, it works just dandy! I just need something to store files on.

If I go with an external HD, I'll be able to unplug it, take it to a friends house, copy files from their computers to it, and it'll be fine,right??

You help and insight is highly appreciated!!

 

[xxxnillionairexxx]

I got a Seagate FreeAgent 500 GB external hard drive and it's been workin good for me so far...knock on wood (nh).

 

[militaryiv]

visit slickdeals.net, they usually have good deals

500gb external for $80...good kind too...
http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/126...dition-2-0-External-Hard-Drive-80-after-40MIR

 

[trelvis tha thrilla]

I have a Seagate, works great.

 

[kevenmayne]

Originally Posted by acosta2

Alright so it looks like my measly 60GB HD on my desktop computer is reaching the limit (thanks MU & RS!). I want something simple and easy to plug in and transfer my music/video files to and save to in the future.

My main concern is simplicity. I don't want something over complicated that requires me to upgrade anything on my computer. I only use it to surf the net, type school papers and update my iPod. For all that, it works just dandy! I just need something to store files on.

If I go with an external HD, I'll be able to unplug it, take it to a friends house, copy files from their computers to it, and it'll be fine, right??

You help and insight is highly appreciated!!

dam dude your going to your friends house with 60 gigs of porn

 

[mr monday niight]

internal is better..but since you wanna take it to your friends house..external is fine..one question..is your computer new or old? if its old understand thatusb is much slower than ide and transfer times will be longer..if you have a fairly new computer..i'd suggest buying a sata pci card(5-10) dollars..sata isEXTREMELY faster than usb

 

[rap sizzle]

most external hard drives are plus and play...meaning that you don't have to install any programs

 

[mr monday niight]

Originally Posted by MilitaryIV

visit slickdeals.net, they usually have good deals

500gb external for $80...good kind too...
http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/126...dition-2-0-External-Hard-Drive-80-after-40MIR

Trash..no fans in the case

 

[much respected]

Damn them MyBooks keep on dropping in price. I have a "Buffalo MiniStation" as my portable one and a MyBook as my backup that I leave at home.

 

[jbug88]

i just bought a 250 gb WD the other day. no complaints so far. i got it for $80 out the door (on sale, 12% off and gift cards, and a $5 off coupon so it reallycost me nothing)
I had the cats at bestbuy cracking up. i was at the register and my boy called on my cell, i answered and told him i was at bestbuy buying an external harddrive because i ran out of room on my comp for all the porn. i had some fat, smelly lady give me a stone face, but the employees were cracking up.

-J-

 

[acosta2]

Originally Posted by KeVeNMaYnE

dam dude your going to your friends house with 60 gigs of porn

I knew that would come up eventually. Nah, no porn on this guy.Unless you consider the Kim K. and Pamela A. vids porn.

What do fans in the case do? By plug and play, do you mean I can just attach it to a USB port like a jump drive and drag & drop files?? I've been doingthat with a 4GB one and it works just fine. Only problem is my other friend gots about 20GB of music I want, and using the jump drive for that is a hassle.

Other question, why do some require a power source and some don't?

BTW, my computer is about 3 years old. I'm just trying to keep this as un-technical as possible, which is why I just want something simple and effective.Transfer speed is not that big of a deal to me.

 

[ady2glude707]

Just bought a seagate 500gb for only 96 shipped. U need to get a portable portable external HD though from what you say

 

[mr monday niight]

Originally Posted by acosta2

Originally Posted by KeVeNMaYnE

dam dude your going to your friends house with 60 gigs of porn

I knew that would come up eventually. Nah, no porn on this guy. Unless you consider the Kim K. and Pamela A. vids porn.

What do fans in the case do? By plug and play, do you mean I can just attach it to a USB port like a jump drive and drag & drop files?? I've been doing that with a 4GB one and it works just fine. Only problem is my other friend gots about 20GB of music I want, and using the jump drive for that is a hassle.

Other question, why do some require a power source and some don't?

BTW, my computer is about 3 years old. I'm just trying to keep this as un-technical as possible, which is why I just want something simple and effective. Transfer speed is not that big of a deal to me.

Fans in the case keep the hd cool..hot hd=crash..you don't want that..i think they all need a power source..and yes u jus connect them via usb

 

[acosta2]

^Thanks for the info. Gotta start searching craigslist now.

 

[limitedretroog]

While we're on the subject of hard drives, is there anyway to get an INTERNAL hard drive???

 

[bastitch]

Originally Posted by LimitedRetroOG

While we're on the subject of hard drives, is there anyway to get an INTERNAL hard drive???

Yup.

Buy and external hard drive and pop open the case.

Fact is, most of the time it's cheaper to buy an internal drive and buy the enclosure.

Fry's has a 1TB SATA drive for 180 right now.. Add a 50 dollar enclosure and boom, 1 TB for 230 bucks.

And you might even have eSATA options if you have an eSATA port.

 

[mr monday niight]

Originally Posted by Bastitch

Originally Posted by LimitedRetroOG

While we're on the subject of hard drives, is there anyway to get an INTERNAL hard drive???

Yup.

Buy and external hard drive and pop open the case.

Fact is, most of the time it's cheaper to buy an internal drive and buy the enclosure.

Fry's has a 1TB SATA drive for 180 right now.. Add a 50 dollar enclosure and boom, 1 TB for 230 bucks.

And you might even have eSATA options if you have an eSATA port.

That's sata though..most people probably don't have sata..but i think the op can buy a pci sata controller if his motherboard can support it anddo that..

 

[bastitch]

There are SATA enclosures with USB 2.0, no?

 

[buggz31]

Get the smaller firewire ones that plug right in and feed off the laptops computer, it saves the hassle of plugging the hard drive into the wall outlet first (I know it's a small thing, but after getting use to plugging my 80 gig external right in and getting to business, plugging my 500 gb into the wall AND THENhaving to wait for the computer to turn on AND THEN turning on the hard drive gets annoying)

 

[infamousod]

*looks at sig*

hard drives are the least of your problems kid, get a clue

 

[mr monday niight]

Originally Posted by Bastitch

There are SATA enclosures with USB 2.0, no?

yeah thats true..

 

[crcballer55]

forget craigslist for hard drives and go straight to slick deals. you'll get deals for brand new hard drives that have never been uses & have no wear& tear on them. With any portable product such as an external HD or laptop, you don't know how the previous owner treated it.