Topic: Good 2TB HDD (firewire/Mac)

[acidjack]

It looks like I have managed to fill up a 500GB hard drive in less than a year, so I think it's time to get smart and go for a 2TB version.  I have been looking on Amazon for the right thing, but honestly, I know little about HDD brands.  I would prefer one that uses Firewire 800, mostly because I have a MacBook Pro and there isn't any other real use for that connector, and thus it would free up one of the USBs. 

This Western Digital one is both a little pricey and big: http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Book-Studio-WDH2Q20000N/dp/B0016P7H3Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1254411647&sr=8-2

or this thinner Western Digital one, also a little cheaper: http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Book-Studio-WDH2Q20000N/dp/B0016P7H3Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1254411647&sr=8-2

Are there others I should be looking at?  If I could get one 1TB drive for like $120, maybe I'd just do that...

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It looks like I have managed to fill up a 500GB hard drive in less than a year, so I think it's time to get smart and go for a 2TB version.  I have been looking on Amazon for the right thing, but honestly, I know little about HDD brands.  I would prefer one that uses Firewire 800, mostly because I have a MacBook Pro and there isn't any other real use for that connector, and thus it would free up one of the USBs. 

This Western Digital one is both a little pricey and big: http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Book-Studio-WDH2Q20000N/dp/B0016P7H3Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1254411647&sr=8-2

or this thinner Western Digital one, also a little cheaper: http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Book-Studio-WDH2Q20000N/dp/B0016P7H3Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1254411647&sr=8-2

Are there others I should be looking at?  If I could get one 1TB drive for like $120, maybe I'd just do that...

I recomend you get a bunch of smaller drives instead of 1 big one. Then you have two options: You can do offsite backups in the event a drive dies, or you could prevent all 2TB from going down the tubes if a single drive dies. I went for a handful of 500gb. Just food for thought.

[Brian Skalinder]

The wider WD MyBook is just 2 x 1TB HDDs.  You used the same link for the thinner one, but I'm guessing it's probably 1 x 2TB HDD.

I'm not familiar with either model you mention, though I'm quite happy with my WD MyBook 1TB for off-site storage.

If you haven't already, now would be a good time to consider your overall continuity plans, i.e. redundancy and backup.  For example, if you only have your data on a single external HDD...how will you feel when (not if) the entire HDD dies?  Will it be okay to lose all your data forever?  Will you have a mirrored HDD as a backup, so you still have easy access to all the data?  Will you have made diligent optical backups (like DVDs) for access to all the data, albeit with more of a PITA?  Will you have an offsite backup in case of a catastrophic event at home that wipes out all your data on all your on-site HDDs?

[H₂O]

You may want to look at NewEgg and read customer reviews:
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010150414%20131021336%201310221299&name=2TB
 
Unfotunately all the FW ones there are 2x1TB drives

[OFOTD]

Yet another hard drive thread that will turn towards this backup plan or that backup plan.  To RAID or not to RAID.  blah blah blah



acidjack - Currently the best price point for hard drives are the 1.5TB drives at about $0.08/GB.   Remember that these are bare drives and need an external case.   

Here is a good drive with alot of positive current feedback for $120:   http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136351
Add an external enclosure with 1394b for $30 - $60 depending on vendor and you're well under $200.

If you want a drive already in an enclosure here is an iomega 1.5TB drive with 1394b for $180:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822186166 

[George2]

Don't buy the WD MyBook or whatever they are. They go to sleep on you, causing some programs to crash.

Look here for one with Oxford Chipset:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/eSATA_FW800_FW400_USB

Don't get the biggest. Get a couple of 500GB.
Don't cheap out.. you will regret it later!

[acidjack]

Thank you - that seems like that (or maybe just a 1TB) could be a good compromise.

And, FWIW, my backup plan is something like this:

1. I seed a lot my stuff publicly.  So my masters, generally, could be re-obtained if they had to be. 

2. Trying to be more diligent with DVDs.

3. Plan was to take this new, bigger drive, copy the old drive onto it, delete crap off the old drive I don't really need (stuff from DIME and other sites, whatever), then use the old one as a backup...

Offsite... I have an FTP, so I suppose I should start upping more of my stuff to that...

Yet another hard drive thread that will turn towards this backup plan or that backup plan.  To RAID or not to RAID.  blah blah blah



acidjack - Currently the best price point for hard drives are the 1.5TB drives at about $0.08/GB.   Remember that these are bare drives and need an external case.   

Here is a good drive with alot of positive current feedback for $120:   http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136351
Add an external enclosure with 1394b for $30 - $60 depending on vendor and you're well under $200.

If you want a drive already in an enclosure here is an iomega 1.5TB drive with 1394b for $180:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822186166

[greenone]

Keep an eye here for HD deals:
http://dealmac.com/categories/Computer/Storage/51.html

I've seen 1TB Drives in enclosures for right around $100; most are Fantoms (which don't have a great reputation) but I've seen some of the Hitachi SimpleDrives around that price point as well, though not recently.

[OFOTD]

Keep an eye here for HD deals:
http://dealmac.com/categories/Computer/Storage/51.html

I've seen 1TB Drives in enclosures for right around $100; most are Fantoms (which don't have a great reputation) but I've seen some of the Hitachi SimpleDrives around that price point as well, though not recently.

Good suggestion but very few of the drives that come up on deal sites have 1394b.  most are either USB2 or FW400 (1394a)