Cheap External Drives

Review Seagate FreeAgent Go 250 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive ST902503FGA2E1-RK

2010-04-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

Seagate FreeAgent Go 250 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive ST902503FGA2E1-RK (Silver)

I'm a professional photographer who fills up two portable drives a year (I swap the onsite and offsite copies after each shoot). The Western Digital (WD) Passport portables I've been using, at 320 GB each, are full to the brim with all my 2008 'raw' work. Wanting to preserve the data on them, I went shopping for two more portable drives, and came across the Seagate 500 GB GO models.

You can't really go wrong with either drive (both companies offer a great five-year warranty), but I like the form factor of the Seagates a bit better (they're a fraction of an inch smaller in all dimensions but LOOK even more svelte than they are). Also, an Amazon promotion currently offers a free dock with the Seagate drives, much like an iPod dock -- just slide the device onto the connector and it mounts on your desktop. Handy and elegant. The WD drives don't have this option.

The downside to using the Seagate dock (and this is why I give this setup 4 stars, not 5) is that, for reasons I don't comprehend, it takes up TWO USB ports on your computer. Those have to be powered ports, so you can't use a non-powered USB hub (at least that doesn't work with my one-year-old iMac and my el-cheapo hub -- your mileage may vary). The alternative is buying a powered hub, OR just not using the dock, instead connecting the drive directly to a single USB port on the computer with the supplied cable.

Speaking of USB connections: Apart from the dock, another advantage of the Seagate drive over the WD Passport is that it seems more power-efficient. At least, I can use the Seagate with my aging Powerbook and a single (supplied) cable, no problems. The WD drives, on the other hand, won't mount on my Powerbook's desktop unless I purchase a special three-plug "power booster" USB cable that (again) takes up two of the machine's ports. This may be a small thing, but it's meaningful to me. With the Seagates, I can finally just slide a capacious drive into a shirt pocket or any other available small space, and use the device on the road, nothing else necessary beyond a standard mini-to-regular USB cable (supplied) -- no booster cable, no power supply.

There is also a Mac version of the Seagate drive. I inadvertently purchased the PC version but it makes zero difference, I believe: the thing works fine, no drivers needed. The Mac version contains platform-specific backup software and maybe a couple of other goodies that I don't need or won't miss.

Due to the idiosyncracies of file systems and how bits and bytes are counted in the computer industry, the usable capacity of the 500GB Seagate drive is actually just 465Gb. That 'shortcoming' goes for every drive on the market, though -- no big deal, just something to keep in mind.

The Seagate's speed is fine: on my Mac, it took just under 4 minutes to copy 5 gigs' worth of smallish files. So it's neither a speed demon nor a slowpoke.

One more thing about the dock: It comes with a nice enough black leatherette padded sleeve for the drive. That bonus really should have been packaged with the drive instead of the dock, but I'm not complaining. The Passport drives come without a case or sleeve, and I paid another 30 bucks for two Case Logic soft-side cases at the time. I will continue to use the Case Logic cases for the Seagate GO drives, because the Seagates, outfitted with their own leatherette sleeves, fit snugly inside the Case Logic clamshell design -- double protection and peace of mind.

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Product Description
With its sleek design and huge capacity, the FreeAgent® Go portable storage solution makes it easy to take your photos, music, videos, and documents everywhere. Included, easy-to-use software helps keep your information safe with automatic data backup and encryption of your important files and folders. You can sync content between your work and home computers so you’ll always have your most current versions. And you can take advantage of the world’s first portable drive with a convenient desktop dock accessory. Simply pop your drive into the FreeAgent dock whenever you want to access your files — no more fumbling for cables!
Winner of CNET Editors’ Choice, September 2008 and PC Magazine Editors’ Choice, October 2008.
“The Seagate FreeAgent Go is our favorite portable hard drive to date and takes our award for Editors’ Choice. The drive is well designed and fast, and you won’t find a better value for the price.”

Review Seagate FreeAgent Desk 2 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive ST320005FDA2E1-RK (Silver)

2010-04-14T05:09:00.000-07:00

Seagate FreeAgent Desk 2 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive ST320005FDA2E1-RK (Silver)

Review Seagate FreeAgent Desk 2 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive ST320005FDA2E1-RK (Silver)
I was excited to drive in and place massive quantities of video and audio on my new, shiny, iPod-like designed Seagate drive. I opened the drive on December 23rd and started by backing up all of the data I currently have externally stored. That worked well enough but with fairly slow transfer speeds.

The real kicker is that today, December 27th, after 5 days of using my new drive, it has started to click loudly and I can no longer read the data from the drive. I have tried many different techniques to bring my drive back to life with no luck. Very depressing. I strongly encourage you to not purchase this hard drive despite the relatively low cost and high capacity. I did not drop, kick, or otherwise mistreat my new drive.

On a surprising note, I made the purchase from [...] through Amazon, and when I called them with my issue, they immediately sent a shipping label to my Gmail account and they indicated that I should expect a full refund (including shipping) within the next few days. I will have to wait to see if it is as straightforward and quick as he claimed, but if it is, I could not imagine asking for a more responsive and sympathetic vendor (I believe the specific fellow's name was Ricardo - thanks Ricardo if you're out there).

I don't know if the failure is a one-in-a-million event, but your data is valuable to you and losing it is an expensive and time-consuming proposition. For your own protection, please do not let the low cost and familiar brand name entice you to buy this drive.

Product Description
Seagate FreeAgent Desk 2 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive ST320005FDA2E1-RK (Silver) Store all your photos, music, videos and documents with the powerful yet simple Seagate FreeAgent Desk storage solution.The FreeAgent Desk storage solution includes easy-to-use software that helps keep your information safe and private with automatic backup and encryption of your important files and folders. Environmentally smart utilities help save energy by putting your FreeAgent drive in sleep mode once it has been idle for 15 minutes.Its design is sleek and modern, so you can take advantage of its flexibility to lie on its side or stand upright to maximize your workspace.

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Review Iomega Prestige 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 34275

2010-04-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

Iomega Prestige 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 34275 Amazon offers this unit for less than some big-box stores. Another good reason to buy from Amazon.

Always remember that outfits like iomega, LaCie, Fantom and others are packagers, not hard drive manufacturers. There are only a few hard drive manufacturers and all of them turn out good products. This does not mean that hard drives don't fail - they do and anyone who keeps only one copy of critical data is a fool.

The units I purchased both had current models of Seagate Barracuda drives installed: excellent devices. Right now, the drives themselves from some sources cost only a few dollars less than the iomega unit, so you are getting the external housing for just a few dollars.

The housing has a power switch, very nice at a time when other manufacturers are eliminating such "frills" and a white activity light on the side, which strikes me as a strange place for it. Since the housing has no fan, there is no fan noise. The noise from the drive itself should be imperceptible. (If it isn't, return the unit immediately.)The housing remains cool to the touch in use.

The unit size is nice and a plastic base is included for those who prefer a vertical mounting.

A power supply and USB cable round out the package.

One of the very nice aspects of this unit is that there is no software installed on the drive - nor is any included in the box. Yea! The drive comes NTFS formatted and, for use with an Apple Macintosh, must be reformatted.

Overall, a very nice value.

Product Description

The Iomega Prestige 500GB External Hard Drive is an easy-to-use, affordable, and energy-efficient desktop storage solution. Featuring a stylish and durable aluminum design, plug-and-play functionality, and a secure EMC Retrospect Express software license for easy file backup, the Prestige is the easy way to store your photos, videos, and music, and to protect your important computer files. Plug-and-Play Simplicity and 500 GB Storage Capacity
The Iomega Prestige uses a USB 2.0 interface for fast data transfers with universal compatibility. The USB 2.0 interface allows for plug-and-play simplicity with a data transfer rate of up to 480 Mbps. Additionally, the drive is already preformatted NTFS, so you don't have to waste time formatting to use it.
The Prestige features a drive with 7200 RPM spindle speed and an 8MB or higher cache buffer. This provides performance that results in fast access speeds and low latency.
And with 500GB of storage capacity, the Prestige gives you the ability to store up to 2 million photos, over 9,000 hours of music, or 750 hours of video.
Stylish Aluminum Case
The Prestige has durable aluminum construction with a brushed-metal finish that will stylishly complement your desktop or workstation. An included stand gives you the option of either placing the drive horizontally or vertically.
Not only does the aluminum design look good, it also works to dissipate heat, allowing the drive to run cooler and quieter.
Backup Software Included
A license for EMC's Retrospect Express software is included (software is available via download), allowing for easy file backup that keeps your data safe. Also included is free MozyHome Online Backup, which provides 2GB of online data storage.
Compatible with Macs and PCs
Whether you have a Mac or PC, the Prestige will do the job. The drive requires a PC with Windows Vista, Windows XP Home, Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Professional, and a Pentium II class processor with 256MB RAM and a USB 2.0 connection, or a Mac (PowerPC or Intel) with OS X 10.3 or above with a USB 2.0 port.
The Iomega Prestige 500 GB External Hard Drive is powered by an Energy Star qualified adapter and is backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box
Iomega Desktop Hard Drive, Connection Cable, Power Adapter Cable, Quick Install Guide, HTML User Manual and Help Files, Backup software license included, software via download (PC only).

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Review Toshiba 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Dive HDDR500E04XL (Liquid Blue)

2010-04-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

Toshiba 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Dive HDDR500E04XL (Liquid Blue)
Product Description
Toshiba 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Dive HDDR500E04XL (Liquid Blue) make computer backup simple. Our drives take the complexity out of backing up your computer data by providing easy-to-use backup software for both Windows and Mac users. Powered by USB 2.0, you can take your files just about anywhere. Just one click and you’re on your way to creating a digital safety net to help protect your files. With Toshiba’s Portable External Hard Drives, you’ll enjoy mobile storage space for even the largest digital libraries. Our 500GB1 Drive is capable of storing up to 142,000 digital photos, or 131,000 digital music files, or 410 downloaded digital movies. Toshiba’s Portable External Hard Drives work with both Mac and PC computers and include software that makes backing up your computer simple. Note: The part number (P/N) that appears on the packaging is used to identify all the items in the box, including the hard drive (which has its own distinct model number), color, software, cable, user guide, etc. This number is used for ordering purposes. The model number that appears on the bottom of the hard drive is used to register the device with regulatory agencies (UL, FCC, etc) and identifies a specific mechanical and electrical design.

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Toshiba 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Dive HDDR500E04XL (Liquid Blue) Free Standard Shipping (3-5 days) from Amazon.com

Review Toshiba 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Dive HDDR500E04XL (Liquid Blue)
Today is Sunday.I bought this unit for backing up data and not just to store data.Please leave a message.Some comments: >I don't know what's up with this unit.Because they're concerned first and foremost with profit and do not want to spend the money on it.
Call backs were okay back in 1964, before cell phones came out and everyone had a land line hooked up to their living room.Or maybe you're at your local park playing in a softball game rounding third base and heading towards home plate when the Toshiba technician gets around to calling you back.I've been backing up data as best as I know how but when I go into MY COMPUTER my data isn't there on the F:drive.Now when a tech calls back you could be in the water paddling a kayak miles away from your external hard drive that's waiting to be repaired back at your residence.There's a sharp conflict of opinion there.There is no troubleshooting guide.Even worse, they don't have remote access.I've owned the HDDR500 for about a day now and a half now.The uninstallers deem Toshiba's software worthless.And that's the only reason.I'm using the stock Toshiba software and at this point the software is 100% dysfunctional.But the fact is many people reviewing this product here at Amazon and at Newegg state that the stock software is, for whatever reason, totally useless.Believe it.Nothing gets fixed, time is wasted.It's ridiculous for a manufacturer not to have a section dedicated to troubleshooting.I can't figure out why.Customers who have experience using it rave about it.Heck, even a little outfit like iYogi.Toshiba, Apple, Acer, Western Digital, Lenovo, Hitachi, have all decided that they would not provide their techs and customer base with remote access.Remote access will cut a 30 or 40 minute troubleshooting session on the phone down to 10 or 15 minutes.Those of us who have a ton of experience dealing with customer support teams know darn well that they don't always call back when they say they will.Remote access is a fantastic tool for troubleshooting problems.All techs love remote access.Direct contact like you get with other companies is the only way to go when you're trying to resolve a technical problem.Talk about time goin' down the drain.Sounds great.So the 3-year warranty is very, very nice and Toshiba should be applauded for that.Not so with their EHD department.Wouldn't the process of copying and pasting modified documents into an external hard drive 365 days a year be a great time waster?They contract their external hard drive support work out to a separate company in Northern California.And not helpful.If on Monday I can't get the software on this thing to run right I'm gonna take it back to the store and get my money back (I'll add that the idea of troubleshooting an issue of this magnitude with a Toshiba technician on the phone without the aid of remote access gives me a major headache.RA is to a technician what a stethoscope or an x-ray machine is to a doctor.Like HP and Dell, Toshiba's tech support division for their laptops are open around the clock 365 days a year.

Call backs are no good, period.Sometimes they don't call back and then you're screwed as an issue that's very important to you and your back up strategy plan runs the chance of being unresolved until god knows when.The Toshiba F:drive is there, but the data isn't.In addition to being a fast 5,400RPM drive, this Toshiba includes some valuable features: Backup software that backs up system files in addition to regular files and folders (great for system recovery!Why-oh-why is anyones guess.Some of the reviewers at Amazon and Newegg are uninstalling what others call a perfectly fine backup software program.I make changes to documents and files on a daily basis 365 days a year.And that's when it's "it sucks to be you" time.And I can't figure out how to make them go away.Not sure if that's because the software is junk like others have stated, or because I'm a n00b, or a little of both.For the last day and a half I keep getting redundant error messages that say things like BACKUPS DID NOT RUN or COMPLETED WITH ERRORS or ONE OR MORE JOBS DID NOT RUN over and over again.The dynamic has changed thanks to cell phones.A tech support team who subjects the customer to a call back situation is a worthless tech support team and that's exactly what Toshiba's EHD department sometimes forces their customer into doing.Password-protect your data through encryption.

The manual that comes with the unit has no usable information and I'm not exaggerating about that.The 3-year warranty is a huge plus and Toshiba gets 10 big points for that because all EHD's (external hard drives) in general are notorious for failing/crashing/dying in the first year of use.One last thing: sometimes while on hold waiting to speak to a Toshiba EHD technician you'll hear a message that says something like "There are no technicians available at this time.But the customer support on this unit is extremely weak to the point of being irresponsible.Or maybe you're pushing a shopping cart through a grocery store.Dell, HP, and Seagate have remote access.And they're not open on weekends.I will never buy a computer from a manufacturer who doesn't include remote access in their service plan.A good automatic virtual 'one-touch button' backup software program saves time and would be wonderful if you could rely on it

Review Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive

2010-04-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive WDBAAU0015HBK-NESN

Product Description

Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive WDBAAU0015HBK-NESN is the right answer for simple, reliable add-on storage. Simply plug it in to a USB port and start saving your photos, music, video, and files. Designed with the same commitment to quality that made WD external drives the number one drives in the world, Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive WDBAAU0015HBK-NESN are the right answer for simply affordable add-on storage. Just plug it in to a USB port and start saving your photos, music, video, and files. Kit contains; USB 2.0 external hard drive, USB cable, AC adapter, Quick Install Guide

Key Features

WD quality inside and out - Designed with the same commitment to quality that made WD external drives the number one selling drives in the world.

Plug-and-play simplicity - Just connect the power and plug it into a USB port to instantly add more storage to your computer.

Designed to save power - Turns on and off with your computer. Enters idle mode when not in use. Utilizes a WD drive with power-saving WD GreenPower Technology™ and an EnergyStar compliant power supply.

Earth-friendly packaging - Packaged in a minimized eco-friendly, recyclable packaging made from recycled materials.

Preformatted for PCs - Designed for use with Windows-based computers. Can be easily reformatted for use with Macs.

Review by Sree V. Remella

Its not too heavy either.I work for Computing support at Arizona State University, and I have enough technical knowledge to be certified as a TECH JUNKIE :).After I did the first setup, I copied 383GB of data (931GB was total space).

It took about 4hr 47min, speed varied among 20MBps to 37MBps.It is dead silent, I had to touch it to persuade myself that it was running, when I first turned it on.I was looking for a simple external hard drive without any backup software included, I am smart enough to do manual incremental backups with file tree structure intact (I use GOODSYNC to backup, its very simple and easy to use and free).Coming to the WD Elements 1TB: It's much smaller than I expected.I did not go with other WD models because they annoyed Backups Software.I am a photographer too, so I have tons of Photos (about 160GB), Videos, Software, Movies and Documentaries.This is pretty good speed for USB It was just a bit warm (my old segate hard drive would be very very hot for this number of data transfer).

I would recommend it to beginners or pros alike.The indicator lights is placed at the rear, which is a very good thing (I find these LED's annoying, especially at night).I am very happy with this purchase!I have looked at many many external HDDs and narrowed down to two models "Samsung Story 1TB - very good one too" and this one (I wanted it to be cheap too