Hey, computer geeks, Lacie HD a solid buy?

[That was Pontus]

Own (3 years old?) Macbook Pro, figure it's about time to back shit up. *Gasp* I know, it's a laptop and I should have been doing this all along.

So, this LaCie 500GB Rugged Mobile Hard Disk (http://www.vistek.ca/store/StorageDevices/244753/lacie-500gb-rugged-mobile-hard-disk-firewire-800400-usb-20-7200rp.aspx) is coming on sale next week. Solid buy or should I be looking elsewhere?

Pretty much going to be used to store media I don't want clogging up my laptop. Nothing super important. Though I will also probably backup important documents and photos as well. I already do this with a couple of flash drives, but I like redundancy for redundancies sake.

I like the the FireWire 800. I know it won't hit 88mph, but it's got to be better than USB shitpointoh. I don't believe I've got eSATA unless I'm retarded, and this thing is to old for USB 3.0 so I'm thinking FW800 is my best bet.

So... pretty much tell me why I shouldn't buy it and why what I should buy is much better. And do I have to worry about unboxing it, plugging it in and finding out it was used to stash some crazy ass Japanese porn, CIA hitlists or any of that tinfoil hat shit? I like my life uncomplicated so those sorta things would be a bit of a downer.

[iscariot]

I'd say no. I've had 3 LaCie HD's and they've all failed within a year of purchase.


Western Digital is the way to go.
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/index.asp?cat=5

Depending on the price-point and speed you want...

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=884

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=740

[LightRanger]

I picked up a 500GB Western Digital drive from Fry's a couple weeks back for $60. One of the portable-sized guys. Happy with it so far.

I'll probably never buy Seagate after the OEM Seagate drive in my old Macbook shit the bed and fucked me over. Girlfriend at the time actually worked there and had me a new drive that evening, but their own engineers couldn't recover my shit. :rolleyes:

[himavan]

I'm a total jong when it comes to this stuff, but all the film makers I know stay far away from Lacie drives. Check out g-tech (though it may be too pricey).

[Skipig25]

I've had the same one for a few years, and it's still working fine

[That was Pontus]

I'm a total jong when it comes to this stuff, but all the film makers I know stay far away from Lacie drives. Check out g-tech (though it may be too pricey).

I've been eyeballing those as well. Just saw a flier for the Lacie though, coming on sale next week + FireWire 800 = want.

[LeeLau]

I took a chance on a Lacie despite their horrendous track record for reliability because it was cheap. It'd dead within the year. Don't do it

[crackboy]

i put a WD scorpio blue in my Macbook. its good, relatively quiet etc. i would hold out for a WD scopio, either blue or black or a Hitachi (which i think is standard) following those, the Seagate

here
use this promo code and get 10% off at Newegg on any hard drive

EMCZYNZ73

[wren]

I have a WD Elements 750GB portable ( This one) and it is awesome. No it's not as fast as FW800, but it's pretty good. The bonus is it is very small (fits in the palm of your hand) and cheap. The 1TB model is even pretty affordable now (I paid $95 for my 750 8 months ago or so). I'm considering picking up another because I've almost filled my current one up with media. Consider a powered one (Like this) if it is only for backup and you don't need to take it around with you.

[grskier]

OWC (Other World Computing) is the shizzle, buy it! Have a 500 Gig and a 1 Ter and couldn't be happier with them and their customer service after I fried a unit (just the power board).

[systemoverblow'd]

You are playing with fire man. My macbook pro harddrive just shit the bed last weekend and its only 2 years old. Back that shit up, for reals.

Don't touch the Lacie drives. The WD external drives have "green" drives inside them and run at a variable speed but tend to hover around 5400 RPM. They tend to go to sleep as a power saving function and can be a real annoyance.

Buy this (http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/MEAQ7500GB16/). Same size as the lacie, has FW800, FW400, USB2 and eSata connectivity. It cots much less than the Lacie and it is powered unlike the Lacie. Also, Other World Computing stands by their product and has great customer service.

Annndd, I'm a couple minutes too late as usual.

[crackboy]

ah just realised you wanted an external.

i have a wd passport that i have been super happy with. actually on my second one after i filled up the first

[bklyn]

Mine is dead as a doornail. Want a paperweight? Free. I'll pay shipping.

[wendigo]

Don't do it, I have a dead one as well.

[AlpenChronicHabitual]

OWC (Other World Computing) is the shizzle, buy it! Have a 500 Gig and a 1 Ter and couldn't be happier with them and their customer service after I fried a unit (just the power board).

^^^^
2nd this.

Also, I have had very good luck with Hitachi hard drives and Oyen digital enclosures.

Lacie is the suck.
Overpriced and unreliable.

[Gunder]

^^^^
2nd this.

Also, I have had very good luck with Hitachi hard drives and Oyen digital enclosures.

Lacie is the suck.
Overpriced and unreliable.

3rd.
Lacie sucks. OWC is cheaper and way better and when the drive shits the bed you just replace it.... not the whole enclosure like you do with lacie.

[nickwm21]

As others have said WD is the way to go. I have a 5 year old 250gig that still works perfectly, just slower than the new guys. They have smalled drives that are USB powered. Perfect for laptops.

The whole buy and enclosure and a drive thing is kinda stupid. You dont save that much money... unless you already have one or the other. Also, its two devices, either could die and it would be a hassle finding out which one it is.

[That was Pontus]

I went ahead and bought the Lacie, so suck it.



















:fm: Thanks for the link to OWC. Any reason I couldn't opt for either one of these though? Other than cost and having to buy a power adapter, any downsides? Any reason to go with a 5400rpm drive?

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/MS8U7500GB16/

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/MEQM7500GB16/

You guys rock btw, thanks for the help.

[RShea]

First off Lacie only basically buys someones hard drive and sticks it in their enclosure. You are getting an OEM drive that is warrantied by Lacie. They design the enclosures and market them with an Apple centric customer base (they started in SCSI drives that the early Mac products used). OEM drives can't be sent back to the company that manufactured them since they are sold without the full warranty that purchasing from the major manufacturers.

You can also just go purchase a hard drive enclosure and your own hard drive with the longer warranty from the actual drive manufacturers like Western Digitial, Seagate, and Hitachi and put it in the enclosure. Acomdata, Startech, Macally, Bytecc all are some brands that sell the enclosures with Firewire as well as USB.

One advantage of this strategy is if the enclosure goes bad but the drive still works then you do not risk any warranty issues by trying to pull the hard drive out of the box and getting your drive put in another enclosure. With some of the sealed units that are sold out there with sealed and can't be opened.

[lemmycaution]

rshea is right. i have had problems with western digital drives and seagates as much as anything else- i mostly have lacie's now. they all have problems equally in my experience. none of them are bulletproof. back it up regularly.

[stuckathuntermtn]

i believe eSATA > FW800
Western Digital always has great portable options, but don't pay extra for the shitty trial versions of software they might come with (there are different price points and the only difference is software, I believe). Nuke whatever crap it comes with, with a nice format.

whoops, there aren't too many portable eSatas. I think you'd still need usb or firewire for power.

EDIT again: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007601%20600003465%20600003490&IsNodeId=1&name=2.5%22

[RShea]

eSata is the fastest transfer out there. USB 3.0 is newer and fast also But most computers need a card in them to support either one. There are cheap eSata cards for desktops (based on Silicon Image chipsets mostly) but not as many for the portable or laptop market. Also most eSata enclosures need to have a power supply so carrying that around is not as easy as USB which can power the 2.5 inch laptop drives right off the port with no other brick to lug around.

[stuckathuntermtn]

He said he had eSata, and sometimes you can use usb for the 5v power.

[That was Pontus]

I don't have eSATA. USB 2.0, FireWire 400/800 are it.

[RShea]

He said he had eSata, and sometimes you can use usb for the 5v power.

You had better go back and take a reading comprehension class....




I like the the FireWire 800. I know it won't hit 88mph, but it's got to be better than USB shitpointoh. I don't believe I've got eSATA unless I'm retarded, and this thing is to old for USB 3.0 so I'm thinking FW800 is my best bet.



and for emphasis 3 years ago eSATA pretty much did not exist for laptops, heck it is hard to find an eSATA port today as I stated......but you can correct me since I know very little about Apple Macs...

[That was Pontus]

Awesome, thanks for your help guys. Probably gonna opt for this...

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Seagate/DIYST95007F8/

That way I can still get the full warranty on the drive itself and FireWire 800 in a portable drive.

[RShea]

If you do not need the backup software, may be able to save some money buying the enclosure and the same drive separately - unless you really need the tool kit they include. Otherwise looks like it should fit the requirements.

[Mustonen]

Why are you so stuck on the FireWire? Sure, it's a little faster than USB, but it doesn't sound like you really need the speed. It also doesn't sound like you really need the portability of that lacie.

From what you've said, it doesn't seem that you're really looking for redundant backup, either. Just a place to put your media.

What I'm saying is, it doesn't sound like you've got a great handle on what you're trying to accomplish and why. I just picked up a 2tb WD external for much less than that lacie, and a little bit less than that Seagate. Everybody is steering you away from the lacie, and I haven't seen any endorsements for Seagate (the opposite), but you're still stuck on them. Why?

ps. Are you planning on using Time Machine? If so, I don't think you'll be too interested in the software, even it if it is Mac compatible.

ps2. Depending on what year/model it is, you might have an expresscard slot on that MBP. If you really do care about speed, you might be able to get an eSATA expresscard and plug an eSATA drive into it.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Thanks RShea, I should no better than to correct you. I'm losing it. I have no motivation and a ton of hw due tomorrow. Let alone not reading. idk what's wrong with me. whatever.

[That was Pontus]

I do need the portability, FireWire would be really nice and I if did in fact have a drive, I would back up my important shit onto it regardless if it's main use would be to store media. I don't honestly need the software or the tools (or a 2TB drive....), but given the price of the drive and enclosure separately here in Canada or elsewhere, this seems like the best deal. Unless someone can do some serious googling and find something I missed.

[systemoverblow'd]

Awesome, thanks for your help guys. Probably gonna opt for this...

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Seagate/DIYST95007F8/

That way I can still get the full warranty on the drive itself and FireWire 800 in a portable drive.

I personally wouldn't get a 2.5" drive as a media drive. Specially a "green" one.

[That was Pontus]

Thanks guys, not going the OWC route, found a portable enclosure with FW800 available here in Canada...

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817347028

Going to put in a WD Scorpio Black...

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136692

Unless anyone has some objections and solutions. Cheers, thanks for the help!

[That was Pontus]

Update: HD and enclosure showed up today. Took one, stuck it in the other. Plugged it in, formatted the thing, backed up my important shit and transferred my media over. Fast. Easy. Awesome. Thanks for the help folks.