I'm looking to get one of these for data backup.

Most of them offer USB2/1.1 and Firewire connectivity. I'm looking at the 7600RPM models. 160+GB Anything else to look for?

Ebay has a bunch of them (new in box) for around $130-150 USD.

Any one have one they really like or dislike?

I know the also offer enclosures for standard drives that turn them into external drive but the "roll your own" costs seem to be just as much if not more than the "out of the box" solutions.

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Sean Dotson, PE
RND Automation & Engineering
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What are you going to use it for Sean? Live data or backup?
If backup reasons - I would go for a slower RPM due to noise issues.
I have 2 Firewire boxes - one is a Buslink and the other is a shell that I installed a spare drive into. The Buslink has a transformer like a notebook does while the generic shell has 120V AC pluged directly into the box. I prefer the Buslink style since the cable is more flexible which allows easier placement of the drive.

Currently I have both of them on the floor in a mass of cables and dust bunnies. Both just keep storing data w/o a problem.

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Ron
http://www.arken.net Engineering and Design
http://www.arkenstudios.com Professional Photography

Ron,

Do you R/W from them on active projects?

How do they affect IV's Project Files?(or is that the other way around)

Do/can they retain the drive letter designation properly?

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QBZ

A bit of both probably...It will end up on the floor under the desk as well so noise isn't a big issue. The desktop will surely be louder than the drive.

I've shyed away from Buslink due to a large amount of bad reviews I've read. Seems like it has held up OK for you however.

Quinn, I read/write to my USB2 keychain drive with IV all the time. It's slightly slower than the HD but not really noticeable. People use USB2 and Firewire for real time video editing so I'd think working off it for IV would be fine.

When I plug in my keychain USB drive it always get the same drive letter.

Thanks for the info Ron...

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Sean Dotson, PE
RND Automation & Engineering
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I use my FireWire drives only for backup and storage of archived files.

Yes, they tend to retain the drive letter designation. I can unplug them - reboot - do anything and then when I plug them back in they come up as the same letter.

My Buslink had a problem and I convinced them to just send me a new board so I could replace it myself. That was a while ago and has been running problem free for a couple years now.

_________________
Ron
http://www.arken.net Engineering and Design
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I have an ancient external drive. only 3GB and using a parallel port and a plug into the keyboard or mouse wire for power.
the thing is getting a bit small, but it wont break, so I cant justify buying a new one yet.
one thing though it uses a laptop h/d which is much more robust than a standard h/d if you are going to take the thing home.

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Frans X LIebenberg
Structural Engineer
Cape Town, South Africa

I also have a 3rd Firewire drive which I don't really use. It's a small 3 or 4 GB 2.5" drive from my daughter's Notebook. It IS handy for throwing in your pocket and taking it with you.

There are many 3.5" drives which also park the heads off the disk like the notebook drives do. I know of one Maxtor single disk/single head drive that does this. don't know the model # or capacity though. It's currently in pieces on my desk. <g>

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Ron
http://www.arken.net Engineering and Design
http://www.arkenstudios.com Professional Photography

I assume you've seen the new IBM laptop commerical. If the laptop sense a radical change in acceleration (like it's in freefall) it parks the head to avoid damaging the disk.

Pretty neat...

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Sean Dotson, PE
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this may be a rumour, but my friend who does network admin and hardware, told me the way a lap is tested is as follows.
put it on the boot of a well polished car. let the car's driver floor the gas pedal. laptop drops to road and if survives is ok.LOL

In Bangladesh there were so many potholes, that you can drive at about 50km/hr(30mph) on some roads. I sat with my laptop case on the seat beside me (with the disc drive vertical) and hung on to it for the whole trip.I was in Tangail district(100km from the capital Dhaka) Getting a laptop fixed would have taken about 1 month.

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Frans X LIebenberg
Structural Engineer
Cape Town, South Africa

Many laptop drives have this also - not just IBM.
The issue is... how many times do you drop your notebook.
Next - how many of those times is the hard drive actually running?
Of those times - how many times are the heads actually reading and writing?

Normally a notebook will park the heads if there isn't activity for an period of time.

Frans - yes - that's rumor. Things are tested in a controlled environment - on shaker tables and controlled drop testing in controlled attitudes.

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Ron
http://www.arken.net Engineering and Design
http://www.arkenstudios.com Professional Photography

I use a couple of Iomega 120GB firewire drives for extra redundant backup. I switch them out once a week, keeping one off site (at home). Not a single problem to report in more than a year of 24/7 use.

I'm also using a 120GB Lacie firewire drive for live design data (mostly Inventor). Just a quick daily sync, and I have a copy of the whole engineering server to take home. Again, no problems with daily use.

The only beef I have with the Iomegas is the interface cable. The drive side has a proprietary connector (looks a bit like those mini scsi plugs.)

The Lacie drives are a little bigger (physically), and in a more rugged aluminum housing. They use a standard firewire cable.

HTH

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George Radcliffe

Sean, don't know what capacity you're looking for but if you want small, I found this while looking at other things for my new camera:
http://store.yahoo.com/insidecomputer/4042alpousb2.html

40GB in a slim package - includes a leather pouch.

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Ron
http://www.arken.net Engineering and Design
http://www.arkenstudios.com Professional Photography

I'm looking more for 140GB than 4GB Ron but thanks anyway. On Ebay the 120-140GB drives are going for $120-180 so this one is also a bit steep in comparison.

I keep getting outbid by a few dollars. Time ot just plunk down the wad and win one of these things..



I've heard good things about Lacie as well...

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Sean Dotson, PE
RND Automation & Engineering
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I'm sure you know this but...

Lacie doesn't MAKE drives - they PACKAGE them - just like Buslink and the ones you see on ebay.

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Ron
http://www.arken.net Engineering and Design
http://www.arkenstudios.com Professional Photography

Yep.

I just peeked inside one of them and there's a Western Digital drive in there.

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George Radcliffe