[MacBook]

I want a super quiet external hard drive. Preferably, it would have no fan -- such as the Fanton Titaniums -- and also the hard drive would spin down when not in use. I ordered a LaCie Porsche 160GB but read on a board that the disk spins constantly (and according to the writer, LaCie said it is designed that way). Is the Fantom better in this way? Or something else?

[SSharon]

I have two firewire cases and niether has a fan in it and they don't get very hot unless I transfer 40gb or so at once. That said buy an enclosure with no fan, I have one thats aluminum and one thats plastic, and then find a quiet hard drive to go with it.

[Dr.Michael]

Originally posted by SSharon:
I have two firewire cases and niether has a fan in it and they don't get very hot unless I transfer 40gb or so at once. That said buy an enclosure with no fan, I have one thats aluminum and one thats plastic, and then find a quiet hard drive to go with it.

Quite and cheap are samsung spinpoint. I have a 160GB that is very quiet.
Only my external box (Sarotech Hardbox) has a fan is is too loud.

So I recommend samsung hds. no recommendation for Sarotech boxes.

[Randman]

I have a Sarotech, which can make a little noise, and Western Digital that is very, very quiet.

[MacBook]

I ordered the Fantom Titanium 160GB drive and it came yesterday. I installed it last night and it runs very very quietly.

The disk does spin constantly, though, and I am wondering if there is any way to power down an external firewire disk without ejecting it from the desktop.

[Brian McHale]

I have a Lacie D2 enclosure. It's very quiet. There's no fan, and I'm pretty sure it spins down when not in use.