[jaquarat]

would like to stay around the $200 mark - don't need a whole lot of space, but would like something reasonably nice:

reliable
fast
quiet
fw800 - do i need it? how much faster than fw400 for real world aps?

intuitive and easy to use (and ok, nice to look at!)

i've done a little research, and ezquest seems to have some good reviews. their "pro audio" models look decent.

anyone have any suggestions?

thanks!

[buzzkill]

If you have FW800 ports, that's the way to go, even if you don't currently have FW800, you will eventually and FW800 drives works with FW400 ports. Look at G-Drive from G-Technology. Hitachi and Seagate mechanisms are the best for editing and demanding use.