[adamjh]

I'm looking for an external hard drive, any recommendations??

Here's what I want:

• Quiet! (Since it will be housing my iTunes library and often running while music is playing)
• 250 Gigs
• Firewire preferred
• Reliable (Obvious), something I can run every day for a few hours
• Doesn't get too hot

Thanks!

[outsourced]

The Acomdata E5 series. Very nice! Very quiet.

[ogun]

Originally Posted by adamjh

I'm looking for an external hard drive, any recommendations??

Here's what I want:

• Quiet! (Since it will be housing my iTunes library and often running while music is playing)
• 250 Gigs
• Firewire preferred
• Reliable (Obvious), something I can run every day for a few hours
• Doesn't get too hot

Thanks!

I use LaCie 250 and 200 GB drives at home and at work. They're (usually) not too loud (there's one 200 which has sounded like a 747 at takeoff since we bought it, but it's the only one) and the main problem I've had with them is that sometimes the power supplies act up. (The older ones have had power supplies which just died for no apparent reason; replacement power supplies and power supplies on newer ones are fine, so maybe it was a bad batch. Also, on some of them the power cable connecting to the drive doesn't connect that tightly. Again, that may have been a bad batch, it only affects a few units.)

My home drives have run 24/7 since I got them, the 200 in early 2004 and the 250 in January 2005.

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by ogun

I use LaCie 250 and 200 GB drives at home and at work. They're (usually) not too loud (there's one 200 which has sounded like a 747 at takeoff since we bought it, but it's the only one) and the main problem I've had with them is that sometimes the power supplies act up. (The older ones have had power supplies which just died for no apparent reason; replacement power supplies and power supplies on newer ones are fine, so maybe it was a bad batch. Also, on some of them the power cable connecting to the drive doesn't connect that tightly. Again, that may have been a bad batch, it only affects a few units.)

My home drives have run 24/7 since I got them, the 200 in early 2004 and the 250 in January 2005.

I agree, the Lacie 250GB external firewire drive is great. I use it to boot from, so it is running non-stop 24/7 for a while now. Cool, quiet and neat.

[SpaceMonkey]

I would consider the OWC Mercury Elite Pro Aluminum series. I haven't seen one reviewed anywhere, but the company has a pretty solid reputation. And, unlike many manufacturers, they actually tell you up front what brand and model of hard drive they put in their case (it looks like their Aluminum series is split between Hitachi and Seagate).

[nutnog]

Originally Posted by ogun

I use LaCie 250 and 200 GB drives at home and at work. They're (usually) not too loud (there's one 200 which has sounded like a 747 at takeoff since we bought it, but it's the only one) and the main problem I've had with them is that sometimes the power supplies act up. (The older ones have had power supplies which just died for no apparent reason; replacement power supplies and power supplies on newer ones are fine, so maybe it was a bad batch.

I think you may have really answered a lot of questions about what may be happening to my LaCie 160 external HD. It turned off by itself and I can't get it to turn back on with the switch on the back. I think the power supply adapter may be shot. Really, thank you, because I can order a replacement. I thought I was going crazy here.

[OreoCookie]

My first LaCie had an extremely loud harddrive, but since they have several suppliers of drives, you will usually get lucky. LaCie cases are very, very sturdy and have have no fan. Because of the metal case, it's dissipating the heat quite well, it's not getting hot granted that the ambient temperatures are `normal' and you have enough space around it. (In Japan at 40 degrees when I put it in a pretty confined space, it would get hot, but under normal circumstances, that's not an issue at all.)

[Dakkon]

anyone got an recommendations for me, I need an external hard drive for video editing, I was looking at the G raid products, but what about lacie d2 extreme? I am looking for about 500gigs.. don’t know that I absolutely need raid, but do want fire wire 800 though.

[nutnog]

Just a small update from my ealier post:

I received my new replacement power adapter from LaCie. It did not work, the power never kicked on so what I did was turn my external drive into an internal by ripping out the hard drive and installing it in my case. The hard drive works just fine and I have everything that I thought I lost.

[Indohottie]

I would build one yourself... check newegg for hd and external enclosures.. its really easy and much cheaper then buying a pre assemblied..