[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Is this a bad thing to do?

Use my old iBook as a Firewire HD for a long time? We only use it when family or friends (who don't own a computer) comes over.

[mduell]

That's fine. Not exactly cost efficient as external storage, but if you're using it when people come over that's a good solution.

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Originally Posted by mduell

That's fine. Not exactly cost efficient as external storage, but if you're using it when people come over that's a good solution.

Whats not cost efficient? My iBook is my backup computer incase my MacBook hits the curb.

My basic question is if this will ware the iBook down if its on all the time in Target Disk mode?

[Chips G]

It sames wasteful to power the screen, CPU, etc. of the iBook just to use it's hard drive.


Aren't FW enclosures and HDs pretty cheap now? And, you could get a faster RPM HD for faster transfer speeds too.


Just a thought,

-Chris

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Originally Posted by Chris Gilpin

It sames wasteful to power the screen, CPU, etc. of the iBook just to use it's hard drive.


Aren't FW enclosures and HDs pretty cheap now? And, you could get a faster RPM HD for faster transfer speeds too.


Just a thought,

-Chris

Im on a tight buget and i had the iBook laying around so i desided to use it. Plus if you close the lid the screen shuts off but not the HD

The HD gets hot is that a bad thing?

[mduell]

The iBook is worth what, $500? And it has a 40GB hard drive? For the money you could get selling the iBook, you could turn around and buy a drive 10 or 15 times as big. Or you could pocket a couple hundred bucks and still have a drive 5 times as big. That's what I mean by cost efficient.

Being in TDM all the time is fine. The hard drive is only consuming/producing a watt or two.

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Originally Posted by mduell

The iBook is worth what, $500? And it has a 40GB hard drive? For the money you could get selling the iBook, you could turn around and buy a drive 10 or 15 times as big. Or you could pocket a couple hundred bucks and still have a drive 5 times as big. That's what I mean by cost efficient.

Being in TDM all the time is fine. The hard drive is only consuming/producing a watt or two.

20 GB HD. Got anyone who will buy it? I can't use ebay becuase I forgot may password (and once i recover it i forget it again) and nobody around here wants to buy it.

Links, please.

Edit: it HAS to be Firewire.

[mduell]

What iBook model?
Even a toilet seat model will net you a couple hundred.

How much disk space are you looking for and/or how much do you want to spend?

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Originally Posted by mduell

What iBook model?
Even a toilet seat model will net you a couple hundred.

How much disk space are you looking for and/or how much do you want to spend?

its a mid-2004 low-end model

Im looking for add least 40-60 GB and i don't want to spend over $150

[mduell]

Mid-2004 low-end would be the 1Ghz G4... those go for $600-700 easy on eBay.

$150 would get you about 300GB, which represents pretty much the optimum price/capacity point (going smaller doesn't give you much of a gain in price, going bigger results in a large price jump).

Grab a 320GB drive for $95 or 250GB drive for $80. I like Seagate because they're the only hard drive manufacturer who offers a 5 year warranty.

Then find an enclosure you like. I like this black one for $50 or this silver one for $42. Both have USB and Firewire400, so you can get good transfer speeds with any computer you connect them to.

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Originally Posted by mduell

Mid-2004 low-end would be the 1Ghz G4... those go for $600-700 easy on eBay.

$150 would get you about 300GB, which represents pretty much the optimum price/capacity point (going smaller doesn't give you much of a gain in price, going bigger results in a large price jump).

Grab a 320GB drive for $95 or 250GB drive for $80. I like Seagate because they're the only hard drive manufacturer who offers a 5 year warranty.

Then find an enclosure you like. I like this black one for $50 or this silver one for $42. Both have USB and Firewire400, so you can get good transfer speeds with any computer you connect them to.

Like i said in a post above I can't go on eBay.

I like the drives on the links but do i have to wire anything? Or is it plug and play?

[mduell]

You could recover your password, change it to something you can remember, and go in eBay. Or go on Craigslist. Or use the MacNN marketplace forum.

You'll plug the drive into two connectors (power and data) inside the enclosure (a 1-4 screw job depending on the enclosure, sometimes thumbscrews), then plug the enclosure into Firewire from your Macbook and power from the wall (adapter included).

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

WOOOOOOOOOOOT I finaly remembered my ebay password!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT