LaCie External HD for ibook G4

amaciam

Hi everyone!
I was told that LaCie external harddrives are the best for macs. This week I noticed FutureShop has a 500 GB for $109.00.Now the local, privately owned shop that carries macs has one for dbl the price but the tech told me theirs were better quality.Hmmmm
Here is the link :
Future Shop: Computer Add-Ons: Hard Drives: LaCie 500GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive

I read where firewire is best to get as opposed to USB... what are your thought on this HD? I
I have an ibook G4 and will use the ex.HD mainly for storing photos, vids.

Thanks for your time.
I just came across this site tonite and will definitely return~ :-)

chas_m

There is no such thing as a drive that is "best for macs." For about a decade now, Macs and PCs use exactly the same kind of hard drives. You want one that seems to be of good quality, has a long warranty, and the kind of connectors (USB2, FW400, perhaps FW800 depending on your machine) that your Mac has.

Hmmm indeed. Methinks the smaller dealer is just trying to pay his rent. Smaller dealers often have higher markups than volume buyers like FS, but which store is going to give you more Mac-centric care and personal attention when you need them? Hint: not FutureShop. So that's the trade-off we make.

With your (older) Mac, this is definitely true. You want an external that can do Firewire. USB2 (if your model has it, I assume it does, the older ones had only USB1.1) is fine as well, but FW is faster and you have it, so why not use it. FW drives usually cost a little bit more, but I think the time saved plus utilizing your FW port rather than tying up another USB port is a big plus.

I have two Western Digital external 500GB drives that have USB and FW400 that I bought from Costco for around $139 or $129 (can't remember now). I've been happy with both. If you are a Costco member, I'd suggest checking them out.

The one you link to (the LaCie) is USB2 only. That will work fine, but for the extra few bucks difference I'd go for one that has both FW and USB2.

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chas_m

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MACenstein'sMonster

Here's my experience with a LaCie external hard drive:

External Hard Drive - Before I start shipping parts back to LaCie

Still using it today without any further issues.

One thing you may wish to consider with LaCie or any brand of external drive is if something goes wrong what kind of service can you expect from the store (likely "0") or the manufacturer to help remedy the situation? I read a lot of horror stories on the 'net about LaCie's customer support and yet my personal experience (see above) was more than satisfactory.

Griz

A hard drive is a hard drive is a hard drive.

Listen to Chas!

Buy a quality hard drive, format it, partition it....done.

I second the "no better for Mac or PC"... There are some external drives that are marketed to Mac users (ie Seagate FreeAgent|Desk for Mac. 500GB). Guess what?
The only difference is they used a nice white plastic case and formatted it for Mac (which anyone can do with disc utility packaged with OS X)! Whooopeee crap....zzzzz

The 2 most important issues (after your speed, size, etc. requirements) are:

A. Is it a "good drive" from a reputable company?
B. What is the interface? (ie. Firewire 400? FW800?, USB?, eSata, etc.)

It's a long ramble, but you can follow my silliness in the thread below.

Maxtor ONe Touch III 500GB FW

As it is all my drives are humming along nicely now.

I recently acquired a WD passport portable drive (USB 2.0) that's 250GB - nice and portable for moving stuff and taking it with you!!!

Anyway, if you're going to use the drive alot - GET FIREWIRE 800!!!!! WAAAAAAAYYYY NICE!

GlassOnion

I would go for an external firewire 400 and USB 2.0 drive. Don't forget that you can't boot your iBook G4 from an external USB drive, only from a firewire one and if you buy a newer Mac you can still use the external drive with the USB port.

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morespace54

Important tidbits to keep in mind...

Jim B.

I purchased a quadra 500g and I am very happy with the decision. I decided on this model because of the multiple interfaces. Fortunately my mac has a fw800 port. I use this drive strictly as my Time machine backup. I recently had a problem with the drive and opened a support ticket with Lacie. They concluded that it was the power module and had me send in the cord. I got a new one in three days from ME shipping it out! No charge. What more could I ask for.
Now I am looking at two problems. Got to get a quality UPS system. A surge protected power bar doesn't cut it. My other problem is that my LaCie drive is almost full and I will be in the market for a new HD. The only choice for me now is not who makes it, but how big!