[PatBranch]

I need about a 120gb external one that I would take everywhere with my laptop. Durability is definitely good and I don't want it to be dragging a brick everywhere.

I am looking at:
http://computershopper.com.com/LaCie_Rugged_All_Terrain_Hard_Drive_with_triple_interface_100GB/4652-3186_7-31637887.html

I am going to backup all the stuff on it to a bigger hard drive that I would always keep at home.

 

[caputo1989]

Maxtor makes nice ones for macs i have a 200gb for my new macbook. I lnow **** about windowos so i cant help you out there

 

[PatBranch]

Yeah, I do windows. Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[binary visions]

I hate to tell you... but you're going to be dragging a brick everywhere. Especially if durability is important.

 

[PatBranch]

Okay...as long as it's not a gold brick.

 

[pinkshirtphotos]

nah its not gold its lead

 

[PatBranch]

Damn...I guess I'll have to get a bag with wheels for it.

 

[maxyedor]

Do you really need 120gb as a travel drive? I carry a 20gb photochute portable drive, it's about the sive of an iPod, for shorter trips and such. Granted it's oly 20GB and that can be eaten up pretty fast, my next gizmo will be one of these, http://www.robertsimaging.com/cmItemDetail.jsp?pid=7425 they are pricey ($499 after rebate but before my discount) but it seems to be a pretty handy way to store my photos portably. For extended trips or times when I need to capture video the harddrive I carry and the pelican case would scare most people.:biggrin:

 

[syadasti]

You can get a 120GB 2.5" drive for less than $100 all you need is a external enclosure for $10-30 - both from newegg. Those can run off USB power, so you won't need any external PSU. Won't be heavy or large. External HDDs aren't super durable though.

 

[PatBranch]

Do you really need 120gb as a travel drive? I carry a 20gb photochute portable drive, it's about the sive of an iPod, for shorter trips and such. Granted it's oly 20GB and that can be eaten up pretty fast, my next gizmo will be one of these, http://www.robertsimaging.com/cmItemDetail.jsp?pid=7425 they are pricey ($499 after rebate but before my discount) but it seems to be a pretty handy way to store my photos portably. For extended trips or times when I need to capture video the harddrive I carry and the pelican case would scare most people.:biggrin:

It's not just travel... I would use it all them time (including traveling so I can work on my photos anytime, because my computer has a small hard drive.

I would be backing up the stuff on a bigger one at home.

That's a good idea about the internal one, but I would like something a little more durable.

What do you monkeys think of the Lacie?

 

[maxyedor]

It's not just travel... I would use it all them time (including traveling so I can work on my photos anytime, because my computer has a small hard drive.

I would be backing up the stuff on a bigger one at home.

At home you have the big drive, not sure why a light portable drive is needed for anything other than travel. LaCie's are pretty decent, but they are extreemly expensive for what they are.

 

[PatBranch]

The big drive (that the stuff from the smaller/main drive is going to be backed up on) is going to stay in a safe. I need a smaller one that I would use every day and wouldn't need to be plugged into an outlet.

Those 20gb storage things are nice. I will probably get one eventually for when I go places w/o my computer.

 

[binary visions]

FYI, there is no substitute for an off-site, solid state backup. That is, dual layer DVDs, tapes, or something like that, kept out of your house. ESPECIALLY with something as irreplacable as photographs. A safe doesn't protect against hard drive failure, and won't even protect your hard drive very well if a fire gets going or if the safe gets banged around too much.

 

[PatBranch]

I didn't even think of that..

So, I'll have that in the safe, then have dvd's (of everything on the big hardrive at another place).

 

[binary visions]

I mail copies of my DVDs to my dad. Easy, all he has to do is stuff them in a closet somewhere and it keeps my peace of mind knowing I have a fail-safe. Unless our houses burn down concurrently, of course, but if that happens, we have more problems than my pictures

 

[PatBranch]

Yeah. I'm going to do that. Maybe I'll even put another another copy (set of dvds) at another place.

 

[PatBranch]

Does anyone have an suggestions for somewhat durable hard drives that are somewhat compact?

 

[binary visions]

Well, the whole thing is that hard drives are all the same size (built to a form factor), and most enclosures aren't too wildly varying in size. Some are, of course, but most list their dimensions.

Just poke around at NewEgg in the external enclosures section and find one with some dimensions that seem appropriate to you. The enclosure isn't going to make much of a difference on how rugged it is, and most of the drives are going to be similar in terms of physical durability. You bang 'em too much, and they'll all break.

 

[PatBranch]

Okay, thanks for that info. I may even get a pelican case .

 

[binary visions]

WTF do you want a small enclosure for, then?

 

[H8R]

Okay, thanks for that info. I may even get a pelican case .

WD Passport.

Super small, durable, USB powered.

 

[syadasti]

WD Passport.

Or just build one from an enclosure and HDD at newegg - cheaper and you get your choice of HDD.

 

[PatBranch]

Okay, maybe not a pelican, but a case would be good...

There is a brand at samy's (i forgot, it may be this brand) that makes small cases of a variety of shapes and sizes. The one I am thinking of is rectangular and would be perfect for a HDD.

It wouldn't protect it like a pelican case, but it would protect from books in my backpack.

 

[PatBranch]

I am pretty sure I am going to get this hdd, but I was talking to my friend...he said someone brought a fried one into his shop.

Do you think it was a lemon or (have you ever heard of this)?

 

[binary visions]

Two things. First of all, if you're going to treat this as a daily-carry item in your backpack, it's going to get broken.

Second, hard drives break. It's a fact of life. I don't trust Maxtors any more since I've had a few go on me earlier than I would expect, but Seagate and Western Digital are fine.

BTW you didn't tell us what drive you're going to get.

 

[PatBranch]

Two things. First of all, if you're going to treat this as a daily-carry item in your backpack, it's going to get broken.

Second, hard drives break. It's a fact of life. I don't trust Maxtors any more since I've had a few go on me earlier than I would expect, but Seagate and Western Digital are fine.

BTW you didn't tell us what drive you're going to get.

I thought it was obvious... The WD passport that H8R suggested. I am going to get a case for it, maybe a little pelican just for extra security.

 

[PatBranch]

BV, do you think was just a lemon (the fried passport that was brought into my friend's shop)?

 

[binary visions]

One cooked drive doesn't even come close to making a statement on the drive's reliability. Would you throw out your camera because I've seen a broken one?

Don't worry about it. Buy the drive if that's the one you want.

 

[PatBranch]

Yeah. What the hell was I thinking???