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External hard drive

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  1. #31

    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    Causeway Bay
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    64

    Cool

    so guys,

    which is more reliable? a true external hard disk or an internal hard disk placed on an enclosure? or maybe a laptop hard disk placed on an enclosure?

    i had the same dilema before i got my dvd writer? i was choosing between getting an internal dvd writer with an enclosure and an portable dvd writer. of course the first choice was cheaper. but i opted for a true external dvd writer, which is slimmer and portable.

    thanks


  2. #32

    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
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    301

    Most reliable is the lappy drive. Can withstand a lot more shock and smaller diameter means less spinning stress. External/internal drive are about the same. What's important is how good the enclosure is - shock resistance, cooling abilities, solid connections etc.

    And the other thing I try and do is spin up my drives once every few weeks just to keep them going. Shouldn't cause a problem if you don't plug it in for months but I just feel safer starting it regularlyeven if I won't be using it.


  3. #33

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    The Belcher's
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    273
    Quote Originally Posted by KnowItAll:
    Make sure that the external drive has ONE drive in there. Some of them combine multiple smaller drives on the external unit to make it look like one big one ... that technique (known as RAID) is not recommended for the purpose of an external system.
    Just wondering......why is a RAID not good as an external drive?

  4. #34

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    Aug 2005
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  5. #35

    Join Date
    Apr 2003
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    12,383

    Raid data recovery is non trivial and extremely expensive (US$5000+) incase of hardware failure / crashes.


  6. #36

    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    Lantau
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nasty_Boy:
    hi lammarite,

    hows the performance of your brick so far? im also considering a lacie for an external hd to backup my photos, and probably a system backup once in a while.

    how much and where did u get it.
    I am on my third Lacie brick in the last 12 months. The first one just died on me. I used some data recovery s/ware and I managed to get most of my data off it but it took a long time. It also won't reformat now - it is due to go in the bin.

    The second one has started to show bad sectors and often makes a nasty clunking sound. I am pretty sure it has weeks, if not days to live.

    My third one is still working but only had it 6 months.

    Lacie's, according to my device manager, show up as either Maxtor or Seagates. I am not sure if I have been unlucky or Lacie's are rubbish. I don't run them 24 hour at all. One main reason being they seem to kick out a huge amount of heat!

  7. #37

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    4,279

    I am curious as to why you still continue to buy them.


  8. #38

    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Lantau
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    1,519
    Quote Originally Posted by discobay:
    I am curious as to why you still continue to buy them.
    I am curious as to why you think I still do?

  9. #39

    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Not friggin' Lamma no more!
    Posts
    2,181

    The advantage of being literate I guess.....he read you post which clearly states you bought three of them!


  10. #40

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    4,279

    I second that ... no on second thoughts I third that!