External hard drive or USB flash drive?

EeveeFanboy

EeveeFanboy

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I'm in need of an external storage device, but I'm not sure what to get. At first, I was going to get a 16 GB flash drive for $30, because at minimum, all I need is 10 GB of free space. But after looking at external hard drives, they seem to be a much better deal. I slowly kept realizing I could double the hard drive space for not much more, and I'd probably end up getting a 500 GB for around $70-80, but I have two concerns.

First, are external hard drives really only a short-term solution? On every single brand of hard drive, it seems that they die shortly after a year, and I'd hate to lose 500 GB of data. My ancient 512 KB flash drive, on the other hand, is still going strong, so it seems like my options are between reliability and much more space, which I could use since my netbook only has 160 GB of space and no DVD writer.

Secondly, the external power. Are there any external HDDs that can be powered up through the USB, or did they not allow this since it might put extra strain on some devices? Having to have it plugged in seems like it would be a pain, especially since I'd have to plug it in behind my TV to use with my consoles and then move it again when I need to transfer something from my laptop.

So, some help? I'm not sure which one to go for. Also, single deals won't help too much. This isn't an immediate purchase, but something I'm looking out for.
 
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Are you looking for a device to transfer data from one computer to another or something to backup important data?

If you need something with more capacity than a flash drive but still need portability, you may want to look into a 2.5" external hard drive. They're smaller and draw power from the USB port, so you don't need a power adapter.
 
2.5" USB hard drives range from 100 to 500 GB in size and can cost from anywhere from $30 (clearance prices at Staples/Office Max/Office Depot) to $70. The benefit - being powered by either a single (current models) or dual USB ports (older 2.5 models) - far outweigh the reduced storage size and somewhat higher price per gig.

The 3.5" USB HDDs are usually the best deal for your buck, the only trade off is that they sort of lose their portability with respect to the cumbersome AC adapter you have to use. While the older models ranged from 100 to 750 gigs, it seems today's standard is hovering around the 1 TB mark. And because now they're rolling out 1.5 to 2 TB external drives, you can find these drives ranging from $20 (clearance prices) to $100.

From experience and shopping around, here's what I've bought in the last year.

--> 1TB USB 3.5" drive (powered by bulky AC adapter) for $60 after rebates
--> 1TB USB 3.5" drive (again bulk powered) for $75 after a Staples coupon
--> 320GB 2.5" (pure USB powered) for $60 after steep $40 rebate
 
[quote name='EeveeFanboy']On every single brand of hard drive, it seems that they die shortly after a year, and I'd hate to lose 500 GB of data.[/QUOTE]

This is cause for alarm. I don't know what is happening, but this is *not* normal. I've never had a drive go bad after years of usage. I had a relative with a laptop HD croak, but that's it.
 
Oh yeah, it's typical for external drives - USB powered or not - to have shorter warranties than their desktop/laptop counterparts, even though they're the same components.

I think the USB-powered drives carry 1-2 year warranties, 1-5 years for the 3.5" adapter powered ones and 2-lifetime warranties for the HDDs that go into your PCs/laptops.

Go figure.
 
I guess I was mostly looking at 3.5" drives, but it sounds like a 2.5" is what I'd want. I mainly wanted something to transfer a few files between my laptop and my PS3 and keep most of my music on so I can have playlists on my PS3 without taking up precious space on the HDD, but bigger works too so I don't have to do so much space managing and it'll make things easier on me when I get around to getting a desktop.

And on the WD My Passport, the My Book series was the one that started making me feel iffy on external hard drives. I read lots of reports of dying HDDs after a year. So is it just me being paranoid, reading a lot of negative reviews because people with problems are more likely to post reviews? It's hard to ever find a product with 5 eggs...

Also, one last question. My old laptop has no way to be powered on until I can get ahold of my friend to borrow his identical power cord, but I've been trying for months and still can't get ahold of him. It has a lot of important information on it. If I took the HDD out of it and put it in the external case, would it let me transfer the files as simple as that or would it be the wrong format?

And thanks for the help :)
 
funny you should bring this up because i just mailed back my external hitachi hard drive today, got it last year on black friday, stoped working about a month ago. it's still under warrenty but from what i hear they're just going to mail me back refurbished one
 
Damn. I thought this topic was going to do so well with showing me that Newegg reviews are full of propaganda. Was it a 3.5" or 2.5" drive?
 
You cannot do 'playlist' from external devices on PS3. The option 'add to playlist' is not there for files on external devices.

I know it sucks.
 
I never knew that =/ I knew you couldn't do it from a media server, but I thought external hard drives would work. Guess I'll just have to choose wisely on which songs to import.
 
[quote name='EeveeFanboy']I never knew that =/ I knew you couldn't do it from a media server, but I thought external hard drives would work. Guess I'll just have to choose wisely on which songs to import.[/QUOTE]

Why not just get a huge 500GB 2.5" and put it in your PS3? No need to worry about space for tunes then... :)
 
Even though it was expensive ($80) I decided to just get it over with and bought a 64gb usb flash drive. Never looked back since. Can't believe there's been a bunch of occasions that I've filled it up. Although, it's amazing how much I can fit.
 
Because I could use extra space for 3/4 different devices. No use upgrading them all when I can share all the information between them from one location. And getting music on my PS3 seems to be a pain. Just moving one 500 KB artist from my laptop to the PS3 over wireless took way too long.

And Vip, what was your reason for going for a flash drive over an external HDD? Was it portability or fear of hardware failure? And where did you get one for so cheap? Amazon lists 64 GB flash drives for around $120 and Amazon's flash drives seem to be less expensive than Newegg's.
 
I didn't get it so much for the PS3, but more for general everyday use. the small storage on my old usb drive wasn't cutting it. I like it because it's a "faster" way to transfer in terms of bulk of the actual device and plugging it in is easier than any ext. hdd I've had. As well as messing around with extra power for the hdd which can be hit or miss. (thanks M$) I've never had one die in less than a year though.

Anyway, don't think there's a really good solution for Longer termish "storage". HDD can have errors or die but then flash have a limited amount of times they can transfer (I think it was) and they aren't big enough or they are really expensive vs traditional hdds.
 
As far as nabbing data off your laptop, an empty enclosure ($5-20 max) should get the job done.

It probably won't boot up as the master hard drive when plugged into another PC, but you should be able to just copy and paste data off it like it was just a normal USB HDD/USB stick partition.
 
[quote name='VipFREAK'] As well as messing around with extra power for the hdd which can be hit or miss. (thanks M$)[/QUOTE]
What does MS have to do with external hard drives? And I didn't realize flash drives died. But I'm guessing that would take longer to die than an external HDD since my old flash drive isn't showing any signs of aging.

And morning, that sounds great :) Maybe I'll go ahead and buy an external enclosure and just plan to buy an HDD later. I want to sell the laptop (if anybody will buy it without a battery or power cord...), but the longer I wait the less it's worth.
 
I've used a ext hdd w/ extra power and there have been many of times where it will or won't work when plugged in. If it isn't consistent then it's M$. If you know of any M$ OS that is consistent you should return it because it's not working right. (yes, sarcasm.)

[quote name='EeveeFanboy']And where did you get one for so cheap? Amazon lists 64 GB flash drives for around $120 and Amazon's flash drives seem to be less expensive than Newegg's.[/QUOTE]

Wow... I dunno what to tell ya. I can't find it anymore. I did get it at Newegg for $80ish. Maybe it was a price error. I didn't see it there anymore too, but this is it. http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Jet...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252178963&sr=8-2
 
I still don't get your argument :p Does your computer not recognize the hard drive or something? Sounds like misguided blame towards MS. I hate them too, but I try to make sure my hatred is deserved :p

And that sucks on the flash drive then. I guess it makes my decision easier though. I'll probably end up getting an external HDD. Just look out for me in a year when I come back and RAGE :p Maybe by then 16 GB flash drives will be $5. But then that 1TB drive will only be $50 and I'll already have an external enclosure...
 
[quote name='EeveeFanboy']Sounds like misguided blame towards MS.[/QUOTE]

Here's some specific examples...

I'll plug in a usb device and then say... 2 days later do it again and it won't work. Or... I'll have say 2 usb hdds in and then do it again later and it won't work, one will or the other, but both at the same time? no...

This has happened on a freshly formatted pc too. Granted this is still on XP at least I'm not talking about something like ME. :shudder:

That's just USB stuff too. Oh and... http://www.annoyances.org/
 
Dunno, never really was able to use either or own one. I can say my Comodore 64 did the same thing everytime though. xD
 
Yeah there's tons of variables and rituals I do to ensure my USB storage devices work properly

Some are like

-Using XP, I usually wait until everything loads up from the startup menu before I plug my devices or else sometimes I get that stupid "Windows cannot recognize your new hardware, please reinsert the device message." Then you see the three-pronged fork in the bottom right instead of the properly-working green arrow and grey box icon. My guess is that XP loads whatever drivers it needs for USB towards the end of the startup cycle or something

-Making sure USB 2.0 devices go into your USB 2.0 port and not any USB 1.1 ports. I didn't realaize for months that my PC tower had 2 front USB ports - 1 for 1.1 and the other 2.0. I usually just leave my PS2-to-USB controller adapter in the 1.1 port and I'll sometimes use a USB 2.0 hub if I need to run multiple USB 2.0 devices at once. I hate risking knocking stuff off my desk and tower to plug stuff in the PC cases' back USB ports.

- If I'm watching a movie off a USB HDD, I make sure to either move a desk fan to it for additional cooling or to not let it run for more than 1.5 to 2 hours. I'm guessing high heat is the major cause of these portable HDD failures and these do heat up in a short amount of time. If I do run like 2-4 movies in a row, I'll just copy the stuff onto my $10 8 gig USB thumbdrive.

- I don't if it just me or not, but I never just unplug a USB storage device like most people. I take the extra 10 seconds to right click and "safely remove" the USB device. Only when I get the message that it is safe to do so, will I power down or take them out. Who knows, maybe its the 1000th time you just unplug the "plug and play device" that you will eventually short out the memory bus on it or something.
 
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