iomega desktop hard drive select 1tb image
Tom
I'm running out of space on my PC, so I'm wondering which external drive I should buy. I'm on a budget of £140 or less, between 2TB and 3TB. I'm looking for a desktop one, not a portable. I've found two already, links below. The WD one apparently has terrible backup software, and the other one has no reviews, and so I'm unsure if it is any good. Any recommendations of any other HDD's available in the UK in my price range and also any review of the two already mentioned. If any additional information is required I will try and give it, just check back later. Thanks
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0047VJ428/ref=s9_simh_gw_p147_d1_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1XPYHSCV5TV2AAH0Z95N&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004GTNAEE/ref=s9_simh_gw_p147_d1_i3?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1XPYHSCV5TV2AAH0Z95N&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294
Answer
First off, if you are buying a backup hard drive - that is not the same as buying backup software.
You can choose to use the "backup" utility in Windows, you can use something like SyncToy (free from M$), you can manually copy files yourself, or even acquire other commercial or free-to-download software. The software that is "free" with almost any hardware device is only there as a promotion, or a 'taste' - hoping to get some folks to upgrade and pay for the full version. Or lately - buy into the company's online backup product.
I have been using desktop drives from Iomega (1TB) , WD ( 0.5, 1, 2 TB), and Seagate ( 0.3, 0.5, 1. 1.5, 2.0, 3.0) TB for a couple of years now. None have failed, some in service as long as 3 years.
I don't know specifics about your two products, because the mfrs. may make modifications when shipping to the other side "of the pond".
Generally, I look at:
Application -- desktop ( not meant to be moved or jostled), portable (more tolerant of jarring movement, and more costly) . *you already selected Desktop. It is good that you have done this much research and thinking.
Size & Speed -- If I need to backup just my computer, then I can pretty much use anything, even if it means I let it run overnight. On the other hand , If I am backing up my home laptop, my son's gaming / homework rig, and my wife's tablet.. then I need something that can grab data a whole lot faster. Size.. I am just making backups, so I should probably not need anything larger than my computer's hard disk.. or it is no longer a "backup", but rather "added storage".
File system compatibility: Do I just need Windows, Is FAT32 good enough, or do I want NTFS, and any other (mac, linux, whatever..) file types supported? Is it easy for me to partition the drive the way I need it?
Warranty/Reliability :-- obviously, the backup nature of the drive implies I may never need to use it, after all - these are just copies of my files. But when I do need it, I certainly want it to work. The length of a warranty is an (imperfect) indication of reliability. A mfr. is not going to offer a 5 year warranty if they know that 5 or 6 % of the drives are going to fail in the first year or two - while you can still find a receipt. That said, it gets more expensive by little bits as you move up from 1 yr, 2, yr, 3 yr, or longer warranties. Reviews on Amazon are another great indicator - but beware of complainers for other companies, happy, positive reviews (advertisements), and the unreliability of our own emotion and frustration. TIP: manually type in the other countries AMAZON sites, or search G* for the sites in other countries.. they may have different reviews, or prices.
.. the other thing I look at is warranty cost / size cost.. When I buy these drives, am I realistically going to replace it 4 or 5 years.. or am I fooling myself into thinking it will be reliable longer? Will I really need to backup 2TB, or can I get away with a 500MB for now, and buy a new drive when the prices come down by half in 2 years.
Or - do I really need to back this stuff up.. and need a very reliable backup.. so maybe I should buy two separate backup drives. I backup working files daily on one drive, then over the weekend, I sync the two backup drives so both have a copy of my files. If I can afford 2 - 1TB drives, will that work out for me in the long run better than a single 3TB drive?
First off, if you are buying a backup hard drive - that is not the same as buying backup software.
You can choose to use the "backup" utility in Windows, you can use something like SyncToy (free from M$), you can manually copy files yourself, or even acquire other commercial or free-to-download software. The software that is "free" with almost any hardware device is only there as a promotion, or a 'taste' - hoping to get some folks to upgrade and pay for the full version. Or lately - buy into the company's online backup product.
I have been using desktop drives from Iomega (1TB) , WD ( 0.5, 1, 2 TB), and Seagate ( 0.3, 0.5, 1. 1.5, 2.0, 3.0) TB for a couple of years now. None have failed, some in service as long as 3 years.
I don't know specifics about your two products, because the mfrs. may make modifications when shipping to the other side "of the pond".
Generally, I look at:
Application -- desktop ( not meant to be moved or jostled), portable (more tolerant of jarring movement, and more costly) . *you already selected Desktop. It is good that you have done this much research and thinking.
Size & Speed -- If I need to backup just my computer, then I can pretty much use anything, even if it means I let it run overnight. On the other hand , If I am backing up my home laptop, my son's gaming / homework rig, and my wife's tablet.. then I need something that can grab data a whole lot faster. Size.. I am just making backups, so I should probably not need anything larger than my computer's hard disk.. or it is no longer a "backup", but rather "added storage".
File system compatibility: Do I just need Windows, Is FAT32 good enough, or do I want NTFS, and any other (mac, linux, whatever..) file types supported? Is it easy for me to partition the drive the way I need it?
Warranty/Reliability :-- obviously, the backup nature of the drive implies I may never need to use it, after all - these are just copies of my files. But when I do need it, I certainly want it to work. The length of a warranty is an (imperfect) indication of reliability. A mfr. is not going to offer a 5 year warranty if they know that 5 or 6 % of the drives are going to fail in the first year or two - while you can still find a receipt. That said, it gets more expensive by little bits as you move up from 1 yr, 2, yr, 3 yr, or longer warranties. Reviews on Amazon are another great indicator - but beware of complainers for other companies, happy, positive reviews (advertisements), and the unreliability of our own emotion and frustration. TIP: manually type in the other countries AMAZON sites, or search G* for the sites in other countries.. they may have different reviews, or prices.
.. the other thing I look at is warranty cost / size cost.. When I buy these drives, am I realistically going to replace it 4 or 5 years.. or am I fooling myself into thinking it will be reliable longer? Will I really need to backup 2TB, or can I get away with a 500MB for now, and buy a new drive when the prices come down by half in 2 years.
Or - do I really need to back this stuff up.. and need a very reliable backup.. so maybe I should buy two separate backup drives. I backup working files daily on one drive, then over the weekend, I sync the two backup drives so both have a copy of my files. If I can afford 2 - 1TB drives, will that work out for me in the long run better than a single 3TB drive?
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar