Recommendations wanted for a mobile hard drive

February 23, 2005 3:46 PM

Anyone have any favourites when it comes to mobile hard drives? I'm looking to replace a 40GB+ Lacie Pocketdrive unit.

I don't think Lacie make Pocketdrives any more, and my first failed badly. Now its replacement is making suspicious whirring noises. I need something that can handle being stuffed into a shoulder bag and hauled backwards and forwards to various offices every day. Someone must make a fantastic bullet proof, high capacity USB 2.0 or Firewire drive? Thanks in advance.

posted by jonathanbell to computers & internet (8 comments total)

The iPods are brilliant, and unused space can be filled with songs.
posted by bonaldi at 3:56 PM on February 23, 2005

I second the ipod, i have a 40 gig and i use it for storage and music.
posted by pwally at 4:18 PM on February 23, 2005

The SmartDisk FireLite is great. I bought a few to rotate through to backup a server. It's quite small (not iPod small, but very small), FireWire-based, and I'm yet to have any trouble.
posted by waldo at 4:54 PM on February 23, 2005

Why not just make a custom one? Cut out the middle man.

Buy a 3.5" or 2.5" hard drive and get a USB 2.0 Portable Drive Enclosure.

I wouldn't do it any other way.
posted by o0o0o at 8:16 PM on February 23, 2005

iPod.

My friends that don't have an iPod but do have a USB hard drive typically bought a standard enclosure and a laptop 2.5" hard drive.
posted by krisjohn at 9:37 PM on February 23, 2005

Unless you really wanted an mp3 player, the iPod makes no sense in this situation.


a] 60GB iPod = $500

b] 80GB USB 2.0 drive (enclosure and all) = $80


Net savings: $420
posted by o0o0o at 10:31 PM on February 23, 2005

Thanks everyone. The FireLite looks very promising, especially as it comes in up to 100GB flavours. I never really got into the whole iPod thing (and bought a Zen Micro instead) - guess I don't really like the idea of carrying unnecessary and potentially important data around when all I want is music. Had I been an early adopter I suspect I'd have a different view.
posted by jonathanbell at 2:24 AM on February 24, 2005

Get a 40GB 2.5 inch laptop drive for $69.
and
and PCMS (BLACK) ALUMINUM EXTERNAL USB 2.0 CASE FOR LAPTOP 2.5" HARD DRIVE for $12 shipped.
posted by virent at 1:13 PM on February 24, 2005