portable external HDD Vs. Desktop external HDD?

[imeem]

What's the difference between portable external HDD and Desktop external HDD? I notice desktop external HDD cost more.

What's the point of different size of external HDD 2.5" and 3.5 "?

 

[zigzag3143]

What's the difference between portable external HDD and Desktop external HDD? I notice desktop external HDD cost more.

What's the point of different size of external HDD 2.5" and 3.5 "?

Size, speed, cabling, cache, etc.


Do you want to use it in a laptop or desktop?


Ken J

 

[Bill2]

External hard drives come in two sizes, 2.5" and 3.5".

The 2.5" are the portable ones that can be easily carried around (they have relatively small capacity and a small enclosure) and are usually USB powered. The downside is they are not unbreakable (you need to take decent care of them), also usb power becomes an issue if you have many other usb powered devices connected to the same computer. If the drive is underpowered, it'll behave wierdly.

Desktop external hard drives are normally 3.5" hard drives mounted in a relatively larger enclosure, sometimes with integrated fans (that helps keep them cool).These drives are designed with storage capacity in mind and can go upto 2 tb or even 3 tb nowadays. They often come with a separate, independent power supply.

2.5" is also the size of internal hard drives of notebooks, while 3.5" ones fit internally in desktops.

 

[imeem]

What's the difference between portable external HDD and Desktop external HDD? I notice desktop external HDD cost more.

What's the point of different size of external HDD 2.5" and 3.5 "?

Size, speed, cabling, cache, etc.


Do you want to use it in a laptop or desktop?


Ken J

I'll be using it on a desktop and a laptop to store stuff. Most likely I won't be moving it outside my house.

How good/bad are the external HDD with the software included?

 

[DirtyElf]

if it were up to me i would get a BARE drive and format it the way I want it.. i have a WD mybook and it has all this crap software built into it via a virtual disc... try as i may i cant get rid of it.. its stored in the firmware of the drive

 

[whs]

The quality of external hard drives seems to be very good. I have 7 drives of different manufacturers (both 2.5. and 3.5"). None have failed in appr. 3 years - knock on wood. For very critical data (e.g. images) it is always an advantage to alternate between drives. That gives you extra security.

 

[mjf]

I have 4 ext HDDs
Portable:
(1) WD Elements 500GB,portable 2.5",5400rpm, USB powered, extremley small
(2) WD Elements 7500GB,portable 2.5",5200rpm, USB powered, extremley small
Desktop:
(4) Seagate Expansion 500GB,desktop, 3.5",7200, mains powered
(5) WD Elements 1TB, desktop, 3.5", 7200, mains powered.

All have sata drives inside with usb converter.
(4)&(5) are faster as you would expect but heat can be a problem. Both can hit 50C+ and I have a small fan for cooling on hot days. These are normal sata drives in a confined space. Any built in power management doesn't seem that great to me. I turn them on and off when needed.
I question their long term reliability if left running for long periods in warm ambient temps. I'd go for an extra internal with good cooling if powered on all the time and accessed frequently.

I like the little portables. Yes a bit slower but I find them great for backups - like an overgrown USB flash drive. If you also have a notebook - perfect. They seem to run quite a bit cooler and seem to have better power management (???).

Pricewise - not much of a difference where I'm from. WD 1TB recently on sale for $87.

I strongly support the previous poster - Buy the bare bones units - NO SOFTWARE BACKUP rubbish.

 

[imeem]

So i should go for one that doesn't need any software. Should I go for a usb powered one or an one that requires an power outlet?

The only time I will be plugging the external HDD in is when I need to use it, after i'm done with it, i'll just unplug it.

 

[essenbe]

I have two seagate portable hard drives and two Rosewill external enclosures with 3.5" 1TB Samsung Spinpoints in them. I love both. The enclosures to me are more like desktops. The seagate portables are just that, portable. They run off USB power and are not much larger than your wallet. They are great for taking whatever you want with you. The rosewills are great too. Another advantage is If my computer HD goes out, I can take the Spinpoints out of the enclosure and install it in the computer in 5 minutes.

EDIT: most of the hard drive come with backup software on them. I have never seen any of that software I want to use. Withe the Seagates, I reformatted them and got rid of it.

 

[imeem]

I have two seagate portable hard drives and two Rosewill external enclosures with 3.5" 1TB Samsung Spinpoints in them. I love both. The enclosures to me are more like desktops. The seagate portables are just that, portable. They run off USB power and are not much larger than your wallet. They are great for taking whatever you want with you. The rosewills are great too. Another advantage is If my computer HD goes out, I can take the Spinpoints out of the enclosure and install it in the computer in 5 minutes.

EDIT: most of the hard drive come with backup software on them. I have never seen any of that software I want to use. Withe the Seagates, I reformatted them and got rid of it.

So if I have to get the HDDs with software preloaded in them (because the ones i'm looking at is at my price range and 7200 rpm), i can reformat the drive to get rid of it?

Do i even have to use the software to back up my computer? Can't I just use the windows 7 one?

 

[mjf]

It may be a simple case of just formatting the inbuilt backup software out. But someone advised me that it may not be that simple and there can be a firmware issue.
Just don't buy those with built in backup software. Both WD & Seagate have the vanilla ones & they are generally cheaper. The 4 drives I own have no software with them and they are readily available in this country.

You say
"The only time I will be plugging the external HDD in is when I need to use it, after i'm done with it, i'll just unplug it."
if it's sporadic use, 500GB/750GB is sufficient plus potential portability I'd just buy a little portable. But it is getting close to asking what color T shirt should I buy.

 

[whs]

Some of that software that comes with the disks can be quite handy (e.g. Maxtor Manager on the ONE TOUCH 2.5" disk). Why delete it - it takes only little room.

 

[imeem]

which brand of external HDD do u guys prefer from most preferable to least preferable?

WD, Seagate, and Hitachi

 

[whs]

which brand of external HDD do u guys prefer from most preferable to least preferable?

WD, Seagate, and Hitachi

I have all 3 makes and all work well - so no preference. Buy whatever is cheapest.

 

[essenbe]

The two I have are the Seagate Freeagent FoFlex portables and I love them. Not knowing one from the other, I researched externals before I bought one. I chose the above mentioned ones because of the versatility. They have inter changeable cables. They come with USB 2.0, but you can buy USB 3.0, firewire, or esata (if you have the USB/eSATA ports). I liked that part and that is why I chose Seagate.

 

[imeem]

thx for all the help. 1 more question;

Do all external ("non-portable") HDD requires power from the wall socket and the Portables do not?

 

[essenbe]

Imeem, I do not think I am qualified to answer that question But- I can't say "all", but most non portable are wall powered. Most portable ones are really laptop HDDS, and can be run by the current in the USB ports. Hope this helps.

 

[mjf]

Portable HDD derive their power from the USB port. Sometimes you may need 2 usb ports using a Y splitting cable to obtain power from two ports but this is very unlikely for a desktop. I also use powered USB hubs since my DVD/CD writer is portable. Desktop/non portables require an AC power adapter that is supplied with the HDD.
Desktop units are generally 3.5 " drives which inside are just like the internal HDD on your computer and take more power. They spin faster and get hotter. As I have said before.
The 3.5" SATA drives typically now have an upper maximum limit or 60C. The closer the operating temperature gets to this, the higher the failure rate. I have monitored the temps of external 3.5" WDs and Seagates and they can easily exceed 50C with extended use.

I find my portables surprisingly convenient for desktop use. Plug them into the port, make your backups, click safe remove and unplug from USB port. Stick them in a drawer or a bag when you want to take your data with you.

Again backup software supplied with Windows 7, MS SyncToy or a number of free backup software is far better than most of the rubbish that disk manufacturers supply. Pay your money for a disk and disk storage.
I wouldn't be totally dismissive of some of the backup software that comes with more up market products which you pay for (Lacie/Maxtor)