Chris Brooking wrote:
> I'm sure they're both do an adequate job, but I reiterate - if you don't
> want anything fancy, get a third-party enclosure, and a reliable, quiet
> HDD from a manufacturer offering a 5-year guarantee. Might even be
> cheaper.
Let me add a vote to this solution with some more specifics.
1) I don't think there really is a difference among the big HD
makers in terms of quality these days (though not willing to
fight about it), but there is in terms of service. I somehow
blew a new Maxtor 200G earlier this year and they sent me
(2-day) a *250GB* to replace it for free. Even more
importantly, they were incredibly competent and helpful on the
phone. I'll get a Maxtor when possible from now on.
2) Buying a third party enclosure and adding your own drive will
often cut your total costs almost in 1/2. I've been able to
"make" my own 2-300GB external drives for the price of a
pre-built 80G (or less) each time. [BTW, "make" == "use a
screwdriver for a minute." Don't be afraid.]
3) The best method, imo, is to watch the Sunday flyers for
sales at the local Big Box store on hard drives. On Black
Friday, for example, there were 300GB drives at Staples for $40
(I should have bought 5, but was too late). On pricewatch.com,
right now, there are a number of places offering 200GB WD
drives (formerly, the standard) for ~$75-80. That's ok, but
look for a local loss leader.
4) Enclosures can be found everywhere for 1/2 to 1/10th the
cost of what you can get at at a Best Buy, etc. eBay is a
favorite, but I've gotten a 1/2 dozen from dealsonic.com, which
makes browsing for the features you want (size, connection,
etc.) quite easy. You can usually find a decent one for
$25-$35. The previous comments about finding *cool* (temp, not
aesthetic) ones is, indeed, important. Look for drive
enclosures with fans. If *quiet* is also important, then you
have to start spending $$.
5) Special requirements (FW+USB, 2.5" drives, SATA, etc.) are
all just as possible.
6) THAT said, I just spotted this deal on pricewatch.com:
http://www.memorylabs.net/300gb72rpmex.html
If you aren't looking for extra performance (i.e., you just want
to save your files for your slim), that USB/Maxtor/300GB deal
at $121 is pretty good!
--
Chip Hart - Pediatric Solutions * Physician's Computer Company
chip @ pcc.com * 1 Main St. #7, Winooski, VT 05404
800-722-7708 * http://www.pcc.com/~chip
f.802-846-8178 * Pediatric Software Just Got Smarter.
Your Practice Just Got Healthier.
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