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Portable Storage?

Posted by Cliff on from the movable-data dept.

An anonymous reader asks: "I need a portable storage solution, as I strongly desire to keep my personal stuff separate from my work stuff. In the past I have used some types of portable external hard drive (via USB connection), but I wasn't too pleased with the quality of the barebones models I found at Fry's. With so many new types of portable storage out (USB keys, 2.5" drives, full drives with enclosures, etc) I would appreciate some feedback from others using this type of device regarding what their favorite brand or model is. Remember: bigger storage is better, as is smaller size."

17 of 479 comments (clear)

  1. ximeta by Bob+Cat+-+NYMPHS · · Score: 4, Informative

    usb and ethernet, well done

    www.ximeta.com

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    The latest Slashdot meme.
    1. Re:ximeta by SensitiveMale · · Score: 3, Informative

      usb and ethernet, well done

      www.ximeta.com

      If you are using this solely as a personal drive then it is pricey, but ok.

      If you plan on sharing it then don't buy. It's crappy and crippled "sharing software" (and I use that term loosely) is terrible. You have to install special software to access it and you have to issue passwords for people to be able to write to the drive.

    2. Re:ximeta by GeoffSmith1981 · · Score: 3, Informative

      The Ximeta drive is a NDAS drive not an NAS drive. These two technologies are very different. NAS allows you to simply plug it in to the network and it is viewed as a network drive. The NDAS drives you must install software and drivers to use it. The drivers allow you to utilize the drive as a local drive that is viewed within My Computer. The USB segment does not require any special drivers, it just uses the standard Windows drivers to use it. Yes it requires you to enter special serials to read and write to the drive, but that ability to limit other's access to your drive is a security plus for me. Plus you can buy a smaller sized Ximeta drive (80 GB) and remove the HD and replace it with a 200-250 GB drive if you want to save a few $.

  2. USB Keys by gr0ngb0t · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've got a 512 mb Kingmax USB key, and it's awesome - never had any hassles with it. my dad has got a whole range of sizes of theirs and has had for a few years now - he's happy with them.

  3. Two birds with one stone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Use this AND be a babe magnet!!!

  4. Um, ThinkGeek? Hello? by ElForesto · · Score: 5, Informative

    You call yourself a Slashdot reader and yet you didn't check out ThinkGeek? For shame! I found this model on there that may fit your needs. I haven't used it before though, as a disclaimer.

    --
    There is a difference between "insightful" and "inciteful" other than spelling.
  5. It's quite simple, but expensive. by Tuxedo+Jack · · Score: 3, Informative

    I was lucky enough to get my office to pay for a LaCie Bigger Disk. It's one terabyte of space, and we don't have to worry about losing my shares or work.

    --

    Striking fear in the authors of godawful fanfiction, I am here, appearing in darkness, Tuxedo Jack!
  6. Re:iPod? by UberPfloyd · · Score: 5, Informative

    The RIO Karma player is another storage/music solution to consider. It play Ogg files too. http://www.digitalnetworksna.com/shop/_templates/i tem_main_Rio.asp?model=261/

  7. ars technica usb review by KI0PX · · Score: 5, Informative
    Ars Technica has a good USB 2.0 Hi-Speed drive review covering several USB flash drives. I got a 256MB SanDisk Cruzer Mini from newegg for $37 and was very pleased (works on Linux well).

    I'll second the vote for an iPod if you want more than that. I just bought a 20GB 3G iPod from our local university bookstore for $250, since the new 4G model just came out.

  8. Re:iPod? by mj_1903 · · Score: 4, Informative

    As someone that writes software for the iPod, I can ensure you that it would be impossible for Apple to lock someone out of the hard drive. It is a standard Fat32 mount on all systems.

    I have also never heard of data loss caused by an iPod. It's a standard hard drive. Treat it as you would most devices that store data and it will work fine.

  9. Re:ximeta - MOD PARENT UP by BenFranske · · Score: 5, Informative
    As others have said, the Ximeta drives are not really good at standards support. They sound really cool and all but they're really just USB drives with a strange USB to ethernet adapter built in. They require you to install driver to access the drive. Let me repeat they do not use smb they use a driver that emulates a local USB port over ethernet. I don't know if it has changes but one of the ones I played with didn't even support TCP/IP it used a strange protocol on top of ethernet meaning the device wasn't even routable and had to be on the same segment. I would stay away from these if you're serious about the network ability of the solution. As far as I can tell they are ok for USB access though.

    Overall it's a good idea, but very poorly implementd

  10. Re:iPod? by evn · · Score: 4, Informative
    It is a standard Fat32 mount on all systems.

    iPods configured to sync with a Macintosh will be using an HFS+ file system. A PC formatted iPod will use a FAT32 partition which apparently allows you to use your iPod on Windows and Mac OS X computers without paying any special software. I would guess that most Macintosh based iPod users have HFS formatted drives--especially if they use it as an external hard disk.

    Not the end of the world, but it is something to keep in mind if you're going to be working in a mixed environment. Tossing your term-paper onto your iPod only to find out that Windows can't read your data when you get to school is just not a pleasant situation to be in.

  11. Re:iPod? by mj_1903 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Indeed you are correct about it being HFS+, but when it comes in the box it is Fat32. If you don't run the updater on it, it can remain Fat32 and still be synced to the Mac. I probably should have been a little more obvious in my parent post.

    Also something of note, Windows has a certain tendency to want to format HFS+ devices plugged into it and this can be dangerous if you don't know what to do.

  12. Re:iPod? by Moofie · · Score: 3, Informative

    FYI, the 4G iPod will charge off the USB 2.0 port. It will not charge while syncing (or, I assume, copying data) according to the manual.

    Just a note from a happy owner.

    --
    Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
  13. My 40 GB ipod... by riprjak · · Score: 3, Informative

    is my weapon of choice for this; of course, our IT policy does NOT allow portable storage in the building (sensible, if you ask me); we dont actively enforce this (I suggested copper loops around all the doors :), but a thing to consider.

    15GB for my moderated music collection, the rest of the space as a mirror of my /home/>username directory from my personal linux box.

    Anyway, if ipod (I *REFUSE* to mac up the spelling of ipod) is too pricey, try a USB/firewire 2.5" hdd enclosure; relatively cheap (particularly if you take a trip to asia) and quite small, size of a small PDA; so relatively portable. Most come self powered (from usb/firewire) or with a separate USB~power cable.

    Anyway, just my 0.02.
    err!
    jak.

  14. Re:iPod by arivanov · · Score: 4, Informative
    Crap price per G, crap performance, not suitable for the job. The question was not about iPod avertisement solicitation. The question was about portable storage solution and at the moment there is only one answer that is reasonable as far as price/performance is concerned. It is Iomega Rev
    • 35G capacity
    • Fully supported without extra drivers on Linux 2.6.5+, Windows 2K and XP and MacOS X. 2.4 requires the write-DVD patches. Anything you write is also 100% portable because it uses UDF filesystem which prevents the relevant OSes from doing silly OS specific things
    • The cartridges are around 30£ (40$). which smacks iPod, removable harddrives and flash silly
    • The device is about the size of an external 2.5" hard drive enclosure so you can carry the device around instead of having one at home and one at work.
    • Blazing fast. Blazing fast to the point where I am seriously considering it as a suitable drive for network backups in a small to medium size office. It has roughly the same price as a DLT tape per cartridge, 5 times lower price per drive, 10 times the speed and the cartridges are only a fraction of the size. Add to that years worth of shelf life compared to months for an average tape...
    So let the iPod do what it does best - play music. It is not a good personal storage solution.
    --
    Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
    http://www.sigsegv.cx/
  15. Antidote for Maczealots: iPod killer! by jotaeleemeese · · Score: 3, Informative

    The guy should use one of the Iriver music players.

    Mine has 40GB of disk space (which is what the guy needs) shows as a hard disk (which works in Linux, Winblows and that other OS I suppose), play many different digital music formats, is an FM radio, voice recorder and allows to record directly from another device (both digital and anlaog input).

    The only problem is that is a bit bulky, but ehwn compared to some external disks it becomes a nobrainer when it comes to disk storage on the move.

    --
    IANAL but write like a drunk one.