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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."

8 of 479 comments (clear)

  1. iPod? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    40 GB, plus music, for $399? Why would you choose anything else?

    1. Re:iPod? by LBArrettAnderson · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Because archos has better mp3 players with more capacity for a lower price. not to mention they support images and video with a color LCD. They don't corrupt data and are very very fast.

    2. Re:iPod? by waynelorentz · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The iPod is excellent for its size, speed, and storage. But instead of shelling out for a new one, try finding an older iPod with a dead battery that someone is trying to unload. Maybe for $50 on eBay, or something.

      It may not be able to hold a charge on its own, but it still works great as a tiny bus-powered firewire hard drive. An external firewire drive doesn't hold a charge, either, so what's the difference?

      And if down the road your needs change, you can always replace the battery for $50 and you've got yourself a music player!

      --
      World's tallest building rises in the desert
    3. Re:iPod? by Onan · · Score: 5, Interesting
      Hah. The "they don't corrupt data" was a nice little jibe; you didn't actually make the incorrect accusation that ipods corrupt data, you just implied it. Very cute.

      Traditionally the Archos devices have been perfectly fine as long as you don't mind that they're huge. But actually, a quick glance at the site at the moment does not in fact show any products that are either larger higher capacity than ipods or lower price, much less both. The players they're offering appear to top out at 20G for $350, versus a 20G ipod for $300. And given that they're based around the same 1.8" drives that ipods are, I'd be very surprised if there's any difference in speed.

      So mostly this looks like a low-end ipod, 31% bulkier, with a quarter the cache, and $50 more expensive. In what way is this "better"?

  2. ONLINE by SirRandom · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If you're oging to be accessing your data from online enabled computers try a good online storage solution. They often cost less than the portable drives or keychains and there's nothing to get lost or stolen.

  3. Re:IPod... by evvk · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... and extremely fragile. Repeat after me: HD is bad. Once it takes a hit, it becomes shit.

    (Signed, "one fourth of my hdd mp3 is now bad sectors after having accidentally dropped it")

  4. PQI iStick by Rexz · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I have one of these: a PQI iStick 2.0.

    It's absolutely minute - far smaller than any other USB key device I've seen. It has a funny shaped contact at the end that looks like it shouldn't fit in a USB port but works perfectly.

    It's made of study plastic and comes with a wallet-sized carrier/protector slightly larger than a credit card. Mine is a mere 64mb but they come in flavours all the way up to 1gb.

    It works out of the box with no problems. You can use a small utility that comes on a mini-CD to add a password protected partition.

    It even has a cool LCD embedded under a thin layer of plastic that gives a funky glow when transferring!

    Heartily recommended. (Usual disclaimer: no relationship whatsoever with manufacturers or retailers other than I like their product.)

  5. 2.5" USB/Firewire by mottie · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I work for a tech company and we are always having "failed" laptop drives come through. Run a lowlevel format on them, and then throw them into a 2.5" enclosure. Works great as long as you don't mind the fact that your data could become corrupt at any time.

    http://www.frontierpc.com/productlist.aspx?Categor yID=CA-1705/

    has a really good selection. If you're looking at USB enclosures, make sure you get one that either has an external power supply, or has a second USB/ ps2 connector to draw power when you're not on a powered USB hub or are on an older laptop.