Help with buying an External HDD!

[BasariStudios]

Hello all, i need some serious help, i need a secondary external
hard drive which will be mirored (or manually copied) from my
existing EX HDD. What do i do with it:
I usuallly back up or use large files, in the GIGS up to 10-15
gigs a file sometimes. The HDD will not be just a BACK UP AND
SHUT OFF but a lot of times will be on for a whole day, reading
directly from it or sitting idle. I would love if it has both, USB
and sATA...what would the advantage of FW400-800 be over the
other? Since few of that have the FW option too. Basically it will
be an everyday use HDD which will not be moved around.
Other features i like would be HOT SWAPABLE and also if possible
easy access to the actual HDDs for exchange and stuff.
It has to be 2TB or around 2 TB. I would appreciate any ideas and
recomendations...around 200$ if possible.
Any of these recomended:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%20%2f%20eSATA
Thank You ALL!

 

[BasariStudios]

Someone also mentioned this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3463938&SID=

 

[nietzschedanced]

"The HDD will not be just a BACK UP AND
SHUT OFF but a lot of times will be on for a whole day, reading
directly from it or sitting idle."

I'm using 2 Free Agents (both 500 GB), a One Touch (500 GB) and a 320 GB Passport. XP balks sometimes with all 4 attached but handles 3 with ease. When I'm online all drives are running.

Followed that link but never saw a dock for external drives before. Does one exist that accepts internal IDE drives? I might have 30 old drives I'd like to use that way.

 

[Zap]

Hello nietzschedanced, and welcome to AnandTech Forums.

You won't find IDE docks. The reason SATA docks exist is because of the hot-swappable nature of the SATA connector.

 

[nietzschedanced]

Hello nietzschedanced, and welcome to AnandTech Forums.

You won't find IDE docks. The reason SATA docks exist is because of the hot-swappable nature of the SATA connector.

Thanks Zap, I suspected something like that but needed to ask.

 

[tweakboy]

All o WDC externals and Maxtor have no power off button.

If you want to have a power off button go to www.amazon.com and search for LaCie external drive , comes with all cables usb firewire and eSATA which makes it as fast as internal SATA drive. And has power off and on switch. They use samsung HD. gl

 

[stargazr]

Here's a solution from Rosewill, you could make your own w/ an inexpensive WD Green HD. It has both eSata & USB, and a power switch. I have the USB3 model and am happy with it. It runs pretty cool with the mostly aluminum body and built-in fan. The only thing I don't like about it is it's not real stable on it's edge, you kind of have to lay it down flat.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817173043

 

[bruceb]

Check out the Western Digital Elements external hard drive. USB 2.0 interface and has NONE of the junk software on it. I just got a 1TB unit from Amazon shipped for $69.99
But, it also does not have a Power Off button. Easiest thing to do is plug it into a small surge protector strip with an On / Off Switch, if you want one.