For constant travelers or business owners who are always on the go, keeping data and files safe in one compact hard drive is a top priority. And so LaCie, makers of reliable digital storage devices, introduces the LaCie Rugged Hard Disk as your data’s best defense against the rough daily grinds of the real word.

The LaCie Rugged Hard Disk is a shock-proof handy external drive designed to protect your data against the harsh elements of the world. It is MIL-compliant, which means it passed the strict standards of the United States Army’s Developmental Test Command.

LaCie Rugged Hard Disk Features

The LaCie Rugged Hard Disk is an external hard drive that can store up to 500GB (7200 rpm) of data. It is compatible with various Windows platforms as well as Mac OS 10.5 or higher, including Time Machine.
It has three interfaces: 1 USB 2.0 interface, 1 FireWire 800 port and 1 FireWire 400 port. Transfer speed ranges between 50MB/s to 100MB/s. Bus-powered, compact and pocket-sized.

The LaCie Rugged Hard Disk is a shock-proof device that can withstand falls of up to 2.2 meters. It comes in a scratch-protected aluminum varnished shell, and a shock-resistant rubber sleeve that comes in various colors. The device has dimensions of 3.6 x 5.7 x 1 inches and weighs about 250g.

Pros

What I really like about the LaCie Rugged Hard Disk is that it is rugged – as the name suggests. For someone like me who is always on the go, a shock-resistant portable drive is an essential tool that will give me the peace of mind that my data is well-protected from the bumps and grinds of my daily routine. The fact that it is shock resistant up to 2.2 meters is truly exceptional. Aside from that, it is MIL-Compliant which means the United States Army’s Developmental Test Command tested it under extreme conditions.

Of course, the device is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS and comes with FireWire and USB interfaces for universal connectivity – making it a very versatile device. With its triple interface solution, you can interchange data between a Mac and a PC easily!

One other thing I love about the product is that the shock-resistant rubber sleeve is interchangeable, allowing you to “dress it up” to suit your personality.

Cons

While the LaCie Rugged Hard Disk is a great tool for professionals on the go, a 500GB storage capacity may not be enough. With videos, pictures and other files getting bigger and bigger in size, you may be better off getting a storage device with a larger capacity. Luckily, the LaCie Rugged Hard Disk is also available in 750GB and 1TB capacities.

Although the protective rubber sleeve is interchangeable, the standard orange sleeve may not be too attractive to some. To give it a more personalize touched, shelling out a few bucks might be necessarily.

Bottom Line

The LaCie Rugged Hard Disk is one of the best shock-proof external drives out in the market today. It is rugged, study and tough. If you are the constant traveler or a businessperson on the go, you can really rely on the LaCie Rugged Hard Disk to keep your data safe and protected as you go about your business for the day. It’s almost like a worry-free data storage that allows you to save, backup and transfer files on the road, hassle-free.

The LaCie Little Big Disk Quadra 1TB portable external hard drive is a versatile product brought to you by one of the best providers of digital storage products. Small, compact and lightweight, it is advertised as the perfect portable storage device for professionals on the go.

The device is sleek and stylish, designed by Neil Poulton who is an award-winning product designer. It is equipped with USB, Firewire and eSATA interfaces, and has an all-aluminum heat sink body.

Features

The LaCie Little Big Disk Quadra 1TB stores up to 1 Terabyte of data (7200 rpm) and is compatible with either a PC or Mac. It is fully plug and play with Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard (including Time Machine) as well as Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 7 and comes with Genie and Intego Backup Assistant.

It is equipped with four interfaces: 2 Firewire 800 ports with bus speed of 100MB/s (50MB/s for FireWire 400), 1 USB 2.0 port with bus speed of 60MB/s and an eSATA 3Gbits port with bus speed of up to 300MB/s. The device also has a built-in RAID 0.

The device weighs 1.4 lbs. with dimensions of 1.6 x 3.3 x 5.5 inches. It comes with a fan-less cooling system and relies on an all-aluminum heat sink body.

Pros

There are a lot of good things about the LaCie Little Big Disk Quadra 1TB storage device. It is a very versatile product that can be used with either a Mac or a PC, using its USB, FireWire or eSATA interfaces, allowing you to transfer data in amazing speed rates. Having a built-in Raid 0 is a huge bonus too. Daisy-chaining with other LaCie data storage devices is also possible using one of the two FireWire interfaces.
The LaCie Little Big Disk, as the name implies, is small and compact yet offers high-capacity data storage that allows you to store your data effectively. It is portable and lightweight, so people on the go can bring it along anywhere they want.

It is elegantly designed, with a blue LED power indicator at the front that functions as an on/off button too – truly, ingenious. Noise is very minimal as it does not use a fan for its cooling system and relies on its all-platinum heat sink body for temperature control.

Cons

There are not so many negative things about the LaCie Little Big Disk Quadra 1TB. In fact, if you are cool with handling a 1.4-pound portable storage device, then there isn’t much to complain about the product really.
However, there is only one USB port and is version 2.0, not 3.0. Aside from that, the eSATA interface can be a little bit tricky too, especially to someone not familiar how it works.

Bottom Line

The LaCie Little Big Disk Quadra 1TB is a sleek and well-designed portable external hard drive that offers fast data transfer rates and high-capacity data storage. It is small and compact, making it great for people on the go who need reliable and dependable mobile devices.

Since it is compatible with both Mac and PC, it offers cross-platform compatibility. It is very versatile and can be used via USB, FireWire and even eSATA interfaces. Overall, it is a top notch product that gives value for your money.

Where to buy?

We recommend buying the LaCie little big disk from amazon.com, they offer the best price with free shipping.

For this review, we have divided the 2tb external hard drives into two categories – the 2TB desktop external hard drive and the 2TB portable external hard drive. Like what we have mentioned in our other external hard drive reviews, the desktop variation requires an external power supply which means you will need a separate power source for it unlike the portable version that can be powered simply via USB.

Top 2TB Desktop External Hard Drives

Western Digital WD Elements 2TB USB 2 Desktop External Hard Drive

Link: Buy from amazon

Coming in first is the most popular drive – the Western Digital Elements Desktop External hard drive. Most people buy this because it’s the most popular brand in the hard drive industry so most consumers choose this by default which isn’t a bad decision at all. If you’re the regular computer user and do not demand too much from a hard drive and just need the reliability and peace of mind the western digital brand provides, then this is the perfect drive for you.

If you’re a mac user, you have to take note that you will need to reformat this drive before you can start using it with your macbook or iMacs. If you’re a mac user and prefer a drive that works straight out from the box we recommend the G-Technology G Drive.

Bottom line: this drive is cheap, does its job and has a 1 year warranty. The only major drawback we see with this drive is its lack of support for USB 3.0 which proves to be a huge bottleneck for any drives larger than 1TB. But if you consider yourself a basic computer user who does not deal with multimedia or large files in general, then this drive is perfect for you, otherwise get the Lacie Minimus.

LaCie Minimus 2 TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive

Link: Buy from Amazon

The past few years the Lacie brand has been getting some well deserved attention especially since they have proven to be a good solid performer. The LaCie Minimus is actually the smallest USB 3.0 external desktop hard drive to date covered in sleek aluminum that is both stylish and sturdy weighing in at only 1 pound. Compatibility is one of the pros since its LaCie backup assistant will work with both the Mac and PC. The ultrafast USB 3.0 is a big plus as well especially if you’re going to be transferring HD movies, music, photos, or any file that is bigger than usual. Now if you don’t have USB 3, you wouldn’t have to worry since it is backwards compatible to USB 2.0. Another huge plus is the fact that it provides an extra USB port power cable which means you can just plug it in your computers USB to power it – no need to look for that extra power socket which could be a pain at times.

Bottomline: It costs a few dollars more than western digital but the sleek, compact, sturdy and fast LaCie proves to be a great choice amongst the 2tb desktop external hard drives in the market.

G-Technology G-DRIVE Q 2TB External Hard Drive w/ eSATA, USB 2.0, Firewire 400, Firewire 800

Link: Buy from Amazon

Last but not the least is the G-Technology G-DRIVE. This is one of our favorite external hard drive brands for mac users. Apart from its super sleek and very well themed look that matches perfectly with your mac computer, it also provides a variety of options connectivity – from USB 2 all the way to Firewire 800. If you’re a mac user this is the best drive to have not only because its fast but also because it is compatible with time machine. G-Tech also provides one of the longest warranty coverages of 3 years.

A couple of cons we have noticed is the number of users stating that the drive is noisy but there are also a couple ones attesting to its quietness so if you’re a bit sensitive to noise, go with the Lacia Minimus instead. The bright light coming being emitted by the hard drive may also be annoying to some but can be resolved easily by covering it with black tape. Other than that, if you have enough budget and you need a fast, reliable drive, go with G-Tech.

There aren’t a lot of 4tb external hard drives available in the market today. And the ones that are available would cost more than $200. But since the demand for much bigger capacities is soaring, most people find 1TB external hard drives seriously lacking in space.

Hard drives equipped with this kind of capacity support faster connectivity options (read – USB 2.0 won’t cut it). The type of people who need this much space are the ones who are working with movies, photos, videos, animations – in short those who deal with huge file sizes who need bigger and faster drives. These 4tb hard drives also work well as backup drives.

No matter what your reason may be for wanting to buy a 4tb external hard drive, it seriously beats having to pay for two 2tb external hard drives or even 4 x 1Tb external hard drives.

4tb External Hard Drive

G-Technology G-RAID 4TB Dual External Hard Drive

G drives are known to be very stable and fast. It is packed with varying high speed interfaces which will guarantee maximum data transfers. The G-Raid 4Tb was created with professional content creation applications in mind which means it is expected to live up to post-production environments.

Most reviews are raving about how fast this drive is and we certainly do not doubt the speed. Warranty wise, G-tech has one of the best. We certainly cannot fault this hard drive for anything other than it’s price tag but that too is considered a value for money considering that you can get this for as much as 30% off at amazon.

Western Digital My Book Studio II WDH2Q40000N

The Western Digital My Book Studio II is a high-performance 4TB external hard drive that can be connected using Firewire, USB, and eSATA. Virtually any computer or laptop can be connected to this drive without the need for special ports or cables. With it’s high-speed firewire 800 combined with the power of Raid 0, smooth video editing and 3D rendering is absolutely not a problem for this drive.

It comes with a 5 year warranty is readily formatted for the mac. The only real question is – can you afford it?

Why do you need an additional xbox 360 slim hard drive?

1. You need much more storage space to save those Xbox originals downloads
2. You want to download so much stuff from the xbox live marketplace
3. Store and download loads and loads of HD videos anywhere from movies to TV series (mind you those HD movies are about 3gb a piece)
4. Because you have a 4GB console and you are in dire need of additional space
5. Rip a ton of CDs

You obviously need additional space because you’re here looking for one so we’ll cut right through the chase and list down our choices for the xbox 360 slim hard drive.

Xbox 360 Slim Hard Drive Recommendations

Please do note that the hard drives listed here are compatible with Xbox 360 slims only.

Microsoft Xbox 360 Hard drive

The microsoft xbox 360 slim hard drive comes in two editions: the 250gb and the 320gb. We highly recommend going for the 320gb edition since this is the latest that microsoft came out with. The $30 (or less) price difference is enough to justify and additional 70gb space. Some would say that it’s a bit expensive for a 320gb but you really don’t have much choice when it comes to these types of hard drives.

Do note that even though the hard drive states that it has a 320gb, you will essentially be left with roughly 298gb because of system files. All hard drives will have this disk space disparity.

You’re better off buying something originally made by microsoft so you can easily return or exchange the item if you encounter problems with it. Plus this one includes a full downloadable game – the LEGO star Wars III: clone wars.

Buy the 320gb hard drive | Read Reviews

250G HDD Hard Disk Drive For Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim

This one is definitely not made by microsoft but costs a few bucks less than microsoft’s version. And it only comes in a 250gb variant. Most of the reviews suggesting customers to buy this hard drive instead of the original one were the ones who bought early on and suffered a $100 difference. Today though, the price difference so much less than $100. Plus theres a 70gb space difference. But if you’re on a very very tight budget then this one is for you. Doesn’t come with the LEGO game but should work well.

Buy 250gb hard drive | Read the reviews

Conclusion

So far those are your only two real choices when it comes to an xbox 360 slim hard drive. If you do get any of the hard drives, be sure to get an xbox 360 data transfer cable so you can easily transfer between hard drives.

Top 500GB External Hard Drive Reviewed

We’ll go straight to the point and list our top 500gb external hard drive choices:

Western Digital My Passport Essential 500 GB

Arguably the most popular manufacturer of hard drives both external and internal is Western Digital. With a reputation like that, one cannot help but blindly trust them for their drive needs. Fortunately for us, Western Digital rarely fails. And with the addition of a new Western Digital 500gb External Hard Drive My Passport Essential, they have certainly created a winning product.

What we like about this 500gb external hard drive

• Compatible with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 – if your machine supports 3.0, it’s a huge leap from USB 2.0 so better take advantage of this high speed transfer. It’s 3x faster than USB 2.0 which is definitely a huge advantage if you’re working with videos, photos and music.
• USB Powered – since this is a portable external hard drive, this doesn’t require a separate power source. Just plug in your USB cable and it’s good to go
• Very Portable! – It’s 2.5 inches thick which could easily slip into your laptop bags without the extra bulge. Plus it weighs only 5 ounces!
• Comes in various colors – If you hate having the same old black hard drive then you’re in luck, this one comes in a variety of colors from blue to silver.
• Backup Software – Like all western digital external hard drives, this one too comes with a backup software. Of course, you won’t be forced to use it but it’s definitely a nice to have.
• 2 year warranty – Even though other hard drives provide 3-5 years warranty, for us, 2 years is enough time for a western digital hard drive. They have proven time and time again that they are one of the best if not the best in the hard drive industry. Support is prompt and responsive as well so anytime you encounter problems with your hard drive, just give them a call.

Like most people, we too recommend the Western Digital 500gb hard drive. It’s one of the most heavily reviewed product and remains to be part of the bestsellers list. Even if your laptop or desktop does not have USB 3 support, it’s still a good buy since it also supports USB 2.0. And by the time you upgrade your machine, you can instantly take advantage of the USB 3 connection.

Buffalo Technology MiniStation Stealth 500GB External Hard Drive

It may not be as popular as the western digital hard drives, but it sure does the job and it does it well. Reviewed as the best portable external hard drive, it exceeded expectations. It’s slightly cheaper than the WD Hard drive and it only supports USB 2.0. But for a USB 2, the speed is definitely better than the average.

This gets our recommendation because it is both fast and tiny. Heating problems are also almost non-existent. Even with continuous transfers, it doesn’t get too hot compared to other drives.

Recommended Additional Accessories

Since you’re purchasing a portable hard drive and you’re obviously going to take it with you, we recommend buying a carrying case to help prevent scratches. It also helps in organizing your cables rather than having to dump the cable somewhere within your laptop bag or backpack. If you’re buying the western digital portable hard drive, you could get the carrying case here, won’t cost you more than $8.

Where to Buy

All items presented in this review can be bought over at Amazon. The links below will point you to the cheapest price we’ve found:

1. Get the Western Digital My Passport Essential 500 GB
2. Get the Buffalo Technology MiniStation Stealth 500GB External Hard Drive

If you stumble upon any 500gb external hard drive worth mentioning, just leave a comment so we could add it up on our list!

The G-Technology G-DRIVE Q 2TB External Hard Drive is the best external hard drive for mac!

Get this product now with a 20% discount just by clicking here

The Best External Hard Drive for Mac

We recently discovered that there are a ton of mac users who are looking for the best external hard drive for mac computers or laptops. If you have gone and looked at various external portable hard drives, you might have noticed that there are hard drives that are built specifically with the mac in mind. While it is true that any portable drive could work with your mac, compatibility with the apple time machine may be non-existent. The Apple time capsule may be one of the alternatives some have considered but majority of mac users prefer other drives (especially since the time capsule is a bit expensive).

What to look for in finding the best external hard drive for mac

To make it simple, we have put together a list of things to consider while you’re on the lookout for the best external hard drive for mac computers/laptops:

• Portable or Desktop? – First, you have to know in advance which machine you will be using the hard drive for. If you will be using it mainly as backup drive for your iMac, then choose an external desktop hard drive. However, if you plan to use it with your laptop and need the portability then a portable external hard drive is a big must. Take note that hard drives for desktops need a separate power source while the portable drives are simply powered via the connection cable.
• Apple Time Machine Compatibility – Time machine has become a vital program for mac users this is why other external hard drives for macs are preferred over ordinary hard drives. The Apple Time Machine allows you to automatically backup your files making sure that your files are kept up to date.
• Port/Connectivity/Interface – This can be USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 / Firewire 400 / Firewire 800 . Thunderbolt is the latest and fastest so far but not all macs are equipped with it. If you need speed for playbacks, those with firewire 400 and firewire 800 are your safest best. Otherwise, a usb would do just fine.

We no longer included the price and design as one of the possible factors since these mostly vary depending on personal preference and budget. Be ready to spend more than $200 for a good hard drive. Of course those equipped with firewire or thunderbolt tend to be more pricey than their USB counterpart. It is all a matter of knowing what you’ll need it for in advance even before purchasing. DO NOT go for cheap hard drives or you will risk losing your files.

Our Choices for the Best External Hard Drive for Mac computers and Laptops

1. 
   G-Technology G-DRIVE Q 2TB External Hard Drive – This, for us is the best external hard drive for mac and we seriously think this is underrated and overshadowed by the more popular western digital brand. This baby supports eSata, USB 2, Firewire 400 and Firewire 800. This alone is a huge plus point! It’s quiet, portable and is equipped with high transfer/play speeds. If you deal with photos, videos or any type of media, the G-Tech G-drive is for you. Plus it comes with a 3 year warranty.
   
2. 
   Iomega eGo 2 TB Mac Edition – The Iomega 2TB External hard drive comes in very close second to the G-Technology Hard drive. Basically, choosing either this or G-tech ends up being a good choice. The only main difference is, this one doesn’t support eSata which really isn’t a deal breaker for most. The durability of this drive is great! One reviewer even went out of his way to drop this hard drive on a hard surface while it’s in the middle of file transfers and it still went on without a glitch.
3. 
   Western Digital My Book Studio II – the western digital my book line is one of the most popular hard drives and they have a few models to choose from which are all formatted for the mac. But the My Book Studio II is our top choice because it’s lightning fast proven to keep up with 3D rendering and video editing. The quad interface as well as all the cables needed are also included. Apart from these, western digital offers a five year warranty for these drives.

There are a lot more hard drives worth mentioning but only a few worth considering. Hopefully, we were able to point you towards the right direction. From time to time, we will be updating this page as we discover the best external hard drive for mac so be sure to check in every now and then.

Western Digital Passport Portable is the best 1TB External Hard Drive!

Get this product now with a 30% discount just by clicking here

The 1tb External hard drive reviewed here are categorized in two: the desktop external hard drives and the portable external hard drives. So be sure to know exactly what you want, if you need a hard drive to go with your laptop, you are better off with a 1tb portable external hard drive. However, if you just need an external hard drive for backups that would mostly stay at your home or office, then choose the desktop external hard drives. Take note though, that the desktop variation needs a separate power source.

Our Top Portable and Desktop 1TB External Hard Drive

Top 1tB External Hard Drive – Portable Category

For laptop users or people on the go, the best choice would be a portable external hard drive. They come in different sizes and colors but are mostly very portable in both size and weight. They are a bit more expensive than their desktop counterpart but the extra $20-$30 is worth it considering the portability and the fact that it does not need a separate power source.

Below are our list for the top portable 1tb external hard drives:

1. Western Digital Passport Portable 1tb External hard drive – Ever since western digital came out with the passport model, we have remained loyal to this particular brand and model. And by the number of reviews it has been getting, it seems a lot of users share the same sentiment. Here are a few features we love about the WD passport:
   • Size & Weight – Literally fits in your pocket and weighs only 7.2 ounces and it’s even thinner than a deck of cards
   • USB 2/3 compatible. Make sure to take advantage of usb 3, it’s actually 3x faster than usb 2!
   • Has over 700+ reviews at amazon (others have less than 400)
   • It comes in three other different colors if you despise being dull
   • Has the ability to perform automatic backups, you won’t even know it’s there!
2. Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1TB – The seagate FreeAgent must be the second most popular 1tb external hard drive today. The only reason we would choose this over the Western digital passport is it’s ability to be connected to the tv via a dock (which you will have to buy at an additional cost), but if your TV can already read from USBs then there certainly is no need for that option. Other than that, we still stand by Western digital for reliability despite the 3 year warranty that goes with this drive.
   • Size & Weight – It’s slightly bigger and heavier than the WD Passport but at it’s current size and weight is still portable enough to carry around
   • Cheaper than the WD passport, in fact it’s one of the most affordable portable hard drives out there
   • You can connect this to your TV if you buy the dock. This, to us is an invaluable option that would make you want to get this hard drive.
   • Comes with a 3 year warranty. Other manufacturers only offer two!

You may also want to consider purchasing a carrying case for your 1tb external hard drive for added protection!

The Best 12TB Nas or Network Attached Storage

1. Iomega Storcenter IX4-200D NAS 12TB
   From all the 12TB NAS devices this one stands out the most. Not only because of the very attractive price tag but also because of the value you get for the “cheap” price. They also may be coming up with a program that will allow you to link your iPad and your iPhone easily.
   Below are some of the things we love about the Iomega IX4-200D
   • 3 years warranty with 3 years phone support! That in itself is invaluable considering how great their customer support is.
   • Multiple RAID options (Raid 0, Raid 1, Raid 5 – Best option)
   • Awesome security which also makes this a viable option for your business
   • Automatic Backups

   I suggest you read the great reviews so you know exactly what you are getting for a device that costs a fraction of what other brands charge.