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AmaG

AmaG

Born in the wrong decade
Joined
Apr 30, 2013
Messages
2,171
Need rec for external HD. Mac OS X (10.7.3) on Macbook pro. I don't use the time machine or cloud. Until now I've been backing up to back blaze and portable USBs.
 
If you want it to be a portable EHD, make sure both your MacBook Pro and the EHD has USB 3.0. If your MBP is old enough not to, you'd probably rather have a Firewire EHD. If it isn't portable, then it doesn't matter. You don't need anything special just because it's a Mac. Even if it doesn't say "Mac" anywhere on the box, you can hook it up and use Disk Utility to reformat it. IME, they're all pretty much the same. If it's a brand you've heard of, it's probably as good as any other EHD, so just find a good price. :)
 
I have a portable EHD just for scrap stuff (it's a Seagate that I picked up super cheap at Costco) and I don't have USB 3.0 on my macbook pro… but it works just fine. It's a little slow, but it's an external used for storage only. It doesn't have to be super speedy since I'm not running programs or anything off of it. I also have a regular EHD that is also USB that I use for Time Machine and as another form of backup.
 
This article is crazy long with lots of extra information, the important part is at the bottom and how to format it.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2355

The moral if the story is you can really buy any ehd, it doesn't have to say Mac. The Mac should come in this format, but double check it when you get it.

As to speed and size, it's all up to what you feel comfortable spending for what you will get.
:)
 
I have 2 EHDs right now - one for Time Machine backups (Western Digital 1TB) and another for regular files (including digiscrap stuff - Samsung). Like Heather said, it doesn't necessarily have to say for Mac. Any EHDs will do. But I've had a bad experience with a Buffalo EHD before. It was my fault (I dropped it) but the design of the EHD itself was the cause of the drop. It was like a tower. I don't buy that kind of EHD anymore.
 
i have a time capsule for my time machine backups (it's also our wireless router) - and a western digital EHD to store extra scrap supplies ;)
 
I have a WD Passport, and I love it! It just plugs right into mt computer, not the wall, and it's fast and handy.
 
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