External Hard Drive for iMAC - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

rgomes · 2010-02-06, 09:23 AM

Can someone point me to a thread whereby External Hard Drive for the iMAC are discussed?

Or can someone give me some recommendations?

I'm looking for a mere backup of all of my photographs. I shoot everything in RAW and the files are huge.

I know Apple pushes their Time Machine product but it doesn't seem a little pricey $329 (1 TB) when compared to all of the External Hard Drives I see advertised for around $100.

What are all of you using?

Thanks again!

timmy1 · 2010-02-06, 10:57 AM

You can use any external drive for backup - you don't need anything fancy. Just plug it into your iMac and then configure the Time Machine software that comes standard with OSX.

doglips · 2010-02-06, 12:35 PM

I'm using 2 of these for general back up duties:

http://www.lacie.com/ca/products/product.htm?pid=10949

pappcam · 2010-02-06, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doglips

I'm using 2 of these for general back up duties:

http://www.lacie.com/ca/products/product.htm?pid=10949

That's way too pricey.

You can buy a 1 TB external for under $100 nowadays.

doglips · 2010-02-06, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pappcam

That's way too pricey.

You can buy a 1 TB external for under $100 nowadays.

So provide a link then.

U · 2010-02-06, 02:25 PM

I use a 1TB WD external USB HDD (MyBook) with Time Machine and it works great for backups. I also have lots of pictures and for that my working drive is an external FW800 drive (the internal HDD was getting full). Those are more expensive than stuff you see at the big chain stores but also much faster... I have a G-Drive (made by Hitachi) for that purpose and it works pretty good. You can usually get them at places where they sell cameras.

Pinza · 2010-02-06, 02:26 PM

That was a little abrupt, doglips.

"Please" provide a link might work slightly better....

cooper83 · 2010-02-06, 04:48 PM

Quote:

I know Apple pushes their Time Machine product but it doesn't seem a little pricey $329 (1 TB) when compared to all of the External Hard Drives I see advertised for around $100.

That would be the Time Capsule, and it's a wireless router + external harddrive in one unit, so you can't compare the price to other external harddrives.

As mentioned above, you don't need anything Mac-specific. I'm using a Western Digital MyBook and it works great. You can use USB or FireWire connection on your iMac.

Pinza · 2010-02-06, 06:01 PM

I use a "D-Link" NAS device, which allows us to backup both out Mac Book Pro's without any problems, using "Time Machine". If I recall correctly the D-Link has 2 x 750Gb drives inside.

As others have said, any External Drive should be just fine.

99semaj · 2010-02-06, 07:21 PM

I use WD "Studio Edition II", the 2TB version. I can't recommend it currently, because it has intermittently been shutting itself off, causing untold grief.

rgomes · 2010-02-06, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timmy1

You can use any external drive for backup - you don't need anything fancy. Just plug it into your iMac and then configure the Time Machine software that comes standard with OSX.

I see, so "Time Capsule" is Apple's external hard drive and Time Machine is the software that comes with the MAC. I can use any external hard drive and it'll work with "Time Machine"? I see, I see....

jshel101 · 2010-02-08, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinza

I use a "D-Link" NAS device, which allows us to backup both out Mac Book Pro's without any problems, using "Time Machine". If I recall correctly the D-Link has 2 x 750Gb drives inside.

Would you mind telling me how you got Time Machine to recognize your NAS device? I have been only able to get it to recognize a ext drive plugged directly into my iMac. I also have a D-Link NAS, and I would love to be able to use one of my drive on that to back up my iMac.

okcomputer · 2010-02-15, 01:59 PM

I have a 500gb and 1tb of these:

http://www.lacie.com/ca/products/product.htm?pid=11016

Next one I'll get will be FireWire though.

Pinza · 2010-02-15, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jshel101

Would you mind telling me how you got Time Machine to recognize your NAS device? I have been only able to get it to recognize a ext drive plugged directly into my iMac. I also have a D-Link NAS, and I would love to be able to use one of my drive on that to back up my iMac.

It just did. I hooked up the NAS, then turned on my MBP, there was the NAS.....

I never had to do anything at all and it works flawlessly.

2010-02-06, 09:23 AM	#1
rgomes Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 118	External Hard Drive for iMAC Can someone point me to a thread whereby External Hard Drive for the iMAC are discussed? Or can someone give me some recommendations? I'm looking for a mere backup of all of my photographs. I shoot everything in RAW and the files are huge. I know Apple pushes their Time Machine product but it doesn't seem a little pricey $329 (1 TB) when compared to all of the External Hard Drives I see advertised for around $100. What are all of you using? Thanks again!

2010-02-06, 12:35 PM	#3
doglips Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 403	I'm using 2 of these for general back up duties: http://www.lacie.com/ca/products/product.htm?pid=10949 __________________ Pan 50GT50; Pio Rec VSX-519V-K; Shaw phone, HS Ext inter, HD cable DCX3400; 2011 iMac, 2.7 GHz i5; Parad Mini-MK3's

2010-02-15, 01:59 PM	#13
okcomputer Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Halifax, NS Posts: 202	I have a 500gb and 1tb of these: http://www.lacie.com/ca/products/product.htm?pid=11016 Next one I'll get will be FireWire though. __________________ Panasonic 42PZ85 + Eastlink - iPhone 4 32gb - MacBook Pro 15.4 Hi-Res 2.2 i7 8gb 500gb + iMac 27 3.4 i7 12gb 1tb

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2010-02-06, 10:57 AM	#2
timmy1 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 258	You can use any external drive for backup - you don't need anything fancy. Just plug it into your iMac and then configure the Time Machine software that comes standard with OSX.

2010-02-06, 02:25 PM	#6
U Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 1,488	I use a 1TB WD external USB HDD (MyBook) with Time Machine and it works great for backups. I also have lots of pictures and for that my working drive is an external FW800 drive (the internal HDD was getting full). Those are more expensive than stuff you see at the big chain stores but also much faster... I have a G-Drive (made by Hitachi) for that purpose and it works pretty good. You can usually get them at places where they sell cameras.

2010-02-06, 02:26 PM	#7
Pinza Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: GTA Posts: 8,576	That was a little abrupt, doglips. "Please" provide a link might work slightly better....

2010-02-06, 06:01 PM	#9
Pinza Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: GTA Posts: 8,576	I use a "D-Link" NAS device, which allows us to backup both out Mac Book Pro's without any problems, using "Time Machine". If I recall correctly the D-Link has 2 x 750Gb drives inside. As others have said, any External Drive should be just fine.

2010-02-06, 07:21 PM	#10
99semaj Veteran Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: /dev/null Posts: 2,664	I use WD "Studio Edition II", the 2TB version. I can't recommend it currently, because it has intermittently been shutting itself off, causing untold grief.