Advise on a simple backup solution

I am not sure if this is the right forum to put this thread in but here goes. I am looking for a simple backup solution. I just need an external drive to backup my documents, music and pictures. I am looking roughly at 1TB in size. I am looking for the most cost effective options(most things I have seen are more than $100, which seems pricey to me):

1.) Should I buy a premade external drive?(I saw this option for a good price -> Seagate Go Flex - ANY Good?)
2.) Should I buy a 3.5" desktop drive and buy a enclosure to put it in?
3.) Should I buy a 2.5" laptop drive and buy an enclosure to put it in?

I am basically looking to drag and drop my files, I don't need a backup program of any sort. Thanks.

 

I would say get a 2.5" Seagate Expansion 1.5TB USB 2.0 External Portable Hard Drive I have had a 250G sold now, 640G and now 1TB drive and they work well and so far are reliable to use. If you go and buy each separate you may spend more in the end. But they also have USB 3.0 drives as well I tend to stay away from desktop portable units as they may end up bigger then a small portable drive itself.

 

That Seagate drive is interesting especially since it can run only off USB power without having to be plugged in too. I have been reading some horrible reviews of Seagate drives for the last couple of years. This is what keeps me away from Seagate. I am looking at WD, not sure if that is any better.

 

Most (all?) 2.5 hard drives will run on USB power only. I've also witnessed some problems with a friend's external Seagate hard drive, but never had any problem with them myself. I personally use the hard drive from a dismantled 1TB toshiba external as a secondary hard drive in my notebook, never had any issue with it in almost 3 years.

However, a 3.5 would be less expensive.

I think the price and re-usability would be the main factor for choosing to go with an enclosure + notebook hard drive or "real" external drive. Unless you have a hard drive which you do not use, I do not think you will be able save money by going with a hard drive+enclosure, considering the current prices of hard drives.

Also, make sure you get one with the fastest interface your notebook can use; making backups of 100's of GBs over USB 2.0 is not a pleasant experience.

This one has good reviews, and a decent price too: Newegg.com - TOSHIBA Canvio 3.0 1TB USB 3.0 Black Portable Hard Drive HDTC610XK3B1

 

Of the 3 all of them are the same quality and do the same thing, just go with the one you can find cheapest.

I often find external drives cheaper than internal drives, I have on more than one occasion bought an external drive to rip out of its case and install into my computer.

For a more reliable backup especially big ones the 3.5" drive with its own power supply maybe better since I have on more than one occasion had 2.5" usb only power drives fail due to lack of power from the usb port.

Sometimes its just a weak usb port, other times its a crappy enclosure or a power hungry drive. This is why in most cases they come with a Y cable so you can get power from 2 usb ports.

 

What do you guys think of this drive -> WD Pasport

 

Great little backup drive. Really like the small form factor and use of USB power. Currently have two for time machine backups and general use.

 

How does this toshiba drive compare? It is also USB 3.0 and I can get it for a great price. Should I just go by price? Is WD more reliable?

 

All hard drives have practically the same failure rates, what it boils down to is customer service. I can't comment on Toshiba, but WD's RMA process is very simple.

 

Thanks for the advice Tsunade. I would personally go with WD if the price was close but there is like a $35 price difference between the two in favor of the Toshiba. I went to their site and found the following:

" Standard Exchange - Once an RMA Number is issued, the end user should package and ship the malfunctioning product, per Toshiba's then current Packaging & Shipping Guidelines, to Toshiba's Warranty Center . The product must be received by Toshiba within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date the RMA was issued. The end user will receive a replacement product generally within five to ten (5-10) business days of Toshiba's receipt and validation of the warranty for the malfunctioning product.

No credit card is needed to secure the replacement product. Toshiba suggests the method of shipment be Federal Express, UPS or another freight carrier which tracks individual shipments. Toshiba does not assume responsibility for the product during shipment from the customer's site to Toshiba.

Advance Replacement - Alternatively, an end user who wishes to obtain a replacement product before returning a defective product will be able to do this by providing valid credit card charge information. A replacement product will then be shipped to the end user, at Toshiba's expense, generally within four (4) business days after issuance of the RMA, provided a replacement drive is available.

The end user's credit card will be charged the list price for the replacement product only if the malfunctioning product is not returned and received by Toshiba's Warranty Center within ten (10) business days after the customer's receipt of the replacement drive. Once the customer receives the replacement product, the defective product must be returned in the packaging utilized to ship the replacement product. "


Is that pretty much standard policy for most manufactures these days?