Thinkpads Forum

Been waiting 4 weeks for my ordered X60; annoying but normal I guess.

I am researching external harddrives for the machine and wondering what experiences people have with various brands.

Have searched the forum and only read about the ability of some to use USB-only from the right port. I have looked at LaCie and Western Digital but they seem to get mixed reviews about suddenly not working anymore.

Looking for a reliable, small, and relatively portable USB-powered external harddrive. Not planning on carrying it with me everyday, but I do move around a lot and not interested in carrying an enormous component around.

Trolle wrote:I am researching external harddrives for the machine and wondering what experiences people have with various brands.

Have searched the forum and only read about the ability of some to use USB-only from the right port. I have looked at LaCie and Western Digital but they seem to get mixed reviews about suddenly not working anymore.

Looking for a reliable, small, and relatively portable USB-powered external harddrive. Not planning on carrying it with me everyday, but I do move around a lot and not interested in carrying an enormous component around.

You are not limited to the external hard drive brands -- you can simply buy a standard 2.5" (ATA, not SATA) drive and an inexpensive ($20 range) external USB housing for it. Or if you have a spare 2.5" drive, just pop it in. 3.5" drives desktop drives work, too, but will need substantially larger housings.

One thing to keep in mind is that 7200 rpm drives may need more power than the USB interface can supply. For example, my old Hitachi 7K60 will not run off the USB, I have to use a case with an external power supply.

I use the Porsche Lacies (250GB and 500GB, might need another 500 soon). I also carry around a 40GB slim drive with me. If you need more space/speed provided by a 2.5" drive, then go with the Porsche Lacie. They are solid drives and look pretty cool.
If you need a 2.5", my experience is limited there, but I do know that Lacie makes a 2.5" version of these Porsche drives.

I have had excellent results using a Western Digital Passport 120GB 5400RPM external hard drive. It's thin, light and has a small footprint on the desk. Runs from a single USB cable and is quiet and cool. They offer a very well made case that zips closed and protects the drive from scratches or jarring while being transported.

mfratt wrote:I use the Porsche Lacies (250GB and 500GB, might need another 500 soon). I also carry around a 40GB slim drive with me. If you need more space/speed provided by a 2.5" drive, then go with the Porsche Lacie. They are solid drives and look pretty cool.

Do the Lacies run off USB, or do they need an external power supply?

AFAIK, all external HDs based on 3.5" drives will need a separate powerbrick, as USB simply isn't up to the task of powering them. All external HDs based on 1.8" drives or smaller (CF/Microdrive) can be reliably powered by one USB cable.

Drives based on 2.5" HDs are right on the edge of the USB specs WRT power consumption. Some can be powered by one cable, most supply an extra cable that goes into a second USB port for extra power. And some laptop USB ports are weaker than others, though Thinkpads usually supply a decent amount of juice. I've used some 2.5" drives (last was a Seagate Momentum 5400rpm) in an external enclosure that couldn't even be powered by 2 USB cables.

So with 2.5" drives, it's just a hit or miss. My coworker has a 2.5" Lacie Porche that would only work with 2 cables. Didn't try it on my Thinkpad tough.

Seagate Portable and WD Passport drives work great with my T42p. No need for add'l power cable.