Ask Engadget: What's the best rugged portable hard drive?

Yeah, we've let you folks toss out suggestions for a similar question back when a 1TB internal HDD was nothing more than a pipe dream, but it's about time we gave this one an update, don't you agree? Hear Ian out:

"I was wondering which portable hard drive was good enough to stand up to the life of a student. Something that can take a few bumps and not be harmed. It doesn't have to be huge in capacity, but I need one larger than 80GB. I'd obviously like FireWire and USB 2.0 if possible, but I'm not trying to spend a fortune here either."

Had any particularly good / bad experiences with battle-tested portable HDDs? We want to hear 'em all, so don't be shy, alright? To get your question up in the lights, send us a note at ask at engadget dawt com -- just don't forget to include the secret password.

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 13th 2008 12:01AM]

I'd be interested in this aswell. Ive had my share of clicking hard drives that are basically the living dead.

[G Man @ Jun 13th 2008 12:03AM]

Freecom (http://www.freecom.com) has got to be the best bet.

They had a booth at a PC Show in Singapore and the guy did a LIVE demo letting us throw them on the floor from like two meters and the drives came out alive and working well.

Sure you would not be doing that everyday but it show rugged they are.

[King Mustard @ Jun 13th 2008 12:14AM]

Aren't Freecom a poor, low-frills brand?

[Zelatio @ Jun 13th 2008 12:21AM]

What exactly needs to be frilly about a portable HDD?

[Kamokazi @ Jun 13th 2008 12:24AM]

From the looks of their website, I would say no.

Also, many 'no frills' brands are simply just decent Asian companies that don't have much recognition in the States/Europe. In many cases, brands like this can be diamonds in the rough. Really good stuff from a company you've never heard of before.

With hard drives, they're all going to be made by one of the big guys anyway, WD, Seagate, Hitachi, Fujitsu, or Samsung. It's the enclosures that make the difference.

[Zelatio @ Jun 13th 2008 12:31AM]

G Man, thanks for the link by the way. I was in the market for a portable hard drive to take to college with me, and I think I just found it!

[King Mustard @ Jun 13th 2008 12:41AM]

@Zelatio: I'd rather go with the bigger brand names (Western Digital, Seagate etc.). I trust them more with my data than those of such companies that sell their products in Argos for cheap prices.

[bjrcboy @ Jun 13th 2008 1:35AM]

@King Mustard
You realize that nearly all hard drives are made by the big guys right? This company just makes the enclosures for them. Just like how samsung manufacturers LCD Panels and other company's use them for their tvs, monitors, etc...

[G Man @ Jun 13th 2008 4:37AM]

@ King Mustard,

I am not supporting the company or anything but just because they have the word FREE in their god damned names doesn't mean it is a poor no-frills brand.

Heck I was so impressed by their performance that I have many of them at home which family members use and I can tell you one thing, it is hardly of poor quality because for one, they used a Samsung hard drive. Even I was surprised too.

Furthermore, it won this Red Dot Design award, that was also given to companies like Bodum and stuff.

And honestly speaking, it was my first time hearing of that brand during the PC Show but what the heck, IT WORKS! I was truly extremely amazed by it and was initially full of disbelief that I stood at the stall trying to check if the guy was a con-man, using 2 different hard drives but he did more than 10 two metre drops in 30 minutes and I was like OMFG, BUY.

Hope this helps and you are welcome :)

[G Man @ Jun 13th 2008 4:38AM]

@ King Mustard,

I am not supporting the company or anything but just because they have the word FREE in their god damned names doesn't mean it is a poor no-frills brand.

Heck I was so impressed by their performance that I have many of them at home which family members use and I can tell you one thing, it is hardly of poor quality because for one, they used a Samsung hard drive. Even I was surprised too.

Furthermore, it won this Red Dot Design award, that was also given to companies like Bodum and stuff.

And honestly speaking, it was my first time hearing of that brand during the PC Show but what the heck, IT WORKS! I was truly extremely amazed by it and was initially full of disbelief that I stood at the stall trying to check if the guy was a con-man, using 2 different hard drives but he did more than 10 two metre drops in 30 minutes and I was like OMFG, BUY.

Hope this helps and you are welcome :)

[G Man @ Jun 13th 2008 4:39AM]

dang pardon the double post, silly opera 9.5 is weird

[Jayden @ Jun 13th 2008 12:06AM]

RAID up a few 32GB iPod touches and your set

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 13th 2008 12:08AM]

isn't that kind of... not cost effective?

[John @ Jun 13th 2008 12:21AM]

aren't those kind of.... not actually 'rugged'? I mean, my 8 gig isn't something I would want to drop or take out of my pocket in the rain. I got it for free, but I really would not want to have to buy a new one.

[Jayden @ Jun 13th 2008 12:34AM]

They are pretty rugged except for the scratches, ive dropped mine several times and never had any problems with the storage

[Richard Lai @ Jun 13th 2008 12:44AM]

@Jayden: the glass is scratch-resistant though. Even a key can scratch it. I've tried on my iPhone. Damn that chrome back case.

[Richard Lai @ Jun 13th 2008 12:44AM]

can should be "can't"

[nosrednAneB @ Jun 13th 2008 2:32AM]

I thought the SSDs in the iPod Touch would be more rugged than a standard hard drive. Oh well.

I'll put my vote in for LaCie, but I personally use a custom job, where you stick any size hard drive in. They're not perfect, especially since when I use USB on a laptop, I need two plugs. But the one I use matches my MBP nicely and it's cheaper than a pre-built one.

[reuvypoo @ Jun 13th 2008 12:12AM]

It's not only not cost effective, one 32 GB iPod touch is the cost of 3 portable HDD's minimum.

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 13th 2008 12:14AM]

Well, that comparison isn't too wise, as SSD and HDDs are different, and since SSDs are relatively "new" to this market they are expensive.

[stephanie jobs @ Jun 13th 2008 12:14AM]

16 GB iPhone!

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 13th 2008 12:15AM]

wtf

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 13th 2008 12:19AM]

Ah. More fanboy shit. Let me dig up her profile.

~>~> I'd advise you all ignore this brat

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 13th 2008 12:19AM]

Ah. More fanboy shit. Let me dig up her profile.

~>~> I'd advise you all ignore this brat

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 13th 2008 12:20AM]

(Sorry for the triple post, please rank lowest as usual. THe post was incomplete, as you can tell. full post ahead)

Ah. More fanboy shit. Let me dig up her profile.

I'd advise you all ignore this brat

(I just farted, it sounded like a rocket blast form an old 60's rocket launch)

Ok, here are her posts:
__________________
16 GB iPhone!
_
why would anyone buy this over the iPod?
_
but can it play Crysis?
_
iPhone iPhone iPhone iPhone!!!!
_
.... to manufacture more gadgets, but not limited to, Apple products and the iPhone? ~(Haikibutsu's note: this was on a post about fertility and sperm)
_
Delete the optical drive, aluminum casing, and make adjustments so that it fits in a Manila Envelope.
_
Why would anybody want this over the 3G iPhone which will come out in a couple of months?
_
There is something in the air... *cough* Macbook knockoff *cough* ~(Haikibutsu's note: This is on a post about the MSI Wind)

[waiownsyou @ Jun 13th 2008 12:26AM]

Damn son, how many posts do you need to go to sleep at night?

[Kamokazi @ Jun 13th 2008 12:23AM]

From the looks of their website, I would say no.

Also, many 'no frills' brands are simply just decent Asian companies that don't have much recognition in the States/Europe. In many cases, brands like this can be diamonds in the rough. Really good stuff from a company you've never heard of before.

With hard drives, they're all going to be made by one of the big guys anyway, WD, Seagate, Hitachi, Fujitsu, or Samsung. It's the enclosures that make the difference.

[Kamokazi @ Jun 13th 2008 12:24AM]

Bah, I'm a noob, was replying to King Mustard about Freecom...

[Maztec @ Jun 13th 2008 12:36AM]

A book is the most rugged portable hard drive . . . er..

[Raymond @ Jun 13th 2008 12:39AM]

LaCie Rugged Hard Disk

http://www.lacie.com/us/products/range.htm?id=10036

[Jimmy @ Jun 13th 2008 12:51AM]

You, sir, are completely correct :)

[Cycomachead @ Jun 13th 2008 1:36AM]

BINGO! That's the one. Not the cheapest, but rugged and fast. Plusit's got FW 800 and FW400

You can check Lacie's refurb section or sign up for their emails they have good offers every week.

[Idlemind @ Jun 13th 2008 10:09AM]

I have two of these for my mobile DJ rig... They LOOK rugged because of the rubber outer casing... but after the curiosity got the best of me, I opened one up and theres nothing special about them inside. The drive is mounted to the inside of the case like every other drive of that form factor; and they get a tad hotter than most since they have no vent.

If they (Lacie) wants to market something RUGGED they should just sell the rubber skin so you can put it on whatever drive you want.

For my third drive I bought a G-Drive Mini.. looks nice.. stays cool... still wouldn't drop it tho.

[happy_penguin @ Jun 13th 2008 11:44AM]

Are LaCie drives really that good? I always pass them up because of price but if they are that good perhaps I've made a mistake. Reliability is worth paying for.

[Jimmy @ Jun 13th 2008 12:50AM]

LaCie Rugged Hard Disk:

Aluminum + Rubber Enclosure
FW400 + FW800
USB 2.0
Internal Anti-shock Rubber Bumpers


Too bad about the price though... a little more than I would like, but its for my MBP, which costs a LOT more than I would like. Not much I can do about that...

[Raymond @ Jun 13th 2008 12:57AM]

The USB version would be sufficient if there's budget issue.


I found the 250GB USB version online for $129.79 (Tax & Shipping Included)

[Dan @ Jun 13th 2008 1:10AM]

I'll second that. I picked up my MBP with my Lacie rugged still plugged in (it was very early in the morning) and it went bouncing across my tile floor. Been working like a champ for about a year now. I have the 250gb model. It's been all over the place with me and makes the trek to the office daily in my backpack.

[jacob @ Jun 13th 2008 2:46PM]

i'm looking forward to it. Mine is on its way. I did a lot of research and couldn't find a better solution. There aren't many 2.5" 1394b enclosures available. I found a 120gb triple interface Lacie Rugged for 89$ on the Lacie Clearance website. That's basically a free hard drive. Those triple interface enclosures are 80-100$ alone, and none look this clean, rugged and small. My decision as a macbook pro owner was completely governed by getting a fw800 interface. There are many, many options out there if usb2 is enough for you.

This is about enclosures folks, not the hard drives in them. Aside from a sudden motion sensor the hard drive has nothing to do with protecting itself. Without a dedicated power source i don't know what good a sms would do any good. the disk has to have power to move and lock the tracking arm. this really comes down to how protective is the enclosure and internal isolation.

we need more 2.5" enclosure options!!

[Louis24x7 @ Jun 13th 2008 12:52AM]

I've been using LaCie rugged drive with Firewire 800.
It's fast!

[Ayman @ Jun 13th 2008 12:53AM]

Blue Ray Drive Writer best for backing up (though expensive now but will be cheaper) 50GB per disc

for a student, that likes music and movies the logical choice is obvious

I use 2 HDD one is in my laptop 60GB (i know) and the Western Digital 320GB My book(i use it for back up purposes) and it hasn't failed me so far

... you can consider WD portable editions not expensive have warranty and Firewire and such

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=469

(pricey a bit )

[Achill3s @ Jun 13th 2008 12:56AM]

I'm a student and I have a 160 GB FW/USB HD that i take to school and drop almost everyday.

According to Disk Utility (on Leopard), its a Hitachi HTS541616J9AT00 IDE HD with a cheap $50 fake hd enclosure on it.

The external HD cost me about $133 and its running strong for like 7 mths and 100+ falls.

After experience with this, I always buy harddisks from Hitachi, Samsung, or Seagate and enclosures from anywhere and build it yourself! or get some shop to do it for u :D

[Andrew Hudson @ Jun 13th 2008 1:01AM]

About a year ago I bought a Lacie Rugged Hard drive, the orange rubber one - I think it was a 120 or 160 GB with Firewire 800, 400 and USB. It lasted about 3 months before it died completely - I'm quite tech savvy and thought that I'd just be able to reformat it and fix it. No. It's dead. It makes a fairly funky paperweight for my desk. Spent like 400 aussie dollars on it, but I live in the UK, so I couldn't even get it replaced under warranty. Do not buy this hard drive - it is not any more 'rugged' than any other hard drive apart from a bit of orange rubber. Very unhappy with the product.

[Jimmy @ Jun 13th 2008 2:33AM]

ya know what... if you were really tech savvy, you would have taken the thing apart, especially considering you weren't going to be able to return it... If a circuit failed, you could salvage the drive. If the drive failed you could re-use the enclosure. If both failed, you either treated it like crap or are just really really unlucky. BTW being able to reformat a HD does not really count as tech-savvy. There is always something even the most experienced, informed tech geeks don't know. NEVER assume that if you don't know, no-one knows. It just makes a person look foolish.

PS In regards to that last bit about the drive not being well protected: you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Open your drive up. Its very very well protected. The HD is mounted on rubber isolation brackets and everything. Oh also, try using the other connections besides USB (I assume thats what you were using). Sometimes the problem is with a port not providing enough power to the drive. (however as you have used it before with success, this is likely not the problem) See what that does for you. Best of luck to you.

[peter @ Jun 13th 2008 1:09AM]

first usb one I got was a 32meg which must have been ages ago
I might be in the market for the 1T

[ericdano @ Jun 13th 2008 1:11AM]

I use one of those OWC 2.5 portable hard drives to shuttle files between home and my studio. It works great. It goes in my bicycle pack, survives the 10 1/2 mile ride, hooks up via firewire or usb2 and gets it's power from the bus. Flawless so far (2 years of usage).

Probably dropped it a couple of times too........

[The Dude @ Jun 13th 2008 2:03AM]

I got a 320GB Western Digital MyPassport Studio delivered a couple of days ago.
See: http://westerndigital.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=469
It has USB 2.0 + FireWire 400, doesn't require a power adapter, and is encased in metal (with some black plastic trimming). $219.99 for 320 GB, 250 is $159, 160 is $129. I was looking at the the Iomega eGo drives but the warranty on those is balls, WD gives you 5 years to Iomega's 1. So the WD MyPassport Studio seems like it'll take enough of a beating but the black glossed plastic trim is a bitch, it already has a few little scratches and I've only had it 2 days. It comes with a felt case/bag for you to slip it in, though.

[Pan @ Jun 13th 2008 2:31AM]

Just get a Western Digital Passport in the size you need. I've carried mine around throughout studying and I'm using it at this very moment at work.
It looks decent, it runs off usb power and it goes for a real bargain if you look around for sales at officeworks and the like.

I just got the TB MyBook as well, and it seems good so far as well. Although I'll reserve my judgement for a few months of running it.

[eee @ Jun 13th 2008 2:19AM]

I'd have to disagree. My 60GB Western Digital drive died after a year, as did my boyfriend's (exact same model). I'm in the market for a new drive to replace it, and am avoiding WD at all costs.

[jaac @ Jun 13th 2008 2:37AM]

you could always try the Lacie rugged all-terrain drive, its not as cheap but may well be worth it. I dont have this drive, but would like to get one sometime.

[erisraven @ Jun 13th 2008 2:44AM]

I second the comments about the Western Digital drives. You couldn't give me one. In my circle of friends we count 5 failed WD in desktop systems, and two portable WD drives failed.

I have a battered old add-on case with a 250G Seagate drive in it. I think I've finally managed to cause it grief after I dropped it off the fourth shelf of my bookcase for the third time.

As far as having my files handy, I have to confess that most of my essentials live on the drive of my 40G Archos AV400. Older model, but I've beaten it up and it's still cooking along :)