External Hard Drive Question!!! - USB 2.0 vs FireWire!

I'm planning on getting a new external hard drive, i got my eye on the Comstar Platinum 3.5" 320GB one (Future Shop web store)

my only question is can u run a program thats saved on the external hard drive via usb 2.0?

i've heard a rumour that this is only possible via firewire - and if this is the case does it have to be 800 or can it just be 400?

 

First of all I would like to suggest you to go with a 2.5" HDD...
Reason: Because you dont need an adaptor to give extra power to run this drive. You can straight away hook that HDD by USB and run it on any computer.. Also Its small and less weight...

You can install programs on it but you can only run them on that particular computer not on any other computer because it has smthing to do with registry files. Installing on a USB drive is xactly like installing on D drive where as if you format ur C drive and reinstall windows then u have to install the programs again..

I hope this will help you....

 

interesting, is there anyway u could install the programs onto it so the registry files apply to the external hd?

but anyway, ur saying if i did install a program on the external hd, i'd be able to run it on my comp with no problems?

 

the only downside to 2.5" hd's are that they cant hold as much, the one i want is 320 gigs; find me a 320 gig 2.5" external hd for the same amount of money and ill be surprised, and i'll give you a shiney nickle

 

Registry files goes into windows registry file, which is actually in your computer...
Yup, you can install and run programs on an external HDD. But an interface might slow down the access to it. I mean you will gonna buy a 2.0 USB interface enclosure and if you hook that in a 1.1 USB port(Which will be in your computer) will really slow things down.

 

interesting, again..

i'm looking for something with the mac like interface (meaning it pops up on ur desktop when you plug it in)

 

this'll be my first external hd and i'm not exactly sure of what to expect for pc

i've delt with them on macs, but they were all firewire - usb's a diff story for me

 

im pretty sure i do have usb 2.0 in my comp, so it shouldnt be that slow..

 

oops! storage space is the limitation in this case.. I can find 160GB but that also too expensive...! If thats the case then you better go off with a 3.5" one. Also the link you have given in your first post takes ur somewhere else..

 

If your computer has MAC OS then i cant say anything about firmware because I have never dealt with it!

 

i mislead you, i dont have mac os on my comp, i mearly stated that i've used external hd's with macs, my comp here is your standard windows xp

 

oh right, about the link, wierd, i pasted the link and it.. did wierd stuff - lets try again --> http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10079845&catid=23795&logon=&langid=EN

 

would you suggest i get an internal hd and stick in a case? or just buy an external one offa futureshop or somewhere else

 

Thats exactly what that is. If you open that USB Case you will find a HDD inside which you can hook inside your computer as well. These days you can buy SATA drive enclosures as well. They will work fine with the USB ports but if in future you decided to add that inside your computer then make sure first that your computer supports SATA hard drives otherwise you willl need to buy a SATA controller as well.

 

i bought the external HDD from fs (link in post 12) and it was pretty good - wasn't quite meeting my expectations until i bought a USB 2.0 PCI card for my computer - WAAAAYYYY Faster now!

i wanted to transfer 7.82 gigs yesterday (before i got the USB 2.0 card) and it would have taken me 140+ minutes - with USB 2.0 it took me 11 minutes!

right now i'm installing Rise of Nations onto it

 

Kewl! So it means that u have USB 1.1 in ur Laptop??

 

void my warrenty...

 

i wish i had a laptop - i have an againg computer (1.8gh - 512 ram) that i've updated constantly

 

If you call that aging computer then check mine on the left hand side of any of my thread..

 

interesting - you have more storage than i do (on board) and a better sound card; i have a 128mb GeForce FX5200 overclocked video card and an ati tv tuner card