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After Google-ing and Amazon.com searching and researching I can't get a straight layman's answer to my question about external HDs. Basically, I have a bunch of stuffs (mp3s, baby pictures, nude female wrestling videos) on my 6 year old PC running Windows XP. The machine is getting gradually noisier and has crashed more and more in recent times. I fear the end will come in a years time. So, I need to transfer all my junk to an external HD for safety's sake, and to be able to transfer it to a new PC or Mac one day. Here are my issues:

1) Will an external HD that was used with XP be able to transfer files into a Windows 7 PC?
2) Will an external HD that was used with XP be able to transfer files into a OSX?
3) I have a Macbook, and Mac Mini presently as well. Can they share storage space on the HD with the XP PC, like one big happy family?
4) Can iTunes read off the external HD if I wanted to permanently keep music on the HD, but keep the iTunes program on the core PC?
5) Do you have to defrag external HDs?

i think you've overthinking it... external HD is sorta like a big memory stick... does that answer most of it?

Just keep the external HD formatted to FAT32 and it'll work on both XP and OSX. Also, don't rely on an external to store all that data. Keep it as a backup. The life expectancy of any external HD I keep at 18 months. Out of 4 I've never had one last longer than that.

You can defrag the external but it's not really necessary.

One thing, DON'T EVER BUY A MYBOOK EVEREVAREVAR!

1) Probably, but i don't know much about Windows.
2) For media files and documents, yes.
3) See #2. i wouldn't share a drive between the two for programs and system files, but for storing MP3s and videos, sure.
4) Yes.
5) About as much as any other drive. But since the system software isn't running on it, it shouldn't be as big of a deal.

For your Macs, get a drive with Firewire 800. Transfers will be much faster than with USB2.

Necrometer wrote:i think you've overthinking it... external HD is sorta like a big memory stick... does that answer most of it?

Really?! That's awesome then. All these reviews were confusing the hell out of me, and had me thinking I had to make sure of A, B, and D, but only if you had C, and such.

Yep, all of the advice in this thread is sound, but it's quite simple. It's my impression that most external HDs will run fine for both, out of the box. So don't try to make a problem and you won't have a problem.

This thing about them dying is dead serious, though - always think of it as a backup and NOT as a "storage solution". Never have the data JUST on the external.

I have had one for a few years that runs fine, but it's only been on while I'm actively using it. I think keeping them spinning contributes to their death.

Zap Rowsdower wrote:Just keep the external HD formatted to FAT32 and it'll work on both XP and OSX. Also, don't rely on an external to store all that data. Keep it as a backup. The life expectancy of any external HD I keep at 18 months. Out of 4 I've never had one last longer than that.

You can defrag the external but it's not really necessary.

One thing, DON'T EVER BUY A MYBOOK EVEREVAREVAR!

Hmm? Then I should think about investing in this with a time table of a year to get a new PC. Oh, and I was looking at MYBOOKs.... .... close call.

I guess now I'm going to ask if anyone has a brand or model recommendation. I was checking CNET and them seem to really like the one kind of HD that I was specifically told not to get here.

A buddy and I have Seagate ones... everyone will badmouth whichever they bought and broke, so I think it's reasonable to trust a site that gathers info.

Every MyBook I've owned or have known someone to own (about 5 of them total) have failed within a year. They just seem iffy given the amount of storage compared to the price, same with Fantom and Lacie drives. I've heard great things about Seagate, but really as long as it's only going to provide backup I'd say get whatever. If you're looking for something to be the sole storage of data, I'm sure your tower has enough space to fit an internal slave drive, which would also be cheaper.

I use one of these babies for extra storage for my laptop.. its small as hell, 500GB and requires no additional power other than USB. Does the job, as long as you keep another backup of the drive somewhere else as well.

Zap Rowsdower wrote:Every MyBook I've owned or have known someone to own (about 5 of them total) have failed within a year.

That's quite the anti-endorsement!

I've owned two, my roommate one and my friend had two at work. All of them failed. The two I had I owned simultaneously. They died within a month of each other after about a year after purchase.