User Name
Password
AppleNova Forums » Purchasing Advice »

good DVD-R(W) for ppb?


Register Members List Calendar Search FAQ Posting Guidelines
good DVD-R(W) for ppb?
Thread Tools
davidpark
New Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
 
2005-11-15, 12:58

im using ppb G4 OSX tiger and i need extra media to store data.
either external HDD or DVD-R(W)..
do you have any good DVD-R(W) or External HDD for ppb w/ firewire400?
  quote
Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2005-11-15, 13:31

Quote:
Originally Posted by davidpark
I'm using a PowerBook G4 with OS X Tiger installed, and I need extra room to store data. Either an external hard drive or a DVD-RW will do. Do you have any recommendations for a good DVD-RW or external hard drive for a PowerBook with Firewire 400?
Fixed grammar and spelling for clarity (please try to be a little more coherent).

Either one works, really. Getting a DVD burner will allow you to archive a lot of data, and the cost increases very slowly as your storage space increases. The initial outlay for the burner and a bunch of media is rather high, but after that you're spending just pennies per GB.

But DVD burners are a lot less convenient than hard drives. An external hard drive will let you constantly change the data on the drive, which partly mitigates the extra storage you get from DVD-Rs. Furthermore, DVD-R media can degrade over time and lead to lost data. Hard drives can fail as well, but they're faster and more convenient.

Either way, you're looking at an initial outlay of $30-$40 for an external Firewire 400 case, either a 3.5" version if you want a hard drive or a 5.25" version if you want a DVD burner. After that, a good DVD burner will cost you about $50, and stacks of media range in price widely but generally are not too expensive (I'd guess about $20 for a 50-pack). A hard drive will cost you a minimum of $50, for an 80 GB drive, and the prices increase slowly after that. 160 GB is about $80, and 300 GB will run you $110-$120. As you can see, you don't spend much extra for LOTS more room.

As you can see, I'm suggesting that you actually buy the external case and the drive separately. It's easy to put them together (instructions should be included with the external case; all you need is a Phillips screwdriver), and you save a lot of money compared to buying a pre-assembled drive. I generally buy computer gear from NewEgg.com. They have good prices, good customer service, and fast shipping. Here are some links to products I'd recommend:

Hard drive setup
Case
160 GB hard drive (other sizes are available, just make sure you get one with an IDE ATA/100 or ATA/133 interface, NOT SATA)

DVD burner setup
Case
DVD burner

EDIT: Also, I'm moving this to purchasing advice.
  quote
atomicbartbeans
reticulating your mom
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Send a message via AIM to atomicbartbeans  
2005-11-16, 06:59

Yeah what Luca said.

If you want a portable solution, the SmartDisk FireLite drives that the Apple store carries are excellent (if a little pricey).
  quote
Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2005-11-16, 16:57

Eew, FireLite hard drives are just like a normal external 2.5" hard drive, except they're more expensive.

A portable, bus-powered Firewire/USB2 enclosure costs $40 (there are cheaper ones, but it's good to go with one of good quality). And 2.5", 4200 RPM hard drives in the 40-100 GB range cost $70-$150. Total cost should range from $120 to $200, depending on the capacity, but Apple charges $150-$300 for those drives.

Now, the SmartDisk FireFLY is kind of neat. It's a 1.8" hard drive, so it's about the size of an iPod. Smaller than any do-it-yourself kit I've found.
  quote
designerguy
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
 
2006-01-29, 09:46

Hey Luca...GREAT post!

I just picked up your enclosure/DVD burner suggestion. Is this thing powered by external power or by the usb port?

Thanks!
  quote
Posting Rules Navigation
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Post Reply

Forum Jump
Thread Tools
Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
DVD Duplication service Darwin General Discussion 4 2005-08-19 12:30
How to Install Tiger without a DVD Reader usurp Genius Bar 12 2005-05-31 10:27
DVD backup software RC23 Third-Party Products 5 2005-04-16 05:55
Some info needed about DVD -/+ R Phoenix Genius Bar 3 2005-03-31 23:59
Good gaming headset? dviant Third-Party Products 0 2004-06-16 13:13


« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:04.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2024, AppleNova