Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable Drive Experiences

Carlton,

I'd recommend getting a high quality EHD something like OWC (www.macsales.com) Mercury Elite Pro. NTFS is a MS Windows file format that most EHD's come pre-formatted in, you can easily re-format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Sharing a EHD to use with a MS Windows machine is possible but not recommended because it's a compromise.

Seagate's quality of enclosures do not match those of OWC, while a Seagat drive will work investing a bit more normally results in a product that simply lasts longer, therefore becomeing less expensive in the long term. They are also extremely easy to replace the HD in too, so eventually when the HD fails you simply buy another, slide it in and you are back up and running.

NTFS is designed MS Windows, while OS X can read from it, OS X will not write to it natively however there are some work arounds. The trouble with the work arounds is they tend to be unreliable so while it may work fine one day the next you can have troubles, IMHO steer away from that format.

That drive is bus-powered, meaning it can get power only from the computer's USB ports. Unless you need small size so you can pack the drive around with you while traveling, consider instead a self-powered drive. If traveling with the drive is not an issue, also consider a larger desktop-type drive that holds a 3.5-inch form factor drive. The larger drives are historically more durable than the 2.5-inch laptop drives as would be installed in the Seagate you linked.

There are a fair number of reports in these forums of bus-powered drives working for a time and then not being recognized. With age, electric motors can demand more power than when new and, if that demand exceeds what a USB port can provide, the drive stops working.

IF you MUST use a laptop-class mobile external on a desktop computer, at minimum consider adding a self-powered USB hub to the purchase. It will overcome any lack of power issues the drive experiences:

NewerTech 7 Port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hub with Power Adapter for Mac & PC

OWC makes a mobile, bus-powered drive that can also use an optional power brick--best of both worlds. I have one and like its having a FireWire interface. However, you have a choice of interfaces:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/EliteALmini/eSATA_FW800_FW400_USB

There is another important thing to consider, besides the power of the EHD: the connector. If your Mac has already USB3, make sure that you buy a USB3 drive, much faster. If your Mac has USB2, your next one will have usb3 !. Do not choose the Firewire connector, incompatible and not faster.

As rkaufmann (🙂) said: do not format as NTFS. Format as Mac OS Extended (journaled): the NTFS drivers iavailable for OSX are not completely free of issues. If you realy want to exchange files with a Windows computer use an USB stick (Fat32). And do NOT install anything that comes with the EHD drive ('smart' software ntfs or other drivers).

As Allan (🙂) said, the best solution is to buy a EHD with its own power, if you have a wall outlet free.

Lex

G-Tech is good, however I've had terrific luck with OWC.

Portability is a good choice, buy EHD with the lowest power use, thus the 5400RPM.

I have a 2TB 2.5" WD Elements, which has not even a power connection.

I repeat: do not use any software that came with the disk or can be downloaded for free: that is counterproductive in a mac; and format it before first use to get it clean from the beginning: Mac OS Extended (journaled).

Help! I'm in Korea and wanted to download some educational movies for my kids so bought Seagate Backup Plus yesterday to work with MacBook Pro. I can't write to it and now I see why. I thought I reformatted with Mac Installer but it still didn't bring up the dashboard. (Maybe it's because I've completely run out of room on my Mac??) I will only use this on Mac. Can you please give me a link for the appropriate software to make it so I can write onto it?? It looks like it's best to reformat from the beginning as I will only use with Apple product. I'm leaving soon and need to make this expensive purchase work! Thanks so much!!!

You already have the software, Disk Utility. Open Applications - Utilities - Disk Utilities .

Then select the EHD, select the Format Tab and select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and format it and you are done. Then it is read to use.

In terms of portable hard drives, I have had great luck with Iomega portable drives.

I have several of them around for various purposes including backup and extra

external storage.

I have a couple G-Technology drives as well. However, I think they draw a bit more power

than most. They work okay bus powered on my 2011 Mini Server but were problematic

with my 2010 Mini due to power draw on the bus.

This is just my personal experience, but I would avoid Western Digital external drives like the

plague. Everyone I had ever purchased failed within a year or shortly there after. It was

always the enclosure that was the problem as the HDD itself was okay.

Also as a side note, what ever drive you decide on, if there are any manufacturer utilities

on them, DO NOT INSTALL. There have been many issues of them rendering drives

unreadable or unreliable after OS X upgrades. Besides, they are not really needed anyway.