# best mac mini external hardrive?



## Pamela (Feb 20, 2003)

I was wondering if anyone had any comments on the best stackable mac mini external firewire hard drive?

I have come across two:

1. Lacie's 250 GB for $179US.

http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=10476

2. Micronet 250 GB hub (never heard of them) $179US

http://www.micronet.com/General/minimate.asp

I'm planning to buy a mini in the near future but desperately need a backup drive for my powerbook in the meantime so I thought I'd think ahead and get one that will stack under the mini. 

Is there anything else I should know about using the external hard drive with the mini as well as a backup drive for my powerbook?


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## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer Technology/FWU2MSV2/


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## Pamela (Feb 20, 2003)

Thanks for that link. 

I actually came across a pretty good link for this info:

http://www.123macmini.com/news/story/442.html

What I'm curious about is what people think I need to consider when it comes to getting an external hard drive for the mini and my powerbook and what drives are the quietest and have the best performance...


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

Hi Pamela

I do not have a Mini, but purchased a Ministack. I needed and external drive, and some additional USB and FW ports for my iMac and with this I got them together.

I have the 250GB version. It is well made, has an 8MB buffer and is virtually silent: much quieter than the 3 Lacie 250GB HDs I use for my photographs.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ministack/


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## Pamela (Feb 20, 2003)

Hey Pelao...this is the kind of feedback I was looking for....the performance qualities. I can't stand a noisy drive!

Any idea where the best place to get them in Canada is ? Can you only order them straight from newer tech?


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## macsackbut (Dec 15, 2004)

My miniStack is reasonably quiet but nosier than my Mini alone; the fan is on low all the time. But I'm very happy with the drive. The extra ports are a real boon, and booting off the 7200 rpm drive gives my mini a little extra snap.


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## ender78 (Jan 23, 2005)

Go out and buy any firewire/usb2 enclosure for $40-60 and throw in a 300 GB drive. You'll pay in Canadian dollars what you would have in $US and have a three-five year warranty if you buy OEM.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

We offer 3 year warranty on the Seagates in our MiniStack and extend that to the case as well. We are considering WDs in them as they are quieter and with the MiniStack fan the bit of extra heat is not a worry.


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

> Hey Pelao...this is the kind of feedback I was looking for....the performance qualities. I can't stand a noisy drive!
> 
> Any idea where the best place to get them in Canada is ? Can you only order them straight from newer tech?


I got mine from OWC - the link above.

While it's true you can put together a cheaper drive yourself, I wanted a hub too. I have had a number of hubs and the cheaper ones have caused a few issues. So by adding up the cost of the drive and the cost of a good USB/FW hub I think the Ministack is a good price.

My favourite thing about it? It's sooo quiet.


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## Pamela (Feb 20, 2003)

I don't want to go through the hassle of putting it together myself just to save 15% to tell you the truth.

But does anyone know what kind of drive the ministack uses in the 320GB? I was under the impression that it uses WD's, no? I coudldn't find it on the spec sheet (not that it isn't there...I just couldn't find it for some reason)

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer Technology/MS2F7320GB8/


Hey Pelao, what model did you get? Any idea what brand hard drive is in it?

Does it bother anyone that the enclosure is plastic? Does it look ok with the mini on top or can you really see the difference?


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## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

I own several firewire hard drives. You can buy them at most local computer shops.
It usually takes less than ten minutes to put the hard drive of your choice into the enclosure.
I purchased the ministack enclosure without a hard drive and picked up a hard drive at a local shop. Installation was about 4 minutes. Partial purchase decision based on style.

I purchased the ministack because of the similarity to the style of the mac mini and the extra ports.

I would add that any decent external hard drive enclosure and hard drive combination would be a fine substitute for this arrangement.


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

Mine is the 250GB model.

The drive is a Hitachi (Hitachi HDT72252 5DLAT80).

The plastic enclosure is good quality - the entire unit has a quality feel.


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## Pamela (Feb 20, 2003)

Hm. I guess I could go the other route and order their enclosure and pick up my own drive. It worries me a little not knowing what model of drive they use in the ministack. Silence is golden for me and I'd go insane if I had to listen to a noisy drive.

So that would be $79US plus about $175CAN for a seperate drive. So I'd save about $50 and I'd for sure get a quiet drive.

Hey. Here's a really stupid question. I've never bought a hard drive for a mac before. Can I just use any old hard drive and slap Tiger on it if I want to at some later date?

And what are the most quiet brands/most reliable ones out there in the 300gig range? The last time I bought a drive was for my PC about 3 years ago and at the time Seagate was the most reliable and quiet....what is it nowadays?


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## Fox (Oct 4, 2002)

Yes, Pamela, you can use any hard drive, format it for a Mac, put Tiger on it and use it with your mini, or any Mac. There are a few provisos. Most enclosures take IDE drives, so don't buy a serial ATA (SATA) drive unless the enclosure calls for it. Also, if you're buying a miniStack, some Seagate drives are a very tight fit. This may have changed in the newer version of the miniStack with the ports on the side; I'm not sure. If you want quiet, I strongly recommend the Samsung Spinpoint. That's what I have in my Cube and it's really quiet. I made the mistake of buying a Western Digital Caviar for my miniStack. It was available locally, it has a good reputation for quality and endurance, and people on this site were telling me that it's quiet. It is only when it's not accessing data. The seek noise is not loud, but it's irregular and annoying. I would gladly exchange it for a Samsung. A good site for hard drive reviews that take into account noise and vibration is http://www.silentpcreview.com/section14.html


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

There is also this alternative case besides the Mini Stack:
http://www.123macmini.com/accessories/reviews/104.html

Thought I should mention it.

Edit:
Just noticed it was already mentioned. (Oops!)

Oh well...Here's some more spec's anyways:
http://www.macpower.com.tw/products/hdd3/m9/m9dx

D


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

We're working on a special pricing on the MiniStack with drive - hope to finalize next week.
What is the most desirable size??.


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## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

250


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## maximusbibicus (Feb 25, 2002)

Anyone know of a retailer carrying the Lacie drives for the Mac mini? I think they are discontinued and can't find them anywhere.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

We have the NewerTech V3


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