External Hard Drive

[Clarkey]

My external hard drive is kind of slow, is this likely due to my computer being slow? If I plugged it into a top of the line new computer would it likely run faster?

[Bobblehead]

Probably not.

The thing that slows external drives is how they connect to the computer. That connection has a fixed speed, and unless you have a heck of a lot going on on your computer at the same time the speed limitation will be you connection and not your computer.

That is why you are starting to see external drives with something called 'eSATA' - it is the next step in faster data transfer with external harware.

[Claeren]

Related question, i think:

I have:
1) a new 80GB Ipod
2) a laptop with a 80GB harddrive
3) a 500GB stand-alone harddrive

What is the best way to set this up? Do i install iTunes right on to the stand-alone harddrive? IS this going to make everything in reagrds to updating/synching really slow? Thoughts?

Or do i install iTunes on the computer itself? etc?

(I already have 100GB of media for the iPod)


Claeren.

[Flames0910]

Related question, i think:

I have:
1) a new 80GB Ipod
2) a laptop with a 80GB harddrive
3) a 500GB stand-alone harddrive

What is the best way to set this up? Do i install iTunes right on to the stand-alone harddrive? IS this going to make everything in reagrds to updating/synching really slow? Thoughts?

Or do i install iTunes on the computer itself? etc?

(I already have 100GB of media for the iPod)


Claeren.
i have the same kind of setup.
what i've done is create two itunes libraries - one with everything (on the external drive) and one with some favourites on the laptop.

the easiest way to do this is to change your itunes to store the music in a folder on the external drive. then click the consolidate music button (it will take awhile as it moves all your music to the external drive). go to your itunes folder and move the library files and album artwork files to the external drive as well.
when you open itunes it will be looking for a library, point it to the one on the external drive.
close itunes, and re-open it by shift-clicking on the icon (option click if you're on a mac) and select the 'create a new library' option.
now you have a small (empty right now) library on your laptop and a large library on your external hard drive.

the easiest way to re-populate your small library will be to open up the large library and copy files to the laptop, then add them to the new library.

the only drawback of this setup is that if you're searching through a large library on your external hard drive it can take a little longer (whereas i'm used to it being instant on the laptop)

[Nufy]

Another thing is the interface. I bought a 400 GB ext HD a few months ago to try and breathe some life into my old HP desktop.

The problem is that it was a USB 2.0 interface and my old HP only had USB 1.5 (I think)

It would would work great for a few minutes and then crash.

That and a problem getting ram for it prompted me to get a new Dell a while ago.

Now I have no speed problems at all. ( expect for my torrents......)

[Hack&Lube]

You're not giving us enough information. What does the external harddrive connect by? If it's USB, make sure your computer supports USB 2.0.

If not, even bottom of the line computers from 3 years ago support 2.0.

[Clarkey]

It's USB 2.0.

[Hack&Lube]

It's USB 2.0.

USB 2.0 harddrives are pretty fast. Try the drive on a friend's computer or laptop to see if it's faster than what you get on your home computer.