Recommend a Foolproof External HDD

[Woodchuck2000]

Hi All,

I need to buy an external USB2 HDD for my mum to back up her laptop. Speed isn't an issue - the main requirement is easy-to-use software, preferably even a one-touch backup option. Does anyone have experience of any of the different brands out there?

I don't really mind which manufacturer, or indeed whether it's 2.5" or 3.5". I'll be buying it from Scan, so preferably something in stock there!

Thanks!

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

If portability is not a priority then a 3.5" external will do the job well. However the advantage of a 2.5" external is size and the fact they are bus powered meaning that there is no bulky PSU.

However the 2.5" drives are also more expensive per GB.

A good brand would be Buffalo. I have one of their 2.5" external drives(80gb capacity) and I managed to drop an entire Shuttle SFF PC on it(don't ask how I managed to do that). Apart from a crack in the plastic case the drive is still working well over a year later.

For a 2.5" drive I would go for this one:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/160GB...pm-Bus-Powered

[Rockafella]

I've had 2 Western Digital externals for over 2 years now and they have run perfect,good back up software supplied with them too.

[Woodchuck2000]

Thanks guys, opinions much-appreciated! In the end I've gone for a Maxtor model, purely on the basis that it's on TodayOnly, and about £5 cheaper than normal! It's also got a button on the front to perform the backup so I don't need to teach her any new software.