Originally Posted by XSAXS

I personally don't like the WD/Max/Seagate ready-made backup drives. They have a somewhat sketchy reputation, and they seem to fail more often than regular hard drives (I'm thinking a lot of that has to do with the default software they're set up with).

Also, they're all built so that you can't take the drive out and run separate software to recover your data. (Well you can, but you void all warranties if you crack open the enclosure).

So I always opt for a stand alone aluminum enclosure (w/fan) and a really good SATA drive. That way I can turn a couple screws and swap out drives anytime I want...with no warranty problems.

As for USB2 or Firewire... I just bought an enclosure from Newegg that has connections for both (less than $30). I haven't tested which transfers data faster though.