Best portable hard drive as of 2012?

Uriel Delg

I'm looking for a good, reliable portable hard drive, 500+ gb's, and has to be 3.0. Suggest some.

Answer
u can get a 1tb for under $80 on amazon

Experts on LaCie Rugged 1TB portable Hard Drive needed!?

Daniel

I have a few questions:
1). Will this hard drive allow me to copy files from both Windows and Mac onto it,
2). Will this hard drive allow me to backup both a Windows and Mac onto it
3). Does it come with backup software?
4). Is it USB Bus powered?

(Note: The Computers I have are:
Windows XP
And
Mac OS X Lion 10.7.3)

Answer
"(Note: The Computers I have are:
Windows XP
And
Mac OS X Lion 10.7.3)"
Not. Those are the software systems, not the computers. Example of a computer is MacBook Pro 2.4GHz quad-core i7 2012.

All HDDs are the same for your questions, so this answer is for all HDDs in the world including your LaCie.

1). Will this hard drive allow me to copy files from both Windows and Mac onto it,
A: The HDD has nothing to say about what you copy. The format and the driver control that. The Apple driver for NTFS format is read-only, so you have to add software, such as Paragon NTFS For Mac, to enable write (means copy, move, rename) to the HDD. Alternately, you could format the drive for "Mac OS Extended" and buy either "MacDrive" or "TransMac" for Windows to be able to use it, but the Paragon NTFS For Mac software is cheaper. You could expand your brain a bit beyond initial cost and realize that the Mac format (used with OS 10.2 or later, even more so with OS 10.3 or later) is more efficient and more resistant to fragmentation than any format from Microsoft. Alternate plan would be install HFSExplorer in Windows to enable read (copying) from Mac formatted volumes, create two partitions on the HDD, when in Windows add files to the NTFS volume, and in OS X add files to the Mac volume. Then you can copy from NTFS when in Os X, and copy from Mac format when in Windows -- total cost of extra software = zero.

2). Will this hard drive allow me to backup both a Windows and Mac onto it
Apple's backup software is "Time Machine". That needs "Mac OS Extended" format. I don't use any backup software with Windows, but I would bet a dollar to a doughnut it needs NTFS format. To use one HDD with both backup strategies, create two partitions on the HDD, and format two file systems.

3). Does it come with backup software?
The HDD? Ask the maker.

4). Is it USB Bus powered?
I have never heard of any HDD case without a USB port except a NAS. If your Mac has Firewire 800, get a case with that connection also, because it is much faster than USB. LaCie shows a graph of speed comparison for USB and FW, but it is bunk, because in real-life use, USB never performs up to its theoretical maximum specs. It takes 2-3 times as long to copy a 1 GB movie file through USB 2.0 as it does through FW 800.

The links below are for top quality HDD and case that I use with my Macs. The HDD is fast (7200 RPM), the case is flexible (four connection options) and will dissipate heat well (aluminum not plastic). To get a 1 TB 7200 RPM in aluminum case from LaCie, you buy the "Enterprise" at $299.

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Best headphone 2012 for <$350 USD?

Progressio

Hi people

Looking for a headphone for music mostly.
Looks are important as in, dont want to look like Jay Z or whatever with them.
Noise cancelling seems nice.
Also how they fit are super important, I would hate it if I started sweating in them.

So far the Bose QuietComfort 15 seem the best.

But not sure about the technical part.

Thanks all!

Answer
Of course as with speakers all headphones have there own sonic signature or sound quality so the key is buying headphones that sound good to your ears. Unfortunately its very hard to hear many different models of headphones as not everyone has them on display to listen to. Granted we can listen to what is available on display and make our choice and get some reference points as what models sound good to our ears which will allow us to read reviews and get some idea of what other headphones might sound like.

Brands are another indication of what kind of sound you can expect as most brands have their own sound signature just usually a more refined sound as it goes up in the line.

There are many great headphones it depends of course on what sound your after, the music you listen to, how portable you need them to be, what the source is, and the limitations if any of what the output capability's are of the player.

I know allot of people do not like Bose, I also am not a fan (we'll leave it at that lol) but they are not completely offensive sounding. I personally think there are much better sounding headphones, but you may hear differently then me.

Its kinda like reading glass's if I were to put on glass's that help you see right, for me might make everything blurry. We are all different and we all hear differently.

350 is a nice budget and should get you a nice pair of headphones. You will have to make sure that your sources output capability's can drive the headphones you choose properly. As for some of the better headphones some may require a headphone amplifier to get the best results.

Brands to listen and read about.

Sennhieser, Beyerdynamics, AKG, Grado, There are many others but most will be above your price range, and many require headphone amplifiers to get the best sound.

Also personally I would not let noise canceling be a huge factor in choosing headphones as this will limit your choices.

Including a couple of free downloadable user guide that might help you read about all the different models so it will help you narrow down your choices and get the right headphones for how you like to hear music. These are very helpful guides from one of the most well respected high end magazine.

Kevin
40 years high end audio video specialist

2012 MacBook air or Pro for a High School student?

Q. I'm going to be a freshmen in September and I'm not sure which laptop would be best for me. I would get an 11 inch air with 64GB flash and 8GB of RAM for $1040 or standard pro for $60 more. Would it be worth it to spend that much more for a pro? I would only really use the laptop at home for typing up essays and PowerPoint, emails, YouTube, and maybe some minecraft and FaceTime. To get the standard pro would be 1100 because of my student discount. I have about 10Gbs of videos and music so will 64GB be enough?

Answer
I suggest Macbook Pro

Round 1: CPU

The 13" MacBook Pro comes out strong in the processor department. The base model is equipped with a 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz, and sporting 3MB of L3 cache. The 13" MacBook Air, on the other hand, must rely on the ULV variants. The base model offers a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, with Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz, also with a 3MB L3 cache.

There's no way around itâthe MacBook Pro easily wins in this category, with a processor than can do more in any given second compared to its competitor.

Advantage: MacBook Pro

Round 2: GPU

Both machines feature Intel Core i5 processors with integrated Intel HD4000 GPUs. The core clock speed in the MacBook Pro is slightly higher, so in extreme cases it will likely outperform the Air slightly. But for all intents and purposes, it's the same GPU powering both machines, so this round is a draw.

Advantage: Draw

Round 3: RAM

Both base models come with 4GB of RAM, which we consider a minimum for anything more than light use. For this round, we're calling it a draw, but don't be surprised when RAM capacity comes into play in a later round.

Advantage: Draw

Round 4: Storage

The MacBook Air comes with a speedy SSD with what Apple claims is "4 times the performance" of a 5400RPM mechanical hard drive. The base model comes with a relatively paltry 128GB of storage space, however, which can quickly get eaten up with any serious photo, audio, or video work. You'll have to either pony up significant cash to Apple for extra internal storage, or rely on external storage.

A third-party upgrade may be forthcoming once the altered form-factor is reverse engineered, but don't bet on it being cheap, and the wait may be longer than you can handle.

The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, comes with ample 500GB of storage, though it is the relatively pokey spinning platter type. You can pay more for an optional SSD from Apple, but there are numerous options for either SSDs or larger HDDs from third parties.

Advantage: MacBook Pro

Round 5: Display

This round is tougher. The Air is equipped with a much higher resolution 1440Ã900 pixel display, giving users more screen real estate. The LED backlighting is bright, and the screen is sharp.

The Pro comes with a noticeably lower resolution screen, with just 1280Ã800 pixels. But in its favor, the screen does have a significantly wider color gamut and dynamic range. For general applications, this won't matter much, but for color-critical work (like photography, graphics, and video) it will be highly advantageous.

Given that some users will weigh the importance of color accuracy over screen real estate differently, we're going to call this round a draw. But the difference is something to keep in mind when making your own choice.

Advantage: Draw

Round 6: Ports

The latest Air model comes equipped with the still nascent high-speed Thunderbolt port. It includes two USB 3.0 ports, an audio port, and the redesigned MagSafe 2 power connector. The 13" MacBook Air also has an SD card slot.

Round 7: SuperDrive

This round was a fast one. The Pro still includes a built-in SuperDrive capable of burning dual-layer DVD-Rs at 8x speed, as well as CD-Rs. If you handle lots of optical media, the Pro is definitely the right choice.

You can buy the external USB SuperDrive for the MacBook Air, but it will cost you an extra $79, and, again, it's something extra to carry around. For occasional use, we think this is an acceptable alternative. The advantage here still goes to the Pro.

Advantage: MacBook Pro

Round 8: Weight

Both machines are from different weight classes, as we noted earlier. When it comes to toting around a portable device, less weight is always an advantage.

The 13" MacBook Air weighs just a hair under 3 pounds (2.96, Apple says), while the 13" MacBook Pro weights 4.5 pounds. Where every ounce counts, the Air takes this round easily.

Advantage: MacBook Air

Round 9: Battery life

The MacBook Air has a 50Whr lithium-polymer (li-po) battery, while the MacBook Pro has 63.5Whr li-po battery. That might seem to give the Pro the advantage, but the Air relies on an ultra-low-voltage processor, which uses less power. In the end, Apple rates both machines for seven hours of "wireless Web" use, which includes the screen at half brightness, WiFi on, and browsing the Internet. For average use, you should get a full day's work out of both machines on a full charge.

Advantage: Draw

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Best headphone 2012 for <$350 USD?

Progressio

Hi people

Looking for a headphone for music mostly.
Looks are important as in, dont want to look like Jay Z or whatever with them.
Noise cancelling seems nice.
Also how they fit are super important, I would hate it if I started sweating in them.

So far the Bose QuietComfort 15 seem the best.

But not sure about the technical part.

Thanks all!

Answer
Of course as with speakers all headphones have there own sonic signature or sound quality so the key is buying headphones that sound good to your ears. Unfortunately its very hard to hear many different models of headphones as not everyone has them on display to listen to. Granted we can listen to what is available on display and make our choice and get some reference points as what models sound good to our ears which will allow us to read reviews and get some idea of what other headphones might sound like.

Brands are another indication of what kind of sound you can expect as most brands have their own sound signature just usually a more refined sound as it goes up in the line.

There are many great headphones it depends of course on what sound your after, the music you listen to, how portable you need them to be, what the source is, and the limitations if any of what the output capability's are of the player.

I know allot of people do not like Bose, I also am not a fan (we'll leave it at that lol) but they are not completely offensive sounding. I personally think there are much better sounding headphones, but you may hear differently then me.

Its kinda like reading glass's if I were to put on glass's that help you see right, for me might make everything blurry. We are all different and we all hear differently.

350 is a nice budget and should get you a nice pair of headphones. You will have to make sure that your sources output capability's can drive the headphones you choose properly. As for some of the better headphones some may require a headphone amplifier to get the best results.

Brands to listen and read about.

Sennhieser, Beyerdynamics, AKG, Grado, There are many others but most will be above your price range, and many require headphone amplifiers to get the best sound.

Also personally I would not let noise canceling be a huge factor in choosing headphones as this will limit your choices.

Including a couple of free downloadable user guide that might help you read about all the different models so it will help you narrow down your choices and get the right headphones for how you like to hear music. These are very helpful guides from one of the most well respected high end magazine.

Kevin
40 years high end audio video specialist

2012 MacBook air or Pro for a High School student?

Q. I'm going to be a freshmen in September and I'm not sure which laptop would be best for me. I would get an 11 inch air with 64GB flash and 8GB of RAM for $1040 or standard pro for $60 more. Would it be worth it to spend that much more for a pro? I would only really use the laptop at home for typing up essays and PowerPoint, emails, YouTube, and maybe some minecraft and FaceTime. To get the standard pro would be 1100 because of my student discount. I have about 10Gbs of videos and music so will 64GB be enough?

Answer
I suggest Macbook Pro

Round 1: CPU

The 13" MacBook Pro comes out strong in the processor department. The base model is equipped with a 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz, and sporting 3MB of L3 cache. The 13" MacBook Air, on the other hand, must rely on the ULV variants. The base model offers a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, with Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz, also with a 3MB L3 cache.

There's no way around itâthe MacBook Pro easily wins in this category, with a processor than can do more in any given second compared to its competitor.

Advantage: MacBook Pro

Round 2: GPU

Both machines feature Intel Core i5 processors with integrated Intel HD4000 GPUs. The core clock speed in the MacBook Pro is slightly higher, so in extreme cases it will likely outperform the Air slightly. But for all intents and purposes, it's the same GPU powering both machines, so this round is a draw.

Advantage: Draw

Round 3: RAM

Both base models come with 4GB of RAM, which we consider a minimum for anything more than light use. For this round, we're calling it a draw, but don't be surprised when RAM capacity comes into play in a later round.

Advantage: Draw

Round 4: Storage

The MacBook Air comes with a speedy SSD with what Apple claims is "4 times the performance" of a 5400RPM mechanical hard drive. The base model comes with a relatively paltry 128GB of storage space, however, which can quickly get eaten up with any serious photo, audio, or video work. You'll have to either pony up significant cash to Apple for extra internal storage, or rely on external storage.

A third-party upgrade may be forthcoming once the altered form-factor is reverse engineered, but don't bet on it being cheap, and the wait may be longer than you can handle.

The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, comes with ample 500GB of storage, though it is the relatively pokey spinning platter type. You can pay more for an optional SSD from Apple, but there are numerous options for either SSDs or larger HDDs from third parties.

Advantage: MacBook Pro

Round 5: Display

This round is tougher. The Air is equipped with a much higher resolution 1440Ã900 pixel display, giving users more screen real estate. The LED backlighting is bright, and the screen is sharp.

The Pro comes with a noticeably lower resolution screen, with just 1280Ã800 pixels. But in its favor, the screen does have a significantly wider color gamut and dynamic range. For general applications, this won't matter much, but for color-critical work (like photography, graphics, and video) it will be highly advantageous.

Given that some users will weigh the importance of color accuracy over screen real estate differently, we're going to call this round a draw. But the difference is something to keep in mind when making your own choice.

Advantage: Draw

Round 6: Ports

The latest Air model comes equipped with the still nascent high-speed Thunderbolt port. It includes two USB 3.0 ports, an audio port, and the redesigned MagSafe 2 power connector. The 13" MacBook Air also has an SD card slot.

Round 7: SuperDrive

This round was a fast one. The Pro still includes a built-in SuperDrive capable of burning dual-layer DVD-Rs at 8x speed, as well as CD-Rs. If you handle lots of optical media, the Pro is definitely the right choice.

You can buy the external USB SuperDrive for the MacBook Air, but it will cost you an extra $79, and, again, it's something extra to carry around. For occasional use, we think this is an acceptable alternative. The advantage here still goes to the Pro.

Advantage: MacBook Pro

Round 8: Weight

Both machines are from different weight classes, as we noted earlier. When it comes to toting around a portable device, less weight is always an advantage.

The 13" MacBook Air weighs just a hair under 3 pounds (2.96, Apple says), while the 13" MacBook Pro weights 4.5 pounds. Where every ounce counts, the Air takes this round easily.

Advantage: MacBook Air

Round 9: Battery life

The MacBook Air has a 50Whr lithium-polymer (li-po) battery, while the MacBook Pro has 63.5Whr li-po battery. That might seem to give the Pro the advantage, but the Air relies on an ultra-low-voltage processor, which uses less power. In the end, Apple rates both machines for seven hours of "wireless Web" use, which includes the screen at half brightness, WiFi on, and browsing the Internet. For average use, you should get a full day's work out of both machines on a full charge.

Advantage: Draw

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What computer technologies should I expect in 2012?

best portable hard drive for 2012 image

Borce

I want to buy a new gaming laptop for collage.I have this year an 1+ from high school and I am going to go in 2011-2012 in collage. I want a top gaming laptop of 3500-5500$
Will there be a new CPU, Graphic card, Ram that will be much faster then ?

Answer
This is sort of a pointless question.

Of course there will be new CPU's, new GPU's, faster and higher capacity RAM and hard drives. They are in a constant state of change, and new additions to each of those categories come out at least once a year, so you're looking at at least 2 generations better than what we have now.

But you might want to rethink your strategy, as a super powerful gaming laptop is not very portable and it's battery life will suck. And as a college student myself, you are going to want a laptop that you can take where ever you need, easily (both weight and size) and something that wont die in an hour. Come back to Yahoo Answers when you are ready to buy a gaming laptop, as any advice as to parts is pure speculation and will lead you astray.

How do I get rid of XP Antispyware 2012?

Meagan

It just got onto my laptop yesterday and I could tell it was a fake antispyware program because I've had one like it before, but I don't know how to get rid of it! I tried searching through my computer to find it and delete it, but It couldn't find it. Someone please help me get rid of this! I can't even go onto any webpages because it'll pop up as "Internet Explorer alert. Visiting this site may pose a security threat to your system!"

Answer
follow the others instructions and see if that works. sometimes it does not which leads to the final option of reformatting the hard drive. reformatting the hard drive will wipe it clean of everything which is something you should consider doing if the other options do not work.

before you reformat make sure you back up your files. if you do not then your files will be wiped completely and you wont be able to get them back. i would suggest you use a hard drive enclosure since it allows you to access just the files like a portable hard drive instead of running it through the operating system. i use a bt-300 by topmicrousa that i would highly suggest you check out.

after you back up your files, reformat the hard drive then recopy the files.

if you have any other questions feel free to send me an email and ill do my best to help \(^_^)/

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Which one is better: the macbook pro or the mac air?

best portable hard drive for 2012 image

elocine

I'm talking about the 2012 versions that were released just last week. Which one would you recommend?

Answer
It does not matter what our preference is. It matters what your preference is. Everyone has different needs. Basically the Pro is more powerful, longer battery life, bigger hard drive, bigger screen, more ports and the Air is just stripped down to make it portable.

How much do you value portability? If not a lot, go with the Pro.

What's the difference between laptop and netbooks?

Crystal

clueless, netbooks look smaller...

Answer
So what is the difference between laptop and netbook? A laptop (also called a notebook) is computer which has been designed to be made portable, featuring a screen hinged to a keyboard. A laptop includes a battery for portable power and a touchpad instead of a mouse for input.

Mini laptops (also called a netbook, subnotebook or ultraportables) take these ideas further still, creating a new market above handheld computers, smartphones and personal digital assistants. The primary characteristic of these are smaller size and weight, which are pretty similar to the average diary, as well as costing less than a standard laptop with prices starting at around £150, an excellent solution during the credit crunch!

Mini laptops aren't as powerful as bigger notebook computers, and lack the power for big, demanding programs as well as an optical disc drive - so no CDs or DVDs. None the less, connectivity is a central focus for netbooks. Internet downloads are quickly catching up on hard media products, so perhaps it's not such a loss.

In short, the difference between laptop and netbook is a netbook is smaller, lighter, cheaper (on the whole) and simpler.

New mini laptops are expected to sell in the region of 5.2 million units by the end of 2008, 8 million during 2009 and up to 50 million by 2012 - a ten fold growth. Industry analysts are torn whether or not subnotebooks will cannibalize the laptop market, some suggesting that a mere 10% market share will be taken. However, in this economic downturn, people will always look for cheaper products and with mini laptops available from £150-200, perhaps there is a big market after all.

So is it game over for the standard laptop and pc? Unlikely; whilst mini laptops can perform dozens of tasks to identical or similar standard of larger computers, they will (for the time being) be limited by battery size, processing power and storage space, the difference between laptop and netbook is pronounced enough not to make the former obsolete.

Furthermore, when using a computer over a prolonged period of time, it would make sense to use a bigger screen and a faster processor of a desktop replacement laptop or a PC, particularly for demanding programs' such as games.

And finally, similarly priced but laptops, of varying quality, are available for around £200-300 leading some industry analysts to believe that the consumer focus will be on functionality and not merely size and weight.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, mobile phone manufacturers and providers are tapping into the netbook market with the Samsung NC10, LG X110 and Carphone Warehouse launching the Webbook - a branded laptop made by Elonex. Vodafone has linked arms with Dell with its Inspiron Mini 9, offering 3G mobile broadband contracts. Orange have followed suit with by cosying up with Asus and the Eee PC 901.

The difference between laptops and netbooks may seem very vague, but there is certainly space for both to function. If you've got a laptop, even reading this on one, lift it up. Feel the weight of it. Ask yourself, do I need all this extra space? Would I be better off with something smaller and lighter - if the answers yes, browse around the site.

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How to fix a ipod touch screen crack?

best portable hard drive for 2012 image

Isabella

I dropped my ipod touch on its face and it cracked in the corner and thru the lower half of the screen and i will be in soo much trouble if my parents find out. is there any way to make it less noticeable?? i really need the help!

Answer
Origin of Ipod: The iPod is a line of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first line was released on November 10, 2001; its most recent redesigns were announced on September 12, 2012. There are four current generations of the iPod: the ultra-compact iPod shuffle, the compact iPod nano, the touchscreen iPod touch, and the hard drive-based iPod classic. Like other digital music players, iPods can serve as external data storage devices. Storage capacity varies by model, ranging from 2 GB for the iPod shuffle to 160 GB for the iPod classic. The devices are controlled by the Samsung ARM and the Apple A4 CPUs.

Which one is better: the macbook pro or the mac air?

elocine

I'm talking about the 2012 versions that were released just last week. Which one would you recommend?

Answer
It does not matter what our preference is. It matters what your preference is. Everyone has different needs. Basically the Pro is more powerful, longer battery life, bigger hard drive, bigger screen, more ports and the Air is just stripped down to make it portable.

How much do you value portability? If not a lot, go with the Pro.

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What computer technologies should I expect in 2012?

best portable hard drive for 2012 image

Borce

I want to buy a new gaming laptop for collage.I have this year an 1+ from high school and I am going to go in 2011-2012 in collage. I want a top gaming laptop of 3500-5500$
Will there be a new CPU, Graphic card, Ram that will be much faster then ?

Answer
This is sort of a pointless question.

Of course there will be new CPU's, new GPU's, faster and higher capacity RAM and hard drives. They are in a constant state of change, and new additions to each of those categories come out at least once a year, so you're looking at at least 2 generations better than what we have now.

But you might want to rethink your strategy, as a super powerful gaming laptop is not very portable and it's battery life will suck. And as a college student myself, you are going to want a laptop that you can take where ever you need, easily (both weight and size) and something that wont die in an hour. Come back to Yahoo Answers when you are ready to buy a gaming laptop, as any advice as to parts is pure speculation and will lead you astray.

How do I get rid of XP Antispyware 2012?

Meagan

It just got onto my laptop yesterday and I could tell it was a fake antispyware program because I've had one like it before, but I don't know how to get rid of it! I tried searching through my computer to find it and delete it, but It couldn't find it. Someone please help me get rid of this! I can't even go onto any webpages because it'll pop up as "Internet Explorer alert. Visiting this site may pose a security threat to your system!"

Answer
follow the others instructions and see if that works. sometimes it does not which leads to the final option of reformatting the hard drive. reformatting the hard drive will wipe it clean of everything which is something you should consider doing if the other options do not work.

before you reformat make sure you back up your files. if you do not then your files will be wiped completely and you wont be able to get them back. i would suggest you use a hard drive enclosure since it allows you to access just the files like a portable hard drive instead of running it through the operating system. i use a bt-300 by topmicrousa that i would highly suggest you check out.

after you back up your files, reformat the hard drive then recopy the files.

if you have any other questions feel free to send me an email and ill do my best to help \(^_^)/

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