external or internal drive for backup

[Jeff22]

I was wondering if it is better to use an external hard drive or an internal IDE drive as a backup drive.

I have a pretty large music collection that i would like to backup and have been using an external USB drive but i'm thinking it might be easier and faster to just add an internal drive and use it as a backup.

which way do you guys prefer?

[EXreaction]

It depends on what you need it to do...

External drives are more portable, but they are more expensive and have slower transfer speeds (well, unless you get ESATA or something)

[krotch]

their both the same in reliability if u just leave them sitting around. But don't cheap out on the Xternal casing. I got the cheapest one they had, the damn thing powers up half the time. Get a good one, and if you shop at fry's, dont get EverTech enclosures, thats what I have.

Here, this is what it looks like, AND WHAT A SHOCKER, its mislabled too!
http://shop2.outpost.com/{qcm+6km72g...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

[Jeff22]

well i guess that's that. I already have the external drive, it's a firelite.

My main concern is reliability i was concerned about the external drive failing earlier than an internal drive.

I could buy an internal drive pretty inexpensively and could use that for my primary backup and then use the external drive for portability.

but if an external drive is as reliable as internal i'll just keep doing backups on the external.

[EXreaction]

As long as you don't drop and destroy the drive you should be fine.

If you do, well, hope that your other hard drive doesn't die before you get a replacement external drive.

[BluesMan1]

Both will be fine. A separate drive is always the best for backups but i like the fact that i can use my external drive only when i need it because i can fire it up only when needed.

I also have tons of mp3's and don't want to lose them, i use to have a cd collection that i ripped in this format so the external drive is for them and my other important stuff.

Enjoy

[Steve R Jones]

Should move the external drive to the other side of your house incase of a fire.