Sorry for posting this here. However, I have posted several fairly basic queries in Mac areas and never got a reply. I am convinced PC guys know more about Mac hardware and other slightly technical issues than Mac users. I do not expect any answers in any of the Mac user frequented forums while I expect expert advice here within 24 hrs. PC users spec out equipment before they buy but I think Mac users do not. Except for ipods, I am leary of hardware with an Apple logo on it. I feel they are apt to be over priced and may lack quality.
I figure if you can attach other USB disk devices to either type of computer the same should hold true for a hard drive. I have heard horror stories about problems with using different versions of Windows with a external hard disk so I will remain cautious.
I have a friend who is really into music and wants to go digital. Unfortunatly, she has a Mac. None of my heavy duty tools work on a Mac. I have yet to find one Mac user that has any interest in any slightly technical discussion about audio that PC users dwell on.
USB hard disks will work with a Mac, but ONLY if they are formatted using FAT32, not NTFS.
Be advised that using FAT32 means the maximum size of any single file can be 4GB - you can use more than 4GB of data, but no one file can be larger than that. Not a problem for most, but ripped DVD ISOs and High def video rips (.ts, .mkv etc) will obviously cause you problems.
Thanks! I knew this was the right place. I have been on Mac forums since the post. They are in a different world. FAT32 is a blast from the past! Thanks for the warning. I forgot about the 4 g limit. That sure boggles my mind! There is also a volume limit (disk size) I will need to look up. No need to buy a disk that is too big to access and I bet you can't partition the disk into two drives. I am getting the picture. I will not be in Kansas any more!
I don't think the total size restriction is too limiting for FAT32, because I'm pretty sure you can use almost all of a 500GB drive when formatted, IIRC FAT32 just cuts a larger percentage of the disk space. For example, when you format a large disk, because of the laws of binary, you don't get 160GB, you get 149, assuming bytes to kilobytes, kilobytes to megabytes and so on are multiples of 1024 and not 1000.
However, format that same drive with FAT32 and you only get 147GB. Presumably the two extra gigs have got lost since you're formatting it with a FAT based file system.
As for partitioning a FAT32 drive into multiples, I don't see why not, as you can format a drive with two partitions, one that's one file system and one that's another, e.g. I have a 250GB drive in my server with two partitions, one that hosts its Linux OS in ext3 format, and the other as a share directory in NTFS. Presumably NTFS and FAT32 would be a possible combination. Only one way to find out I suppose!
I know you can partition an internal drive on a PC. That is what you had to do in the old days, if I remember correctly to use large disks but that may have been an OS limitation. I do remember when they patched Fdisk do do something with large disks but I can't remember what nor the OS version.
I suspect having only on disk per USB connection would be a limitation of the USB disk driver. How do do 'see' 2 drives in the same connection? That would be real tricky programming above and beyond the hacks at Microsoft and Apple. It would be far easier just to access the full disk.
I can't say I've ever tried it myself, but I still don't see what the difference would be. All USB boxes are doing is emulating the IDE interface by multiplexing, essentially.
Then I might try it just to see what happens. I still do not know if she will want to buy a box. I just like to research before I open my mouth. She will want to buy a Mac product. I know 2 persons that had their Mac external die on them. They were the early boxes before the PCs parts suppliers were doing much with externals. I so hate Apple and Microsoft I loath to give either of them any business except for the Apple ipod. I don't promote ipods but I don't advise not to buy them. They are over priced but a good product.
Same for me really, but then I always like to have something that isn't what everyone else has, I have a ToshibaMP3 player. All told it isn't as good as an ipod, but it's good enough for my uses, so that doesn't really bother me...
