Macbook Air and external mobile HDD

[Padaung]

Hi Air owners!

I'm looking into getting and Air but the only issue is that I would need more storage at times when on the go. Do regular USB HDDs work through the Air's single USB port without a power adaptor? Or is there a special one for use with the Air?
I ask as my current USB external needs two USB ports to provide enough power.

Cheers

 

[Alkiera]

Hi Air owners!

I'm looking into getting and Air but the only issue is that I would need more storage at times when on the go. Do regular USB HDDs work through the Air's single USB port without a power adaptor? Or is there a special one for use with the Air?
I ask as my current USB external needs two USB ports to provide enough power.

Cheers

I use a USB external drive that only needs 1 USB for power/data, and it works fine with my MBA. It holds a 40GB 2.5" laptop drive. I've been thinking of picking up a second one to format to hfs for Time Machine.

My drive does have a second USB thing for supplying power, but I've never needed it. Yours may not either, have you tried it without?

 

[Piarco]

Yup, no power adapters/second USB ports needed for (probably) all mobile HDD solutions out there. I've had a WD Passport for the MBA and now a Lacie Rugged HDD. Rather than the triple interface you can get USB only, but as I load things onto it from my iMac, the FW800 was worth it.

 

[AboveTheChaos]

I've got a SimpleTech Mini 160GB drive that works fine without a power adapter. It gives me a lot of space and is portable.

 

[jrabbit]

No problem

I use a small USB-powered external drive which also uses the hydra-headed USB cable to plug into two USB ports, and it works well on my MBA.

On the MBA it can power itself using only the single MBA USB port; on a PC the drive requires two USB ports for power.

As has been noted in other threads, the MBA USB port is over-powered relative to the official USB specs; the external DVD drive requires that to burn discs.

Cheers!

JJ

-------
MBA 1.8/SSD

 

[Padaung]

Thanks everyone for your quick replies. Great news that this is not a problem - my Macbook feels sooooo heavy these days!

 

[umgolfer]

my Macbook feels sooooo heavy these days!

It is amazing once you've switched how "fat" the MacBook feels. I never noticed it until I got the Air and now it is amazing I carried that around everyday. BTW, I use a WD Passport and it is perfect with the Air. No problems, 160GB extra when needed, powered by USB and tiny.

 

[sanPietro98]

my Macbook feels sooooo heavy these days!

Once you switch to the MBA, it's also amazing how loud the MBP and MB are compared to the MBA. You no longer hear that SuperDrive mechanical noise everytime to power up or wake from sleep.

 

[mikeb-310]

I was looking for an external hd that is wireless like apple's time capsule but cheaper may endup buying it anyway but thought i would ask first. Hate to have to plug in a hd on an ultra portable, I want to store my itunes movie library on the external.

 

[dibara2003]

i just picked up a seagate FreeAgent go. the usb cable has 2 usb connectors, but it works just plugging one into my air. best off all, a 5 year warranty.