great drive 
By ATDCVAG8W8MTH on 2008-01-29
Great price, very reliable...I use this to back up my archival stores, many of which are the same brand 120 gig and 160 gig drives...Then I turn off and store the older drives, using them as a final backup...Have only had one LaCie problem in 6 years, and that drive was bad from the start, so nothing was lost.
And, oh by the way, I have TWELVE of these chained together, so it makes it easy for me to have them on line all of the time.
Great little device
By A1UWP3RLLGJVJX on 2008-02-09
I ordered this device for my wife since she takes a large number of digital pictures as well as download a lot of music (legally, of course). The hard drive has performed flawlessly. It was well worth the purchase price & has been a great help with the storage of the pictures and music. The device can be left on for hours & there is no issue of it overheating.
It stopped working after two months (and it's loud!) 
By A3T7BTQBVRJDOH on 2008-03-24
There's really not much else to say. I've purchased several LaCie drives in the past and have had good luck with them, so I have no idea what's up with this model. It simply stopped working after about two months (luckily I had everything on it backed up). Symptoms were a loud clicking noise and my OS refusing to recognize or mount the drive.
Be sure to fill out your warranty card if you purchase this hard drive, is my advice. And be sure you back up whatever is on it. I currently have a support ticket in to LaCie, no telling what's going to happen, but if I can't get joy I'll contest the purchase with my credit card company.
Oh, also: It's loud. The ads say it has fan-free operation, but the actual hard drive sound is pretty noisy. Of course, I may have gotten a bad one, which would explain the racket......
(If I'm treated well by LaCie and I get another drive that doesn't die on me, I'll revise my review...it did pretty well until it abruptly quit...)
Great drive for a great price
By AOC3TDYO3KSS on 2008-03-05
Hi.
I bought this drive about a month ago, and it has been as good as advertised, if not better.
I use it for two purposes. First as a "Time Machine" backup drive for my MacBook, and as the primary drive for my iTunes library. It has performed both functions flawlessly.
One of the many great features I like about it is that it goes to "sleep" along with the rest of the system I have it hooked up to (the computer and my home theater) when it's not being used. So if I happen to fall asleep in the middle of movie being streamed from iTunes, once the movie is done, my laptap goes to sleep, and the drive stops spinning. Once I press a button on the laptop or the remote, the whole thing starts up again. So it's a nice addition to my computer-based theater system.
The price can't be beat. Amazon had the lowest price of all the companies I checked (sort of...the price was just a little higher than the MacMall, but Amazon had free shipping, making their price the net-lowest). Considering my brother bought a LaCie 160 GB drive a couple of years ago for almost $200, it's an outstanding value for the price.
The USB cable could stand to be just a bit longer.
==>Pete
Small. silent, black
By A3GTU3AY1YLLMS on 2008-02-21
Nice little drive. Speed seems on par with other USB drives I've used, but this is the quietest. It is virtually silent. The only thing lacking is an on/off switch (minus 1 star). No problems during the first month of use.
- Excellent value and performance
By A6C52PIC9NUBD on 2008-02-27
This is a hard drive that is small and unobtrusive and packs a load of storage space for the money. It may not be as flashy as the Porsche drive, but it sure packs a good deal of wallop. I use it for Time Machine backups of my hard drive and the USB 2.0 speed is as good as firewire. The unit got knocked off my desktop by accident and still kept going. Though not designed to go wherever you go, it's still small enough that you can take it along if you need it, though with its sharp corners, I don't recommend that.
- Perfect except there is no on/off function.
By A3OEKYU0C8ZXAO on 2008-03-09
As other reviewers have said, this drive is very good.
However, the drive does not have on/off function. It does not have on/off switch, and it does not automatically go off when the connected computer goes to sleep/hibernate/off. So unless you unplug the drive, it is on 24/7.
When I saw the review that it does not have on/off switch, I assumed that the automatic on/off function is present instead of the switch. However it was my mistake apparently.
Besides that, it is very good drive. I was about to return it but instead I decided to use plugging-unplugging .. since besides the cost of return, I actually liked the drive.
- Nice looking; very efficient
By A2JHBQ3J3BIV28 on 2008-04-05
It lacks a power switch, but it does have a power-save feature. It is activated after the drive is disconnected from a host computer. But if you power it on without connecting it to anything, it will spin forever. The drive must be connected to a computer and then disconnected from it before the power-save feature activates. This may be inconvenient for those connecting the hard drive to the rear of a desktop computer.
The metal shell of the enclosure is sturdy and attractive; it also dissipates heat very quickly. After most nights when it's not active, it feels like ice in the morning (I like to keep my home generally cold), which is a good thing.
The drive is speedy; its burst transfers save time. I've always appreciated LaCie's reliability and simplicity in its products.
But I'll complain with everybody else that the A-to-B USB cable that comes with it is far too short. The power supply also is a wall transformer, which may block other outlets when plugged in.
- Don't waste your money
By A1TF5H8VVI2W44 on 2008-04-18
I am a photographer and bought one of these about a year ago to store all my photoshoots. For the last year It's been kept on a desk, out of the sun, not moved around a lot - basically it's been right next to my computer for a year or so. I've only used it about a dozen times to do backups of my hard drive.
Well the other day I went to load it up and the thing was broken. Was told it would cost about $1000 to get the drive fixed. They also told me that this is a common problem among LaCie drives.
Don't waste your money.
- Failed after 6 months - terrible customer support
By A1628BSSC1O261 on 2008-06-02
This drive had been working fine for 6 months. When it started failing mid-day. and reporting errors, I contacted customer support in hopes of an exchange. After 1 week of emails back and forth with a technician who's asked me to try a power supply from a different brand drive, plug it into another outlet, try a different cable. I still have no hopes of a resolution. Fortunately, I'm only using it as a backup drive. My old backup drive is humming along fine (with the same data cable, plugged into the same port and the temperamental Lacie) Looks like I'm going to eat $120 on this one.
- Great capacity for a good price
By AHAKZG429TVRX on 2008-03-08
This only thing that bother me with this hard drive is that there is no switch button, so it has to be plugged in before connecting it to the computer via an usb port. If not, the computer will not recognize the device and you will have to unplug and plug the hard drive again to the electric plug...
- Problems with Windows Vista and Pathetic Technical Support
By A1PJBC4QUQDX66 on 2008-04-01
Had much difficulty attempting to get 500Gb LaCie Desktop Hard Disk to work with Windows Vista. After a few hours of work (and wasting my time with LaCie Technical Support), got the drive to connect so I could use it. Perhaps you need to have no other USB devices connected (my mouse seemed to interfere), and ignore all messages from Vista.
Still cannot "remove safely" from Computer (in order to safely disconnect the drive). But can remove via a mysterious toolbar icon that appears when the drive connects.
If you have a problem with a LaCie product, I suggest telling it to your dog. I found that you'll get a more intelligent and useful response than from LaCie.
Had no problem using the drive with Mac OS X.
- Great unit, but no on-off switch
By AJAG2J6G119C6 on 2008-04-20
I really like the form factor for this drive, and it works well - fast, and quiet. I use this drive primarily for archival of data from my desktop; mostly photos. Although the HD is working very nicely for this purpose, I took away 2 stars because the drive does not have an on-off switch. So to power down the drive you must either unplug the drive from the wall socket or turn off the whole power strip/surge suppressor if using one (and you should use one...). The alternative is to leave the drive on all the time - not at all recommended if you use it for archival purposes like I do.
- Hope you don't like the information you store on it.
By A19RZILEOE8OKM on 2008-04-20
I had this drive for about 6 months. Should have looked online for reviews before purchasing. It eventually started the death click. This drive is plagued by heat issues. I did not leave the drive running all the time. This is just not a safe buy.
- very happy
By APEWIIOVFGBIY on 2008-05-08
Very pleased with this product. I use it on a daily basis and swop it between Mac & Windows computers with no problems. It does appear to get hot at the bottom after several hours of use. This is to be expected. It hasn't altered the performance, but as a safeguard , I balance it on 2 CD cases to allow a little more air circulate at the bottom. As mentioned, an on-off button would have been nice , but that really isn't the end of the World.
I paid 100 for this & believe it to be of great value
- No problems, no noise.
By A2KBR39576J0I6 on 2008-05-24
I've used this drive for over a month with no issues whatsoever. It is on a shelf at eye level about 3 feet from my head and I only noticed drive noise once. The drive comes pre-formatted in FAT32, and I wish I had taken a moment to reformat it as NTFS, but that's a minor issue. It plugged in with no problems whatsoever with my XP Professional set-up.
- Exactly what I expected.
By A1LRZG3RCT3XM4 on 2008-03-03
A deacent external, especially for the money... tis exactly what it is advertised as, with no BS.
- don't mind black box
By A1O5H6TCZ7CRB7 on 2008-03-28
read reviews +/- for LaCie products for MAC. I agree whirls and thumps when starting up but at 1 month no problems. I've got it running time machine. Saved $$$ by selecting the black box. Does require A/C plug-in (included). Seems good value at the moment.
- Few days in possession
By A2D1LLNQ4UNZ8S on 2008-04-09
I got this product a few days ago
- looks decent
- works rather fast
- gets a bit hot after many hours of working, but not too bad
- no off switch, so you have to unplug
I am really satisfied personally
- Good, but not great
By A1C323IODSV5J6 on 2008-04-17
I recently bought this drive because I had been happily using another LaCie Drive for my backups for a while, but it was starting to fill up. This seems like a perfectly fine drive, but I don't like it as well as my other LaCie drive for three reasons:
1) There's no power button. The only way to turn it off is to unplug it.
2) It's quite a bit louder than my other LaCie drive. It's still fairly quiet, but the other model is virtually silent. This one is not.
3) The power supply is of the type that plugs directly into an electrical outlet. It's wider than a standard electrical plug, so if you plug it into a power strip it renders the outlets on either side of it useless. The other model's power supply has a thin cord that connects it to power, so it doesn't monopolize half of your power strip.
The only benefit that this one has over the other one is the price ($20 cheaper as of this writing). This seems like a solid drive, but don't buy it if you want to be able to turn it off.
- Great buy
By A298UQ7PFDQRIB on 2008-05-09
I have had my new hard drive for about a month now and have had no problems. It has handled extensive use my multiple simultaneous users with no ill effects. It is quiet and effective. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in purchasing a hard drive of this size who wants to get the most from his/her money.
- Returning this drive
By AHV7FYN05YNCX on 2008-05-12
There is no button to switch drive off. It keeps hissing all the time. The hard drive surface remains *hot* since you cannot switch it off. Also, the software included on the hard drive does not copy all the files in the backup. It is not configurable and has very limited configuration options.
Returning the drive today.
- Not as simple as advertised!
By A3J8LUC8T4U07F on 2008-06-02
I did my research prior to this external HD purchase, and most reviewers agreed this was a "simple plug and play" 1-click answer for an end to back-up worries. I run a system which includes an Apple iMac (2007 version with Tiger OS) and a new MacBook laptop (2008 version running Leopard, iWork 08, iLife 08 and Aperture 2.0) both have 250G hard drives, and I also use 2 Canon printers, an MP530 and an iP4500 for photos. With all these at my home office and as a writer & photographer, I have a great deal of data I would NOT want to lose.
When this HD arrived, I read the instructions, set it up, and although I hear it running, the unclear directions and huge bundle of literature to read through left me uncertain as to whether it has actually backed up everything I needed it to copy. If you do decide on this HD, set aside enough time to do more set up following the easy Plug and Play part of setting up. This is why I deducted one star.
- No problems yet
By A2B6N99T5I52BD on 2008-05-02
Had it for about a month now and I've had no major problems with it. The only negative thing about it is that the drive itself is always on, and you need to unplug it from it's power source in order for it to turn off. That may be a problem for some people, but it isn't for me, so it's all good. If people are curious, the actual storage space they allow you is 465GB, which is still a lot of space.
- Great external drive
By A25ZOTIEG8UG7A on 2008-05-14
Hooks up easily. Works. Runs fairly quietly. File system easily changed from FAT32 to NTFS. Couldn't ask for more for the money.
- Sensitive hard drive
By A3GJDZM7YPQ05Y on 2008-05-20
The drive was quick and I was happy. I moved over 100Gs of photos, videos, documents, music (a few years worth of work) from my computer's hard drive and used this as external storage. I've had the hard drive for two months and bumped it (hard) recently. The drive now makes a beeping sound and is not recognized by any computer. LaCie is looking into replacing the unit but has promised even if the unit can be repaired, all information on the drive will be erased/reformatted. I did not back up my information. Suggestions (1) always back up your information on your drives and (2) be extremely careful with this unit.
- La Cie 500 GB External Hard Drive
By A1XSWL9B0NVSCI on 2008-06-02
I suppose the hard drive deserves five stars, except that the USB cord could be a bit longer, AND (this is so embarrassing) the instructions were not too clear. I am NOT computer savvy and I had no idea how to copy the files from my Mac to the hard drive. (Little did I know it was as easy as copying and pasting or dragging and dropping.) Nowhere in the instructions does it tell you this! My brother had to do it for me. I guess it's so obvious the company doesn't feel the need to explain...
- No real problems
By A1PTJXZZFGRUDT on 2008-06-11
Runs a bit hot for my taste.
But it was easy to set up (for PC running XP), big, fast.
- Inadequate support options/responses
By AT5HAK3OK0TKP on 2008-07-02
Bought this for its reputation and good price. Didn't realize the only immediate tech support is a TOLL-number, where you wait in a phone queue. If you choose to log-on a ticket, it takes a day for them to get back to you, and they may or may not address all your issues. If they don't, your request goes back to the end of the line so you wait another whole day. No live chat. No easy access. So it takes days and days and days to resolve a problem, because they won't call you.
I found the documentation very uneven. Either way too basic (this is a plug, stick it in) or having huge gaps. I ran into problems when trying to reformat and partition because available documentation wasn't consistent with my XP dialogue boxes.
The main problem, however, is that when the drive is connected, I cannot shut off my desktop -- it automatically reboots. I'm going in circles with LaCie tech "support" in trying to get an answer. They want me to try different specialized cords and computers (which I don't have) . . . .
Reading the rest of these reviews, and the failure rate, I still have two weeks to return this so am rethinking this investment. Yes, the USB cord is barely long enough to reach the USB port when the unit is on top of the computer. And the shut off switch, or lack thereof, was a stupid oversight in this day of energy consciousness.
More and more, I'm thinking that price should not be the only determinant.
- nice drive - runs warm
By A2SGB32GFPU6AD on 2008-07-07
this LaCie 500 GB external hard drive seems great. no trouble so far, was up and running in minutes. for the price this seems to be an excellent drive. very recommended.
pro: it does what it is supposed to do. besides the huge 500 GB capacity it is smallish, especially if you need a low profile more than a small footprint. it is relatively quiet, having no fan, but there are the gentle little clicks and knocks you can hear from most hard drives. set up was extremely simple.
con: while i must say that i don't have much recent experience with external hard drives, this little guy does seem to run pretty warm. i measured 115 degrees F on the top surface. this seems to be expected though, and the manual advises not to stack more than 2 units high. for data transfer it only uses a usb 2.0 cable - some would say a firewire might have been a nice alternative, but for 500 GB under a hundred bucks i'm not complaining about that. however, there are times when i would switch it off, as i use my internal drive for most day-to-day stuff, but this unit has no power switch. to turn off, you are supposed to do the 'safely remove hardware' thing and then pull out the power supply connection. i don't know if it is an issue with my computer or this drive, but any time i try the safely remove hardware thing it tells me the device is busy and to try again later. the only way i've 'safely' turned it off was by shutting down the computer and then unplugging the power from the drive before re-booting. lately i've just left it on. if it had a power switch it would have gotten 5 stars.
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