Customer Reviews

Iomega Prestige 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 34919 (Gray)

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(28)

 

 

***EDITED REVIEW TO ADD--Its about a year now Ive been using this and everything still works perfect. I couldnt be happier and everything in my original review below is still valid.***

Im not an IT person or hardware expert, just so you know from the start. I do some video editing and have a HUGE iTunes library, so I ran out of room quickly.

I plugged this in, and it worked. That simple. Just shows up as another drive on your 'my computer' window (if you use windows, dont know about Mac). It makes some funny sounds when it fires up, but never had any problems. There is about a 10 second delay after you 'wake' your computer before the drive is accessible, dont see how that would be a problem for most though.

Ive used this for a couple months now. File transfers are fast and I can watch videos and play music directly off of the drive through my computer, dont need to 'transport' them from the drive to my computer to use them.

I like this product, its cheap and works well, lots of room for data and files.

Sorry, Im not a IT guy, or hardware guru, or Id tell you more. But for an average user like me, I love it, never had a problem, and suits my needs perfectly.

This product worked great for about a year, put all my valuable data on it and let it sit on my desk. I probably used the drive a few times a week. I rarely ever left it on because it would tend to get pretty warm, which is typical for a hard drive anyway. Never really had any connectivity problems between the PC and the device itself. I've used XP, Vista x64 and both operating systems seem to work well. After a year or so, the device finally stopped working, had to rip it apart and test the components out. I ended up finding the cuplrit which was the Seagate HDD that was used as the storage. I tend to try and stay away from Seagate HDD's. Working in the storage industry, particulary with Seagate drives and having owned many seagate drives myself they have a high rate of failure. I'd much prefer a Western Digital and will next time avoid IOMEGA products due to the use of Seagate drives. If you want to use this as a backup device and store precious data, then please look elseware and get yourself a western digital solution or other more reliable storage device. If you need a quick large storage solution and don't plan on keeping things long term on this drive or be it all data can be expendible then this may be just what your looking for. Do not forget, if you do buy this product make sure to register with IOMEGA to get the 3 year warranty on the External. However this still does not protect your data from mechanical drive problems, just replacement of the bad hardware.

I purchased this from other retailer along with 500GB version too. Both are working pretty well on our wireless network we have in the house, and one is directly connected on my Dell desktop. I never experienced any issues with these drives so far, and it's been close to a year now. I don't know if I'll experience some problem after a year passes but just wanted to drop a note since these drives are okay for me.

Two things recently happened in my life ...
1) A friend ended up losing her entire hard-drive because of a computer crash
2) After losing a loved one, I realized how important those photos and videos on my computer could be, and I didn't want to lose them. However, it would take countless hours to back them up using disks.

When Amazon offered the NEW Iomega Prestige as a Gold Box deal, it solved my worries, and I ordered it. It arrived the following day (I did one-day Prime) and by that evening I had hooked it up and every critical item on my hard-drive was backed up. [I define critical as those items that are not replaceable - photos, movies, recordings of family. Programs - even if they cost - can be replaced]

I purchased this strictly as a BACK UP to my critical files and will not be using it as a sole storage unit - nothing can do that. When it comes to computers, files are always at risk!

It worked quietly and efficiently with no problems, and the 3-year warranty makes it nice!

The following day we were gone for awhile and returned home to discover that the city had experienced severe brownouts and blackouts! Even with a surge protector, I sweated a little until I was sure my computers were safe. They were, but the hard drive was NOT plugged in or turned on, and I would have been safe.

Since this product has only been out since last month (April), none of us can certify to the longevity of the drive. But for now, I am breathing a sigh of relief as NOAA buzzes in again today with severe storm warnings for our area, and I know that my personal stuff is fully backed up.

The one thing I WOULD change (and will be paying to change) is that it comes with a 3 foot USB cord, and with my laptop, I usually want something longer.

This one works with both Mac and Windows, however it must be reformatted for Mac, so plan on extra time. Also, because the formatting is different, don't expect to be able to use this on BOTH, should you (like me) run both operating systems.

I chose this one for the price AND the fact that Iomega has been around for a long time, but whether you buy this model or another, I strongly suggest that you back up things you can't risk losing. You never know when a storm or surge will hit!

My drive died after 6 months. (It just won't power on).

So I go to the Iomega website thinking I can get a replacement since I'm within warranty. WRONG

Iomega charges $25 to even talk to them, unbelievable! The worst support imaginable. How can you charge $25 for a phone call when the product is suppose to be within warranty. NEVER BUYING IOMEGA AGAIN. EVER.

Spend your money elsewhere.

I bought the Iomega Prestige 1.5 TB in June 2009. Worked great, until in January 2010 I started getting a "USB Device Not Recognized" on my Windows XP computer. No matter what I tried, it would not read the device. I called Iomega Support and after a remote diagnosis, they agreed to send me a new drive. I received the second drive in Febuary 2010. It's August 2010 now, and the second brand new drive has started doing the exact same thing again!

In both cases, the data was unrecoverable!

I strongly recommend: DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!

I knew the Iomega prestige comes formatted for Windows OS and this played an important role in me selecting this hard drive. A simple plug and play device, this! Just plugged it into my PC and it was recognized instantly. I needed the 1.5 TB storage space because I intended to use this as my backup machine. I understand that all devices are fallible and hence store the most important data back in the PC if this device fails. I have always wanted shorter USB cables because it causes lesser mess on the desk. And this hard drive has a 3-ft chord which is actually good for my work station. The drive is stylish and sleek in the vertical position. Since it does not heat up like my previous external hard drive, I've placed this horizontally on my CPU. I use it for my office Mac as well. I was initially wondering if it would work. But it just took a few minutes to reformat the drive and it was working fine as on home Windows.

I ordered this unit from amazon and it came in defective. The configuration utility would crash after changing the password or changing settings. I called Iomega and they shipped me a new one. It arrived damaged and parts fell off of it as I lifted it out of its packing. I called them again, and they shipped me a third unit. This was also defective. It exhibited the exact same flaws as the first unit I had trouble with. At this point, I am fed up with Iomega and will never buy their products again. Their quality is lacking, and the support is incompetent. I am a IT student mind you and most of their explanations and suggestions made no sense at all. It was as if they were spouting techy jargon in order to make the consumer feel stupid for the purpose of pacifying them and not tending to the issue. Even when you explain your problem to them clearly, it seems as if they either don't understand you or just are unable to do so. Don't buy their products. You will be disappointed as I have been three times over now.

Unhappy with product quality, Iomega support & replacement policy

On day 20, drive started clicking whenever platters spin. Went to Iomega support site. Phone support is pay per incident, even in warranty. Chat rep indicates clicking is clearly bad (duh). Says I need to call to get replacement process underway (uh, so why did I have to chat??) & replacement will of course be refurb product not new (but don't worry they will honor 90 days of warranty on the refurb -- what happened to the 1 year on the new product? Jeez.). Worse still: they won't expedite (ie, yay will be weeks before I even get refurb).

"Click click click" my Iomega drive says as I type this :) Go with the name brands not these jokers.

When I decided we needed a backup of the most precious photos of our little daughter, I checked out with various friends on what is the best. I finally bought an Iomega Prestige 1 TB USB 2.0 gray.

I use it to back up the photos, which are high resolution pics. The 1 TB space is definitely an advantage.

There was no need for me to use the Quick Install Guide! I did not have to format this drive and was surprised to note that it was preformatted for my Windows XP. Easy USB interface. The cache buffer is said to be around 8 MB, but I never got to test it. But the speed is really extraordinary, so I guess it is very much worth the bucks I spent on this. Much peaceful and doesnt get warmed up very early as most of the others in its creed.