Hard Disk storage size and maker

[frankyk]

Is it good to get a 300 GB drive and rely on so much data on that one single drive?

Also, any problems or issues in installing a 300 GB drive on a Win XP computer?

Finally, which HD maker do you think I should aim for? I have used WD for a long time and I like them but I heard some good reviews on Maxtors and Seagates as well.

 

[DougLite]

Slipstream ServicePack 2 onto your Windows XP CD (if it's not on there already) and you should not have any capacity limitations.

You should never trust a hard drive, regardless of how big/small it is. If you don't backup, you are asking to lose data, end of story. There are a variety of ways to backup, from cimply copying to another computer or an external hard drive periodically all the way to daily tape backups.

As for what brand, read through the Buyer's Guide Sticky, and see who offers a drive at your desired capacity point and delivers the strengths you want. Realistically, there isn't much difference in "reliability" between brands nowadays.