If the hard drive can be used between PC and Mac computers without reformatting anything, then why is there a Mac and PC version of the product?
1351656
The Mac and PC versions are one and the same, but needs to be formatted if the PC version is to be used with a Mac. There is a video on-line that explains how to do this.
929835
Windows does not have native support for reading Mac formatted devices. Mac systems, on the other hand, can read and write FAT32 formatted drives and can read but not write NTFS formatted drives. If you want to use this drive to transfer files between Mac and Windows computers, re-format it as FAT32; or, purchase a drive that is already formatted for the PC.
1370073
"Can I use it for switching back and forth between a Mac and a PC without reformatting?" - Only if you reformat with a filesystem that is compatible with both OSX and Windows. "If so, does this remove the option to use Time Machine?" - Yes and no. Time Machine requires HFS+ filesystem, and Windows cannot read/write to HFS+. However, it is possible to partition the disk and have part of the disk using NTFS and the other part using HFS+.
1363986
I use it to transfer data back and forth between Mac and PC. Because it's FAT32, which both can read and write to.
183921
I have three of these...one as a backup for my PC and another that I use as a main drive and a backup drive for my Mac. But if you mean backing up files on your Mac and PC, I have done it before as a network drive but when it comes to moving the drive and plugging it in via USB, somehow the PC didn't read the Mac Files, while Mac was able to read the PC files...but by switching things back in forth, I actually corrupted a drive that way and it had to be formatted. But network drive, I have backed up files from both PC and Mac just fine. I feel it's best to have external backup drives specifically for that computer...one formatted via Mac for the Mac and the other for PC.
800770
This drive is probably formatted for a PC only. I purchased one that would not work on a Mac and returned it. Look closely at the descriptio and see that it work on the Mac OS.
1499232
You just need to reformat your drive to HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) or some other format that allows for read/write access to your drive on MacOS. You can usually do this in Disk Utility on your Mac. If you are unfamiliar with reformatting Hard Drives try Googling for a How-to. It's not difficult. Just a warning in case you've already saved anything on you drive from a PC--reformatting will completely wipe any saved/existing data on that drive.
2276897
It says it can be used with pc or Mac. I have both a pc and a Mac. I first synched and saved things from my Mac. It worked fine. Then I tried to synch and save things on the pc but it wouldn't work. There are no directions that come with it so I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if the device only works with the first type (pc/Mac) of computer you use it with. It was simple to use though. Just plug it in like a thumb drive and it loaded the driver and saved. I really wanted to be able to use it on all of my devices (pc/Mac) interchangeably but am stuck with it not doing that. Perhaps this review helps you. It says it can be used with pc or Mac. I have both a pc and a Mac. I first synched and saved things from my Mac. It worked fine. Then I tried to synch and save things on the pc but it wouldn't work. There are no directions that come with it so I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if the device only works with the first type (pc/Mac) of computer you use it with. It was simple to use though. Just plug it in like a thumb drive and it loaded the driver and saved. I really wanted to be able to use it on all of my devices (pc/Mac) interchangeably but am stuck with it not doing that.... » Read More It says it can be used with pc or Mac. I have both a pc and a Mac. I first synched and saved things from my Mac. It worked fine. Then I tried to synch and save things on the pc but it wouldn't work. There are no directions that come with it so I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if the device only works with the first type (pc/Mac) of computer you use it with. It was simple to use though. Just plug it in like a thumb drive and it loaded the driver and saved. I really wanted to be able to use it on all of my devices (pc/Mac) interchangeably but am stuck with it not doing that. Perhaps this review helps you. « Show Less
735342
No reformatting necessary as the hard drive ships in FAT32 format, which is instantly compatible with a Mac. If there is /any/ chance that you will be hooking into a Mac and a PC at some point, I'd highly recommend leaving the formatting as is (of course you can wipe the drive and then reformat it in MSDOS format through Disk Utility). You cannot easily write to a Windows (i.e., NTFS) drive but you can read it on a Mac. Have no idea as to whether a Windows machine can read/write something that is Mac formatted, however.
1280898
Sorry, no idea. Stopped using Macs about 15 years ago. But afaik, no, its a standard hard drive with no other special pieces.
466490
If you want to transfer files between Mac and PC, you need a file system readable for both of them such as FAT32. The problem is it will limit file size on the hard drive to 4GB.
1568389
Yeah I have a mac and used it. If you want to be able to use it and switch between a mac and a pc, format it. Here's some directions. I did this because I gave this usb to someone full of music as a Christmas present. http://www.ehow.com/how_5795930_format-usb-drive-mac-pc.html
23241
Yes, this drive is compatible with the PC and the Mac. (I'm using a Dell PC running Windows XP, and a Mac running Leopard 10.5.) Formatting is not necessary on either computer. The drive works about 30 times faster on the Mac, but that could be because the PC is several years older.
684979
Yes you can. When you go to format it make sure you set it to be used on both macs and pcs.
1124480
Yes, they are USB and external so you can switch between computers very easily. Unplug and switch to the other computer (you should power down/ unmount the hard drive before unpugging). If you go from MAC to PC you may have a formatting issue, but there is free software that can handle that (HFSexplorer). Easiest setup is to make sure the hard drive is formatted NTSF (I believe they are formatted that way from the factory). Great drives, last a long time, good quality.
1518708
You should be able to access most files that have a common app (Mac and PC) - the challenge will be saving any updates.Typically PC formatted external drives are FAT32, which will convert to the MAC, but not able to be write enabled back.The exception will be music and photos, they should be available for iTunes and iPhoto imports.
1592527
The drive is formatted FAT32 out of the box so you can use it with Macs and Windows PCs equally.