first thing you probably want to decide is if you want portable (powered from USB) or desktop (with separate PSU).
if you have a laptop or are on the move, portable is probably better, though is available in typically smaller sizes (probably up to around 250gb).
if it is just another hard drive attached to a desktop, then a desktop solution is probably the way forward - you can get 500gb and even 1TB now for reasonable prices. technically desktop ones will be faster as they can be up to 7,2k or even 10k rpm, though the shared nature of USB may negate that advantage.
if looking for portable hard drives, fujitsu handydrives are a good model, as are WD passports.
for desktops, shop around. i wouldn't worry too much about performance, go for price/size and noise levels - some of them can be really noisy, e.g. some of the older WD myBooks. Freecom ones are not bad, though I once bought a dud from PC world.
essentially most drives are the same - a cheap IDE/SATA to USB converter and a laptop size 2.5" hard drive (portables) or desktop 3.5" hard drive (desktops).
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