From my anecdotal experience, you can't beat a Seagate. (Disclaimer: I do own Seagate stock, but I put them in my portfolio because they make a product I'm comfortable recommending, not vice versa.) They do tend to be a tad more expensive than their competitors, so depending on how much of an issue price is for you, Western Digital hasn't been too bad for us either. Maxtor is my least favorite brand.