I just got a new 250GB SimpleTech external USB hard drive (no firewire). I'm able to access it from Linux and have partitioned it from there. There is a 20GB Linux ext2 partition first, and the rest is FAT32. I couldn't remember what Windows sets as the partition identifier for FAT32 partitions--it's currently set to 0x0C, which Linux fdisk identifies as "W95 FAT32 (LBA)".
My Mac Mini is on 10.4.8 and completely updated. When I plug in the drive, no partitions get mounted. In System Profiler, the USB section hangs when the drive is plugged in. I've unplugged all other USB devices with the same results. The Disk Utility also hangs when the drive is plugged in. I've changed which USB port is used a few times, with the same results. It continues to work fine on Linux. Haven't tested with Windows.
My Mac Mini is on 10.4.8 and completely updated. When I plug in the drive, no partitions get mounted. In System Profiler, the USB section hangs when the drive is plugged in. I've unplugged all other USB devices with the same results. The Disk Utility also hangs when the drive is plugged in. I've changed which USB port is used a few times, with the same results. It continues to work fine on Linux. Haven't tested with Windows.