Choosing your External HDD

Size does matter

You buy an external HDD because you need extra space and this is the prime consideration that you need to make. When you look at the various external HDDs available in the market, you will find that the storage space ranges from 250 GB to 4 TB and even more. A 4 TB external hard disk drive offers massive amount of space. You can utilize this space for storing an enormous number of movies, music files and other files and documents. However, you may not need so much storage space so you may opt for a smaller HDD. For instance, the most popular external HDD comes with a storage space of 1 TB, size that is enough for most users.

The make of the external HDD

There are many companies that make external HDDs. The product was first launched by IBM and since then, other companies have started manufacturing it. Some of the most popular manufacturers as of now are Seagate, LaCie, SanDisk, G-Technology, Toshiba and Western Digital. As far as performance is concerned, most of the HDDs manufactured by all these companies have more or less the same features and performance. But of course, some would be slightly better than the others. For instance, Samsung is always at the forefront in terms of innovation, when Toshiba provides strong values at very competitive prices.

Consider the external HDD connections

There are different types of connections available for external HDDs. It is important for you to find out the exact connection that will suit your devices. For instance, if you order an HDD from the US in Australia, you may find that it wouldn’t work without an adapter. Be careful with HDD using a Firewire connection: it is rarely used today. The most common type of connection nowadays is USB 3.0. If you have an older system, you should look for an external HDD with USB 2.0 connection. The other connection type available is eSATA, but here again, watch out for you devices compatibility!

Should you look at the external HDD speed?

There are drive manufacturers who boast about the speed of their external HDDs. But should you choose a 7,200 rpm drive over a 5,400 rpm drive? It really depends upon your requirement. If you have a faster interface like eSATA or USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt, then a faster external HDD is definitely recommended for you. With this HDD you will be able to transfer a lot of files in a shorter period of time. If you, on the other hand, are using a slower USB 2.0 or FireWire 400 or 800, then capacity should be your main consideration. You would probably want to buy the largest external HDD at 5,400 rpm speed.

Backup plans

Even an external HDD can crash or become corrupt and you may lose all your data. So, you may want to choose a manufacturer that offers a backup plan when you purchase your external HDD. Seagate has a plan like this known as Seagate Backup Plus.

Which external HDD for which use?

Most of the external HDDs work on Windows PCs. However, if you are a Mac user, it is well worth recommending that you should look for a compatible external HDD. The Buffalo Stealth 500 GB Portable External Hard Drive is one of the best external HDDs for the Mac OS.

If you are looking for a durable and long lasting external HDD, a solid state HDD is your best bet. It has the same technology as the USB stick, but it is obviously scaled up. These HDDs are not overly large sized, but they are favoured by those who look for dependability. The reason why these drives are more dependable is because of the lower number of moving parts within.

External HDDs between 20 GB and 250 GB can usually be connected via USB and are highly portable. However, these drives are more suited for those who don't need too much space.

External HDDs between 250 GB and 1 TB may need an eSATA or an external power supply and offer a lot of space. But they might be slower if your PC is older. The Lenovo 500 GB USB 2.0 is a good product.

External HDDs with space more than 1 TB require electricity supply, almost always. These are not portable all the time, but are perfect for any home or office use. One of the best in this category is the Western Digital 2 TB External HDD.