Cloud services are great when you need to access documents between your home and office or different locations. But what happens when you want to back up your entire PC? Or in that matter, when you have too much of data to backup, such as movies, music or photos? Online storage is never sufficient, and moreover, its slow and highly expensive as you have to use your internet for access.
On the contrary, portable storage drives not only offer large capacities, but also provides increased privacy apart from higher speeds. What’s more? You can even create your own cloud on a local network using an external hard drive. This is where portable storage beats cloud.
However, there are certain aspects that you should keep in mind when it comes to choosing the right portable storage. Let us help you boil it down to make your life a little easier.
Compatibility
Does your machine have a Thunderbolt (Mac) or a USB connection (PC/Laptop)? Consider these critical questions before purchasing the right portable storage for your needs. The safest option would be opting for a USB-based drive, since most computers have at least one USB port for sure—be it a Mac or a PC. However, there’s is always the possibility of switching systems in the future and since portable drives are pretty much a long-term investment, you ought to purchase that what is future-proof—USB. There are several portable drives that support both connectivity options— Thunderbolt and USB.
Speed
Drives with internal SSDs (Solid-State Drive) are naturally faster than most. They come in use when you need to copy a large amount of data quickly, but, they come at a hefty price. If price really matters, it is best that you settle for a regular hard drive-based portable drive. On the other hand, you should also consider opting for the higher-speed USB 3.0 storage drives which offer almost 2 – 3 times the data transfer speeds of conventional USB-based storage drives. Most new PCs and Laptops today are equipped with USB 3.0 ports (a blue marking inside the USB port is provided) which offer high-speed data transfers.
Capacity
Storage capacity in portable drives can range from about 500GB up to 4TB and even higher in terms of desktop-based external storage drives and NAS. There are some brands that combine two 4TB drives to create a massive 8TB HDD (RAID and JBOD), but are not as portable as you would think. If your data comprises of mostly emails and word documents, then an online storage should suffice. If you are into movies, music and photos, opt for a minimum of 1TB or 2TB if not more. Make your choice only after you have a good look at the amount of data you are having on your PC.
Portability
If you only intend keeping your backups at home or office, then opt for desktop-based or NAS storage drives. They can surely be bulky, but offer a lot of storage and are feature-rich in terms of sharing and security. Many of them today offer offline downloading as well as media streaming options.
However, if you plan on carting along to work or on trips, you would preferably want a lighter one. SSD-based portable storages are pretty light, but are expensive too. Apart from being light, they are also highly safe from accidental falls and drops as compared to conventional hard drives that are highly vulnerable to power surges and G forces. However, if size and a lightweight is not as important, you could opt for rugged drives which are build tough and can withstand accidental drops and falls.
Reliability
Ensure that your external hard drive comes with hardware-based encryption. You could be storing highly sensitive information on the drive the last thing you want it somebody snooping into your storage. Opt for storage drives that offer hardware or software-based encryption. If you can spend a little more, there are other drives that come with a fingerprint scanner, and you can ensure that your contents are safe.
