External drives to keep your data safe

Is your computer overflowing with data?  Gregory Schmidt has a few tips on how to select the right device to manage it.

Buying digital copies of movies, music and video games can free up shelf space in your entertainment centre, but you still have to store those digital files somewhere.

Cloud storage has drawn a lot of attention lately, with companies jostling to lure customers by offering convenience and low rates.
But free accounts like those offered by Amazon, Microsoft and Dropbox offer only enough space to hold a movie or two. If you need more storage, monthly fees will add up quickly.

For larger digital libraries, the better option is an external hard drive. This can offer more storage at a lower price, and you only have to pay for it once.

Picking the right one means knowing how much storage you need, how you want to connect your drive, whether you want to take your data with you and how fast you want access to that data.

With all the options, selecting the right storage device can be a bit of a headache.

But it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a backup hard drive, and some of the top options available.

Desktop Drives

Typically bigger in size and capacity than their portable cousins, desktop drives are intended to sit close to a wall outlet.

The right desktop drive, about the size of a substantial nonfiction book, can back up a few files, your entire library or even your computer’s operating system.

Desktop storage can provide easy access to movies and video games at home.

Look for a device that has at least 1-terabyte capacity, which will store about 250 DVD-quality movies.

For a particularly large library of high-definition movies, a couple of devices might be needed, but this can lead to cables crisscrossing your entertainment centre.

To counter the clutter of too many cables, Western Digital developed the My Cloud line of storage devices, which connect to a computer wirelessly.

The device can be tucked out of sight, even in another room, because it creates its own cloud, accessible on a home Wi-Fi network or remotely from another computer or iOS device like an iPhone or iPad.

External drives also provide secure data backup.

Western Digital’s latest device, My Cloud Mirror, ($350 or Rs 21,008 for 4 terabytes of storage) includes a second drive that backs up everything on the first drive, offering peace of mind for those worried about losing data.

In just a few minutes, I was able to set up My Cloud Mirror to automatically back up my computer’s operating system once a week.

AirPort Time Capsule, Apple’s desktop drive, has the dual purpose of providing data backup and Wi-Fi, saving money on a router.

The sleek drive starts at $299 (Rs 17,947) for 2 terabytes of storage. But be aware that the device does not come with an Ethernet cable, which is required for it to work.

A separate cable costs just a few dollars, but because Apple left it out of the AirPort Time Capsule package, buyers might have to make a second trip to the store.

Fortunately, I had an extra Ethernet cord lying around, and once I connected the Time Capsule  to the modem, I was able to locate the drive’s Wi-Fi signal quickly and connect my laptop.

The device is compatible with PCs, but some features will not work, so Windows users should probably look elsewhere.

Portable Drives

For more flexibility, particularly on the go, portable drives are a better option.

These devices are often about the size of a DVD case, which is great for taking files with you on vacation or a business trip.

But with a portable drive you will generally get less storage or pay more for the same space.

A nice option, although expensive, is the Backup Plus Fast portable drive from Seagate. At $270 (Rs 16,206) for 4 terabytes of space, the device can compete with most desktop drives.

But Seagate’s has an extra benefit: smartphone backup.

Once the drive is connected to your computer, you can sync the drive with your mobile device for backup over your home Wi-Fi network. It also lets users save and share files like photos and videos on Facebook and YouTube.

Connectors

In addition to increasing storage capacity, companies are also improving transfer speeds. Seagate’s Backup Plus Fast, for instance, uses USB 3.0 for connectivity, which provides higher transfer rates than USB 2.0.

But other portable drives, like Western Digital’s My Passport Pro, include technology called Thunderbolt, a next-generation interface that can provide transfer speeds of up to 10 gigabytes a second, twice that of USB 3.0.

Most computers have USB ports, but far fewer include Thunderbolt ports, so learn your computer’s compatibility before choosing a drive.

Some devices offer both USB and Thunderbolt options, giving users an extra level of connectivity.

The latest device from LaCie, which is known for the protective orange bumper around its drives, offers speed and durability.

The drive, the Rugged Thunderbolt, which costs $300 (Rs 18,007) for 2 terabytes of storage, comes with an integrated Thunderbolt cable, an improvement over the previous model with its separate, easy-to-lose cable.

The drive also includes a more common USB 3.0 port. And it comes enclosed in LaCie’s durable case, which the company says can withstand a drop of more than 6 feet (a claim I was too nervous to test).

Storage Type

The dominant medium for data storage is a hard disk drive, which uses a rotating disk to store and retrieve information.

But HDDs are facing competition from solid state drives, which have no moving parts because they rely on flash memory.

An SSD offers more speed and durability, making it a good option for professionals, but it is more expensive than an HDD, which is a better choice for the casual user.

The Rugged Thunderbolt drive, for instance, has a 250-gigabyte SSD option for $300 (Rs 18,007), the same price as the 2-terabyte HDD device.

Compatibility

Thankfully, manufacturers have largely eliminated one headache that long came with an external drive. Most drives are now compatible across platforms, meaning that they instantly work with both PCs and Macs - no software installation is necessary.

Still, remember to read the fine print before buying any device, and keep in mind that you may need to format the drive before it works on any platform.