We all know by now that the amount of data we are creating is increasing at a rapid pace and so demand for storage is increasing.
While we are all producing more data we are also all great data hoarders, I for one still have files from my undergrad years and a media files that have long since been surpassed in quality, but you just never know when they might come in handy.
Like a desk drawer that’s filled with napkins, flat batteries and a suspicious looking tea bag, we all like to collect and store things for use one day in the future.
Fortunately, when it comes to the digital world, the cost of storage has dropped significantly and people can now buy portable storage relatively cheaply.
CBR highlights five of the best options in the market.
Seagate Backup Plus 5TB
The Backup Plus 5TB slightly gives away its main selling point, that it offers 5TB in storage.
It is the first device to ship with the Barracuda 5TB drive and it only measures 15mm thick. Seagate says that this is possible thanks to its 1TB platter technology that is capable of shrinking 5TB internal laptop drives down to just 7mm.
The portable storage device is aimed at those that want a reliable means of backing up large amounts of data. To keep all that data organised it is packed with the Seagate Dashboard software and users will be able to set up mobile, cloud and local backups for PC and Mac.
The portable drive will cost $189.99 and will be available this month.
WD My Book 8TB
Available for $249 (£288) from Amazon, the Western Digital drive is one of very few 8TB external hard disk drives that are available in the UK.
The company says that it doesn’t use Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR), which means that the drive will run cooler as it uses helium instead of air. Another advantage of this is that it is less costly to run it for long periods of time.
The item isn’t exactly light at 1Kg and its dimensions of 4.9 x 13.9 x 17.1cm suggest that it is much better suited to be stationary on the desk than being carried around.
Software is included so users will have access to WD SmartWave Pro Local and cloud backup software.
Samsung Portable SSD T3
The Saumsung Portable SSD T3 is designed to be easily transported and but the 2TB
version likely won’t be cheap, it’s priced at $850 in the US, which would put it around the £600 mark.
With dimensions of 74x58x10.5 mm and weighing only 1.8 ounces, the 2TB capacity is made easily available thanks to the addition of the USB-C port, which allows it to work with more devices than standard Micro-USB 3.0 ports.
The T3 is designed to be rugged with its aluminium case and integrated Thermal Guard that will help to stop it from overheating in high temperatures.
With a three year warranty attached, Samsung is certainly presenting the T3 as reliable.
Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt
This is one for the Mac users that are looking for a portable SSD to either give an old Mac a boost or just to expand the storage of an existing one.
The Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt comes it at around £240 and accommodates both Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 connection, giving the user a bit more flexibility with their drive.
The 256GB model weighs just under 250g and it holds a 2.5in SATA SSD. This means that while it is a ‘MiniStation’ it isn’t the smallest on the market at 130x81mm, and 24mm thick.
The Buffalo looks nice and it is perfect for someone that is looking for an aesthetically pleasing product.
The company said: “MiniStation Thunderbolt connection “Read” performance can reach above 370MB/s and “Write” performance above 250MB/s. The Thunderbolt (10 GBps) interface is twice as fast as USB 3.0.”
Apricorn Aegis Padlock DT FIPS
It may not have a particularly catch name but it is well designed for those that are looking for a bit more security from their portable drive.
With 4TB of storage and a 256-bit AES encryption and a built-in keypad that offer five lock codes.
This may be the highest levels of enterprise security available but it may be a big enough of a deterrent for anyone looking to nab your portable drive.
The drive will cost around £400 and it is pretty bulky at 1.5 x 4.5 x 7.2 inches so carrying it around frequently may not be the most pleasurable of experiences.
It offers a USB 3.0 connection and its keypad is wear-resistant.
