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By Memory Lane Computers

External Hard Drives

Dec 15, 2021 | 3:24 PM

External drives generally serve two purposes:

1. to backup the data on your desktop or laptop
2. to create extra storage beyond the capacity of the internal drive(s) in the system

Nearly all connect through a standard USB port (3.0 version is faster than 2.0), though connection through the newer USB-C port (even faster yet) is becoming more common.

As far as backups go, many come with software to facilitate the process. One can set an automatic schedule, whether it’s daily, weekly, monthly, etc. The key of course is that the drive has to be attached to the computer. But there’s always the option to manually backup. In this case you have the flexibility of plugging in the drive only when needed. This is often the preferred alternative for those who aren’t regularly adding much data, files, photos, video, etc. to their system, and so if the internal drive(s) fail, not much will be lost and of course, less heartbreak goes along with that. (Of course, it’s always a good idea to have another backup – preferably off-site – meaning cloud-based).

The storage capacity in external drives has increased significantly over the years. Just yesterday it seemed like the 320 GB size was prevalent. Now they can exceed 10 TB(!), although for the average consumer, 2 TB is plenty – even if you have what you believe to be countless photos. Unlike the significant industry shift of most internal drives now being the much faster, durable and reliable SSDs (solid state drives), most externals remain the standard HDDs (hard disk drives). The speed factor isn’t as crucial, as you’re not running an operating system on them (slow start-ups often being the bane of a user). Typically drives of 4 TB or more require, and come with, a power supply – again connecting via USB, but also the power cable to a wall outlet. These are physically larger and made for desktops. And those external SSDs? Yes, you will be shelling out more cash for those. Some are unbelievably small, which obviously has its advantages and disadvantages.

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There are also proclaimed ‘gaming’ drives, but there’s a belief those are more of a manufacturer’s marketing angle than having any tangible gaming-specific utility. Besides a variety of colour options, storage capacities, and included software, many designs are to be seen in the marketplace as well. Some drives even have a thick rubber perimeter which can offer protection against accidental drops. A few are even wireless. Warranty lengths vary too and extended warranties are available on some models. So before grabbing the first one you see off the shelf, realize there are many things to consider. You can always get what you need, or of course what you really want!