How to make the perfect choice for a portable storage

Online storage is never quite enough. This is where portable storage steps in.

Cloud services are great when you need to access something that you have left on your home computer, but what happens when you want to back up your entire computer Online storage is never quite enough.

On the contrary, portable storage not only offers more storage but also provides increased privacy. What’s more You can even create your own cloud using an external hard drive. This is where portable storage beats cloud.

However, there are certain aspects that should be kept in mind when it comes to choosing portable storage.

Determine its compatibility

Do you have a PC or a Mac Does your machine have a Thunderbolt or a USB connection Consider these questions before purchasing a portable storage. The safest option would be getting a USB-based drive since most computers have at least one USB port. However, there is always the possibility of switching systems in the future and since, portable drives are pretty much long-term investment, you ought to purchase that which is future-proof. There are several drives that support both, Thunderbolt and USB.

Transfer speed

Drives with SSD (Solid-State Drive) are naturally faster than most. They come in use when you need to copy a large amount of data in a short time. But, they come at a hefty price. Hence, if this particular aspect that matter to you so much, it is best that you settle for a hard drive-based portable drive.

Consider its storage capacity

Storage capacity in external drives can range from about 2GB to 4TB. There are some companies that combine two 4TB drives in one, thereby, creating an 8TB HDD. If you’re mostly looking at storing emails and word documents then, opt for 1TB or 2TB HDD’s. The more files you want to store, the bigger you should. Settle on a smart size HDD that suits your needs well.

Is it portable

If you only intend on keep your hard drive at home then purchasing the one that costs less but weighs more makes sense. However, if you plan on taking it with you wherever you travel, you may want to pay a little more for a pocket-sized device. You will find desktop-style drives, which are technically portable but are essentially designed to stay put and require a power adapter. Therefore, if you’d rather have something compact, the former is naturally a bad option for you. Judge its reliability

Ensure that your external hard drive comes with hardware-based encryption. You may be planning on storing highly sensitive information on the drive and so, you would want one that is dependable. Carrying your private files around with mobile drives, makes them more prone to loss and theft. Hence, go the extra step and give the encryption feature extra importance.