If you want to store images safely and
securely, a hard drive is a must have accessory. Portable hard drives are a
convenient solution for those on the move and here we look at six options, each
offering a 1TB capacity.
1. Buffalo Mini Station Extreme
Price: $131.5
Buffalo
Mini Station Extreme
This is a pocket-sized drive, boasting a
slim design and a military grade construction. Encased in a shock resistant
body to protect it from damage, it’s claimed to survive free fall drop tests
from 2.3 metres, though we wouldn’t recommend you try it! Integrated into the
unit is a USB cable and should you need to increase its length, a USB extension
is provided. LED lights on the front of the drive reveal the port you’ve
plugged the drive into green indicates USB 2.0 and blue for USB 3.0. The USB
3.0 interface can move data at rates up to 5 gigabytes per second (Gbps),
equivalent to 10x faster than USB 2.0. With 256-bit AES disk encryption to keep
data safe and secure from unauthorised access, the drive also offers backup
utility and support for continuous backup on Apple computers running Time
Machine. Its dimensions make it a very practical storage solution and a 500GB
version is available too for $95
Key specs
·
Interface: USB 3.0
·
Capacities available: 500GB/1TB
·
PC/Mac compatible: Yes
·
Size: 89 x 128 x 18mm
·
Weight: 230g
2. G-Drive Mobile for Apple
Price: $157
G-Drive
Mobile for Apple
Mimicking the simplistic style of Apple
products, the G-Drive Mobile is made to be as small and lightweight as
possible. Weighing 250g and measuring 83 x 127 x 18.4mm, this super-slim
storage device is bus powered like all the others meaning no AC adapter is
required to run it. Featuring a super speedy USB 3.0 interface that’s
compatible with USB 2.0, the G-Drive also offers support for FireWire 800. Both
USB 3.0 and FireWire 800 cables are included in the box and though the drive is
preformatted in the HFS + format, a simple initialization is all that’s
required for use with Windows systems. Complementing the look of Macbooks and
iMacs, it’s available in two other capacities including 1TB. Expect a 500GB to
cost $87 and a 750GB version to cost $126.9. With such a strong and durable
build quality, the G-Drive feels like it’s built to last and it should be able
to shrug off any accidental knocks.
Key specs
·
Interface: 2x FireWire 800/USB 3.0
·
Capacities available: 500GB/ 750GB/1TB
·
PC/ Mac compatible: Yes
·
Size: 83 x 127 x 18.4mm
·
Weight: 250g
3. LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 Thunderbolt
Price: $331.5
LaCie
Rugged USB 3.0 Thunderbolt
This LaCie hard drive is more expensive
than its rivals here but it does provide connectivity the others don’t. As well
as USB 3.0 it has Thunderbolt connectivity, making it compatible with Apple’s
latest MacBooks and iMacs. Setting the benchmark for speed, Thunderbolt is an
entirely new interface that’s capable of transferring data up to 20x faster
than USB 2.0 and up to 12x faster than FireWire 800. Offering an average
transfer rate of 110MB/s, the drive adopts a similar look to LaCie drives we’ve
seen before. With the hard drive encased in an aluminium shell and protected on
the outside by a shock-resistant rubber sleeve, it’s up to the task of
preventing damage to its inner core. What’s more, AES 256-bit encryption
ensures your files are protected from unauthorized access and it comes with a
free year’s worth of Wuala Secure Cloud Storage (10GB). Solid State versions of
this drive are also available in 120GB and 256GB capacities.
Key specs
·
Interface: USB 3.0/Thunderbolt
·
Capacities available: 256GB/120GB/1TB
·
PC/ Mac compatible: Yes
·
Size: 89 x 140 x 24mm
·
Weight: 260g
4. Seagate Backup Plus Portable
Price: $139.5
Seagate
Backup Plus Portable
With a footprint no larger than a passport
and a thickness that’s akin to a smartphone, Seagate’s Backup Plus drive is a
desirable portable storage solution. The USB 3.0 interface is backward
compatible with USB 2.0 ports, it’s supplied with an 18in cable and has been
designed so it can be upgraded to support Thunderbolt or FireWire 800 using
adapters which are sold separately. With automatic and scheduled backup
options, there’s the facility to save photos you’ve shared on social media
sites directly to the drive. Alternatively, you can share photo and video
content directly to Facebook and Flickr using Seagate’s Dashboard facility.
Compatible with both PC and Mac the portable hard drive has the NTFS driver
pre-loaded. Available in a selection of colors including red, blue, silver and
black, the Backup Plus Portable drive is also available in 500GB ($82.5) and
750GB ($118.9) capacities if 1TB is too large.
Key specs
·
Interface: USB 3.0
·
Capacities available: 500GB/750GB/1TB
·
PC/Mac compatible: Yes
·
Size: 81.1 x 123.4 x 14.5mm
·
Weight: 224g
5. Toshiba Stor.E Basics
Price: $111
Toshiba
Stor.E Basics
With a simple yet purposeful design, the
Toshiba Stor.E basics is a featherweight hard drive weighing just 180g. it’s
barely noticeable that you’re carrying it with you and though it may not be as
slim as some of the other drives, measuring 16.5mm at its slimmest point, it is
possible to slide it into a pocket if required. Catering for super-fast
transfer rates of up to 5GB per second thanks to its USB 3.0 interface, it’s
also USB 2.0 backward compatible meaning you’ll be able to transfer files no
matter what system you’re using; however you will need to re-format the drive
if you’re a Mac user because it’s formatted for PC as shipped. As well as the
1TB version, Toshiba produces an almost identical drive with a smaller 500GB
capacity for $95. If you’re working to a strict budget and have no more than
$111 to spend, Toshiba’s Stor.E Basics hard drive makes a good storage choice
but don’t expect the very best build quality.
Key specs
·
Interface: USB 3.0
·
Capacities available: 500GB/1TB
·
PC/Mac compatible: Yes
·
Size: 79 x 118.9 x 16.5mm
·
Weight: 180g
6. Western Digital My Passport
Price: $126.9
Western
Digital My Passport
Western Digital’s My Passport hard drive
packs in a large capacity within a small enclosure. Powered through the USB
port, which saves you having to lug around a bulky power adapter, the drive
comes pre-formatted in the NTFS format for Windows and requires reformatting
for use on Apple Mac computers. Measuring 19mm at its slimmest point, it’s
slightly chunkier than the other drives in this roundup but benefits from
Western Digital’s automatic backup software that quietly works away in the
background to ensure any changed files are backed up instantly. Featuring
Western Digital’s security utility, users can set password protection and
hardware encryption to protect personal files from unauthorized access. If your
computer isn’t USB 3.0 enabled you needn’t worry – it’s backward compatible
with USB 2.0. Available in a selection of colors, it’s also available in
different capacities between 500GB and 2TB.
Key specs
·
Interface: USB 3.0
·
Capacities available: 500GB-2TB
·
PC/Mac Compatible: Yes
·
Size: 82 x 11 x 19mm
·
Weight: 190g
Interface
The interface refers to the type of
connection that’s used to connect an external device to a computer and vice
versa. Portable hard drives can feature more than one type of interface, but
one of the most commonly used is USB. It was designed to standardize the
connection between computers and external devices back in the mid-1990s but as
the size of data quickly increased there was more demand for an interface that
provided faster data transfer speeds. When USB 2.0 was announced in the year
2000 it promised a higher maximum signaling rate of 480Mbit/s (60MB/s) and was
quickly introduced into new computers and external devices.
Today USB 3.0 has superseded USB 2.0, and
promises a maximum transmission speed of up to 5Gbits/s (625MB/s). Working out
at 10x faster than USB 2.0, it’s not the fastest means of transferring data
though. Thunderbolt connectivity is a new interface that’s starting to feature
on more and more external hard drives such as the LaCie drive in this roundup.
It comes at a price but has a very impressive signaling rate of 10Gbits/s,
which works out at 20x faster than USB 2.0. the Thunderbolt interface is
currently supported only by Apple’s very latest MacBook and iMac computers on
the market.
