IT professionals and others like photographers, media reporters, accountants, architects, and engineers use computers for their routine work. Most of the time the hard disk available in a laptop or computer gets filled up with data and the storage space gets limited. Many of these professionals frequently travel and want to keep their work in a safe and reliable drive that can be carried along. For such people here is a list of the best external hard drives to select one that matches their storage space needs.
Reviews of Top External Hard Drives
1 Seagate 2TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive
This one is a smart, sleek, and portable external hard drive from Seagate that will fulfill the backup needs for files and other multimedia data. It has been well appreciated for its fast transfer speed and lightweight design.
You don’t have to be a computer professional or an IT expert to use it. As soon as you get it, just plug it into your system and start saving your data. Easiest to use a storage device that needs only your file movement skills. Nothing else!! It is an ideal device to store countless games.
It moves the files really fast. For you, it will be in a flash with the help of the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port. Additional compatibility is provided with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 as well. It gets the driving power from the USB port it is connected to your computer or laptop. This external HDD also works best with Xbox and PS4. If you plan to use it with an Apple computer do it after reformatting it.
2. Seagate Expansion 8TB Desktop External Hard Drive
This is a bit bigger in size external hard drive. The size is justified by the amount of storage you get for all your extended data storage needs. Brand Seagate is already a well-known symbol for reliable storage devices. So this too comes with all the quality-defining features.
Just like other Seagate drives, this too gets effortlessly attached to your system after plugging in its power adapter and USB cable. It comes with a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port for faster data transfers. It has inherent compatibility with all Windows 7 and 8 computers and laptops. It responds really quickly.
Once connected you can use the simple drag-and-drop function of Windows to move your files from your computer to the external drive. For Mac, you must do reformatting. It works with Xbox and PS4 for gaming systems as well. This is really smart hardware to get your data, games, images, movies, and other routine backup needs.
3 Toshiba Canvio 2TB Black Portable External Hard Drive
One of the finest examples of compactness, the Toshiba HDTB420XK3AA Canvio with NTFS is the ideal choice for professionals on the move. It looks amazingly sleek and fits into a pocket easily. Its rugged and matte finish surface protects it against possible scratches. It does not show any smudges or finger marks.
Just like all other portable hard disks in this list, this one is also a Plug & Play hardware that can be used as soon as you open your delivery packet. No software installation is required for the Windows system. But if you are working on a Mac you may need to reformat it, especially for Mac OS v10.12 /OS X v10.11 / v10.1
It is an asset for you since the fast data transfer makes it work like extended storage for your system or other gadgets. It works smoothly with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports without a power supply. It derives needed power through USB ports. A one-year warranty and the accompanying data transfer cable by Toshiba underscore its superior quality. Get this speedy, smart, and sleek portable hard drive for all your backup needs.
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4 WD 8TB My Book External Hard Drive
WD 8TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive is the best buy for the extended storage needs of IT professionals. Its most striking features include auto backup supported by easy-to-use WD Backup software with your windows system. If you own a Mac, this hard disk is still useable since it comes with Time Machine compatibility to synchronize your backup plans properly.
Your total reliability on this hard disk is proven by the fact that you protect your data by using its inherent 256-bit AES hardware encryption. All you need to do is lock it up with a hard-to-break password to protect your crucial data.
Its well-thought-compact design makes it versatile backup storage for a huge amount of data by offering USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatibility. Whether you own Windows 7, 8, or 10 or a Mac, you can use it with equal ease. A bit of tweaking may be needed for operating systems other than Windows.
5 Silicon Power 1TB External Hard Drive for PC, Mac, PS4, and Xbox
Owning different computing devices with different OSs can be a big headache when it comes to backing up your data or moving data between these incompatible devices. For all of you who face this problem every day, Silicon Powers provides a perfectly compatible external hard disk for Windows, Mac, Xbox, and PS4.
I am usually not concerned with the surface features of an external drive but this one captured my attention with its skid-proof, water and scratch-resistant surface. It is totally safe for a group of people who share the work and the hardware. It is rightly described as a rugged hard disk.
Armor A60 portable hard disk comes with FAT32-ready pre-formatting so that you can attach it to Mac or Windows directly. It works well for small to medium files and you have to reformat to exFAT if you frequently transfer files with 4GB+ size. It is compatible with USB 3.1 Gen1 / USB 3.0, USB 2.0
The amazing carry-cable design that allows you to wrap around the data cable right on the hard disk is perfect for the lost souls who are always in search of their misplaced cables. This Silicon Power external drive with a 3-year manufacturer warranty is the right parameter to guess its dependability.
6 Seagate Backup Plus Hub 8TB with Adobe CC Photography
If your job requires you to store and manipulate high-definition images then this 8 TB external hard disk from brand Seagate is an ideal choice for you. This essential storage device has two USB 3.0 ports on the front so that connecting it to your computer or laptop is not a hassle. You can use one port for connecting the drive and the other one to recharge other USB devices.
It is plug-and-play formatted and ready for Windows as soon as you have it in your hand. All you have to do is install the NTFS driver for Mac. This small task will make it ready to use with both Windows and Mac systems interchangeably. You can use it with Xbox but not with PS4.
The data files and your important documents can be planned to back up without any intervention by you. You just need to plan up the backup schedule and set it up with a single click. It automatically takes the responsibility of protecting your files against any accidental damage or deletion.
The 4-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan is the best thing that creative professionals will definitely admire.
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7 WD-My Passport Portable External Hard Drive 2TB
This sleek and smart portable hard disk is a great facilitator to keep your important files and data intact for now and always. Its great functionality comes with the highly dependable auto backup system that can be availed through its accompanying free WD Backup software
Your crucial and confidential data can be easily protected with its hardware encryption feature. It’s functional hardware that you definitely need in your office essentials list. It’s a hassle-free storage device that gets powered with a USB. No need to get lost in the plethora of cables.
Because of USB 3.0 and 2.0 compatibility, it can be easily attached to any device from a laptop and Xbox to your favorite Play station. It is easy to install and use. It works seamlessly with Windows 7 to 10 and needs a bit of reformatting when you have to move the data from a Mac.
It is one of those external drives that does not disturb you with its whirring noise while moving the data to and fro. It works silently but speedily.
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8 Toshiba Canvio 3TB Portable External Hard Drive
Toshiba Canvio Advance is a good option among the compact external hard drives that can be a great support for IT professionals and hardware engineers. If you are bored of carrying the same old black or gray drives, then the color options offered by Toshiba may brighten up your hardware and backup tasks a bit. I cannot guarantee any exceptional changes though!
The 3TB hard drive is quite reliable in preserving your lesser-used but important files. It promises enough space if you want to showcase your movies, presentations, or photography assignments to your clients without the hassle of carrying your own laptop.
The best part is that you can plan your routine backups with the downloadable Toshiba Storage Backup. It keeps you relaxed since it takes care of the backup which is an essential part of an IT professional’s life. Just define the schedule and your backup will run automatically.
It also has an excellent security mechanism to protect your crucial business data from unauthorized access. You can do this by locking the drive with a password. The Toshiba 2-year standard limited warranty is the best feature to prove its reliability.
9 WD Elements Portable 2TB External Hard Drive
I am highly amazed by the functionality of this slim and smart portable hard disk from WD. It has got a 2TB storage capacity with NTFS to keep your images, movies and games secure against accidental access or deletion. Of course, you can store and carry your presentations, documents, and other official data as well.
The USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatibility provides high speeds of data transfer between the computer and the drive. As soon as you unpack it, it is ready to use. It connects effortlessly with Windows 8, 7, Vista & XP systems but needs reformatting for a Mac. It is a perfect companion for your PS4 and Xbox.
WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive is lightweight but has a sturdy exterior to protect against scratches and accidental drops. It can also make a great gift for nerdy friends for whom you are never able to find a perfect gift. It comes with a limited warranty of 2 years.
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10. Apricorn Aegis Padlock 1 TB USB 3.0
This padlock is a mini briefcase to store your files securely on the go. You can copy the files on this 1 TB removable USB drive that works effortlessly on USB 3.0 with backward capability. The drive comes with a keypad to lock or unlock this encrypted drive by Apricorn Aegis.
Said that it is simple to use with no need for any additional software to manage it. You can create up to ten user accounts and one admin account that can create or delete the other user accounts. Unlike other padlock drives where you can use only numeric keys to lock them, this one allows you to create a more robust password using alpha-numeric keys.
The security chip is protected with an epoxy covering that is hard to break open and the third person wishing to intrude will eventually end up destroying the drive completely. You can safely keep your personal files or movies at home and office without any fear of kids accessing them.
Buy External Hard Drive for Backup, PS4, or Xbox
There are plenty of other options but after considering parameters like capacity, reliability, the speed of data transfer, and compact size we have shortlisted the above external hard disks. You can get any one of these to back up and protect your important content. If you have got a good external drive but are not listed here, do share your experience. We would love to include it for other readers like you.
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