Best external hard drives to buy right now?
in Computer Peripherals ·
I wasn't really part of the actual discussion, but based on all the feedback and Benjamin King2's recommendation yesterday, I ended up picking up an Adata DashDrive HD710.
(In the mix were both Adata and Western Digital drives; the last Western Digital WD Caviar I bought actually died just ten days after the warranty expired, so that one was definitely out of the running.)
It might be a little early to start singing its praises, but my first impression of the Adata is honestly really great!
- The drive casing has this rubberized finish that makes it shockproof and water-resistant, yet somehow it doesn't feel overly bulky or clunky. If you value reliability and portability over having a flashy, high-end look, I don't think there's a better option out there right now. Plus, I really like how they tucked the USB cable right into the housing frame—it's a nice little touch for portability.
- The USB 3.0 works perfectly fine even when plugged into a USB 2.0 port. Naturally, your transfer speeds are going to depend on which port you're using, but in my case, even the slower 2.0 connection feels plenty fast enough.
- Adata includes their HDDtoGO software, which offers a few different features like syncing data between your main hard drive and this portable one, or even locking the drive. You can certainly use it if you want, but it's totally optional.
- And last but certainly not least, it comes with a 3-year warranty...
Benjamin King2, thanks so much for the suggestion!
(In the mix were both Adata and Western Digital drives; the last Western Digital WD Caviar I bought actually died just ten days after the warranty expired, so that one was definitely out of the running.)
It might be a little early to start singing its praises, but my first impression of the Adata is honestly really great!
- The drive casing has this rubberized finish that makes it shockproof and water-resistant, yet somehow it doesn't feel overly bulky or clunky. If you value reliability and portability over having a flashy, high-end look, I don't think there's a better option out there right now. Plus, I really like how they tucked the USB cable right into the housing frame—it's a nice little touch for portability.
- The USB 3.0 works perfectly fine even when plugged into a USB 2.0 port. Naturally, your transfer speeds are going to depend on which port you're using, but in my case, even the slower 2.0 connection feels plenty fast enough.
- Adata includes their HDDtoGO software, which offers a few different features like syncing data between your main hard drive and this portable one, or even locking the drive. You can certainly use it if you want, but it's totally optional.
- And last but certainly not least, it comes with a 3-year warranty...
Benjamin King2, thanks so much for the suggestion!