Portable External Hard Drives
Recommended
We highly recommend the LaCie brand hard drives: LaCie Store
They work well with PCs and Macs and can last a very long time (one of our professors has had one for nearly 10 years).
LaCie Moon Silver 1TB HDD ($80)
Port: USB 3.0 USB 2.0 compatible
Works on Mac & PC Platforms (at same time)
LaCie Rugged Mini 1TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD ($80)
Port: USB 3.0 USB 2.0 compatible
Drop, Shock, Dust, Rain Resistant
Works on Mac & PC Platforms (at same time)
Research Other Brands?
When looking for a hard drive that works for classes, remember to consider this:
Make sure it is listed as portable/mobile (so it can withstand some falls)
Check the warranty—short warranties are a sign of poorer products
Make sure you have the port that is required for the hard drive (USB-C, Thunderbolt, etc.)
Must work for Macintosh and PC computers (without having to reformat them)
What is a SSD (Solid State Drive)?
A solid-state drive (SSD) offers quick access to your data because it stores your bits in a type of flash memory rather than on spinning platters. SSDs are often smaller and lighter than spinning external drives, as well, which is also thanks to the lack of moving parts. Their small size means they can often fit into a jacket or pants pocket, which makes them a better choice if you're looking for a portable external drive that you'll be carrying with you frequently. It’s faster and smaller, but more expensive.
Data Backup in 2022: Best Free & Paid Options
What size drive should you get?
Minimum of 500 GB up to 1TB should be just fine for students.
