Choosing an External Hard Disk Drive - The Basics

As the hard disk drives of computers have grown, so have file sizes and the number of different types of large files people want to save on their computers. External USB hard disks used to be looked down upon as slow alternatives to saving data on the computer's internal hard disk or on other media such as CDs, or data DVDs.

Now with faster, more efficient USB connections, more computers fitted with convenient USB ports, and faster data transfer, USB hard disks are a viable option for backup.

There are many things to consider when buying one:

Hard Disk Size:
It used to be that the smaller the hard drive was, the more reliable it could be. Now even very large sized hard disks can be made reliably.

Speed:
Speed used to be a concern before USB2.0 became standard equipment on computers and netbooks. Now it's not really a big concern. In fact there are hardly any of the slower USB hard disks available now at all.

Design:
There are many designs and colors available. If you have a preference, you can simply choose a design that you like that fits your budget. There is, however, one major type of design difference in external hard disks. Some are designed to be portable. Portable hard disk drives are ostensibly sturdier, lighter, and handle being carried around better. The trade off is that they cost more per gigabyte than a standard model. In fact a portable 500GB hard disk can cost as much as a 1TB (terabyte) "desktop" drive.

There are several factors in the particulars of what type of external hard drive is best for a given person or situation. The most important factors are the size of the hard drive itself (though generally speaking the larger you can afford, the better), and whether one needs a portable hdd, or a "desktop" one.