External Hard Drive??

[TurboTrev]

I'm looking to buy an external hard drive to back up all the photographs and documents I have stored on my laptop.  As my computer knowledge is just about nil, could any computer experts advise me on what to buy? 

I'm not looking for state of the art, just want something cheap with a decent memory size (what is a decent memory size?)!  Thanks!

[coolhandluke]

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/data-storage/portable-external-hard-drives/toshiba-stor-e-basics-portable-hard-drive-1tb-black-11774960-pdt.html

I got this one when it was on offer for £50,have my movies on it and still lots of space,so for photos it would be fine.

[jason_rmh]

There are 3 main types depending on what you're after.

1. Portable
Small size, Usb powered although you will pay more for the same capacity if a non portable version. Power and data through the same cable.

2. Desktop / mains powered
Slightly larger. Separate mains power supply.
Can get a large capacity for relatively cheap.
Separate usb cable to connect to pc for data transfer.

3. Network attached
You can access your files from different devices over your home wireless network. Can also access files over internet if setup properly.
Takes a bit of knowledge to setup and get the most out of it.


Size wise, get the most you can afford. These days 'normal' is around 500Gb (gigabyte). Although I would go for a 1TB (terabyte) if you can afford it.

A terabyte is a thousand gigabytes (roughly).

Some drives come with bells and whistles such as backup features but prob not needed.

Good brands are seagate or western digital.
Take a look at ebuyer for a good selection. ..
www.ebuyer.com

Hope this helps
Jas

[stealthwolf]

It really depends on the amount of storage you have and the frequency of back up.

If all you need is a few GB, a USB pendrive is adequate.

A small portable one like the Iomega eGO is basically a laptop HDD-sized hard drive and hence can be powered just off the USB cable. Useful to keep in your pocket and move around with. I have a couple of laptop 2.5HDD which I've installed into a caddy/closure but they're not as robustly designed as purpose built units.

I have a couple of desktop powered ones eg WD Book and Seagate - they're in a huge plasticky case and require a mains power. I've stopped using these as frequently because it's a hassle to connect and power up each time. But they're proper back ups in that I keep them off site.

I have now bought a NAS which connects to my router. Transfer is slower over the network than via USB so transferring gigabyte sized files takes a while but has the benefit of the fact that it's nowhere near my computer and can be stored wherever I want. Current model is a DS213+.

[wilmott1980]

I managed to pick up a 1tb buffalo portable hard drive off ebayer for £55. It is a great bit of kit and cheap too which is a bonus.

[TurboTrev]

Many thanks to all of you for your detailed and informative replies.   I now have a much better idea on how to proceed.

[Kalpsn2000]

I have USB 3 version of these and its great for backing up my important stuff:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-S2-USB-Powered-Portable-Midnight/dp/B003UT2QTQ

Although looks like its been replaced with this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Slimline-Portable-Hard-Drive/dp/B008PABFX8/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

[Scottymon]

What ever you decide on, definitely go USB3.0, even if you currently only have USB2.0 it saturates the port, so expect <=30MB/s using a USB3.0 pen drive in USB2.0 port, and <=90MB/s using a USB3.0 pen drive in a USB3.0 port (depending on the pen drive of course).  I highly recommend the excellent 64GB Corsair Slider; which really does get those transfer rates.

Get this, only 3 left in stock, £27 delivered: http://www.mymemory.co.uk/USB-Flash-Drives/Corsair/Corsair-64GB-Flash-Voyager-Slider-USB-3.0-Flash-Drive----Refurbished-
^ Also worth noting the 16/32GB versions of the same drive were not as quick as the 64 for me.

However if you want better backup, I'd grab a HP N40L, epic mini server, easy to setup with Windows 7 and 4/5 HDD 's...

Also, store stuff in the cloud for additional protection of important stuff.