What to look for when buying an external hard drive

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What to look for when buying an external hard drive
An external hard-drive is a very important computer accessory especially if you are always on the go and you need to bring large files. Whenever you have an external hard-drive, it's like bringing the whole computer hard drive with you anywhere you want. Therefore, it would really be a good move to set requirements before you buy your very own external hard drive.
It is a requirement that you have a thorough knowledge before you even purchase your very own external drive. A thorough knowledge would mean that you need to search online and ask from your friends the best brands and you should know the personal experiences of the users on the different brands of external drives available in your area.
o Go Branded
I would suggest that you go from the branded ones. This is not because I work for a certain company but I believe that these companies have already gained trust from their customer that's why they still exist in the market. Another benefit of having branded external drives is the after sales customer support. Whenever we buy non-branded stuffs and we encounter problems after bringing them to our house, we usually have the problem of contacting the manufacturer. The big companies selling their brand of hard drives would surely be more than willing to help their customers whenever they encounter problems with the product.
o Connection
Most computers have USB ports of either 1.1 or 2.0 connectivity while some could use Firewire. These are the methods of how the external drives can be connected to the computers in transferring data. You also have to know if your USB port is 1.0 or it already supports 2.0 USB port. Most, if not all, external drives already function with 2.0 ports, therefore, it would be more helpful if you also have a 2.0 post so that data transfer would be speedier.
o Storage
External hard drives are available in different storage size that goes up to hundreds. In choosing which one to buy, you have to first determine how you intend to use it. If you would need to bring in with you large files, you may opt for the 500 or more gigabytes but if not, you may just go for the 80 or 120 gigabytes.
o Compatibility
The compatibility would not just be on the USB port but also on the operating system that you use. The three most common operating systems include Windows, Mac and Linux. Most external drives are actually compatible with these operating systems but it would still be advisable to the check compatibility of the external drive that you wanted to buy with the operating system that you have.
o Design
There are different designs of external drives. You can go for the stylish formal ones or the multi-colored ones. The option actually remains on the end user and his intended use. The size of the drive should also be a consideration. It would be better to have smaller drives when you are always on the go since they would surely weigh lighter but the decision would still depend on you. However, you should ensure that the drive has shock protection so that your data would at least be more secured.