Storage Devices

As quickly as the first computer got up and running, figuring out where and how to store its data followed soon thereafter. In the late 1960s (and those over 40 remember these well), the floppy disk was invented. It was a square/rectangle shape, made of plastic but floppy as the name suggests. The very first 8-inch floppy disk held 80KB. In practical terms, this was enough to store 8 formatted .doc files.

Needless to say the technology drastically improved, and by the 1980s we had compact discs (CDs). A CD could store nearly 70,000 formatted .doc files, which amounted to 650-700 MB. The other thing, however, that a CD could do was store music or video files. For the first time we had a storage device that could safeguard documents and a U2 album all in one device!

Today we count on a range of storage device options. While the cloud is rightfully touted as a secure option, we’re going to focus on physical, external storage devices, and run through some popular options that should peak your interest.

Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim Portable

Humans are finicky. Our tastes vary dramatically, so what’s awesome, over-the-moon, the cats pajamas (or whatever cliché you want) for you, could be “blah” for me. Yet, when it comes to something being portable and lightweight, we’re nearly all, 100% on board. This external drive from Seagate is just that, and reasonably priced as well. Weighing in at a tiny 4.8 ounces and measuring only 0.38 inches thick, the Backup Plus is perhaps the lightest external hard drive on the market.

Yet, as with everything, you’ll never be able to have your cake and eat it too. The speeds with this Seagate model don’t come close to those of a solid-state drive, but it does the trick from a storage perspective (available in 1 and 2TB).

Western Digital My Book Duo

We go from a lightweight option to quite possibly the biggest external storage device you’ll find. If you’re seeking something extremely robust, that will store more files, videos, pictures, etc. than you could possibly drum up over a lifetime, the My Book Duo is the way to go. With up to an eye-popping 28TB of storage space, this model from Western Digital supports USB 3.1 for data transfer at lightening fast speeds.

If the 28TB is a bit excessive, you can opt for a cheaper My Book Duo with 4TB. In fact, the 4TB My Book costs a fraction of what the larger one does. Either way, you get a ton of bang for your buck here. The only downside is the physical size.

Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD

Here’s a cool option – a wireless storage device. Although it sounds quite simple, for some connecting a device to a computer isn’t always possible. Another great product from Western Digital, My Passport features a built-in WiFi 5 access point. No cables necessary, and this compact device can handle up to 4K video and lasts for 10 hours of 720p streaming.

My Passport has a simple button that transfers files, and if you need to power devices My Passport features an integrated 6,700 mAh power bank. This feature alone is stunning for a device this small. In terms of value (and if a WiFi device is what you need), look no further.

We ran down some cool options here. Don’t be left hanging with documents and videos and other important things to save without a place to do so. A storage device is like insurance – you’ll be thankful you have it if something bad should occur.