Best External Hard Drive For Mac Uk

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1. Best Portable Hard Drives For Mac
2. Best External Hard Drive For Mac Time Machine
3. External Hard Drive For Imac
4. Best External Hard Drive For Macbook Pro

This external hard drive from Seagate is the perfect solution for backing up your Mac. You get 200GB of free OneDrive cloud storage for up to 2 years, and this is included with your purchase when you register a new Backup Plus drive. The LaCie portable external hard drive is one of the best protected from dust, sand, moisture and physical damage. Its body is made of durable aluminium with a sheath of shockproof rubber coating of a bright orange colour, very pleasant to the touch.

You thought you had enough disk space when you originally bought your MacBook Pro, but soon you realized that storage is being filled up quicker than you can clear old files.

Installing a new hard drive mac. Or maybe you already had an external drive to help extend your MacBook's storage, but now it's either outdated, too slow, or experiencing issues.

We may be in the age of cloud computing and remotely stored files, but it's always helpful to have a portable hard drive you can count on both for file backups and to work off as needed.

In this buying guide, we'll help you pick the best external drive for your MacBook Pro so you can access all your files without sacrificing speed or performance.

Quick Summary

Here's a brief overview of our recommendations depending on your specific needs and preferences:

• The 10TB G-DRIVE Desktop External Hard Drive will give you enough volume and lightning speed for a traditional drive, and comes pre-formatted for Mac.
• If you need instant cross-platform compatibility, and an array of color choices, you'll be covered with the Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB.
• Known for being rough on your electronics? The Silicon Power 1TB Drive is rugged and durable, with water resistance in addition to quick read and write speeds.
• If you prefer a modern speedy solid-state drive, the Glyph Atom RAID 1TB SSD is sure to meet expectations in terms of speed and durability.

Do I Need An External Drive for My Mac?

External drives are a worthwhile investment for more than just power users, but it can be hard to determine if you need one or not. Consider this:

• Do you regularly work with large files such as videos and edited images, or run other creative files such as video games?
• Is your MacBook Pro running slower due to being overburdened with files?
• Have you ever wanted to backup your Mac just in case of any data disaster?
• Are you using a cloud storage or online backup service but fear of security and reliability issues from the provider?
• Are old files being stored on your computer because you occasionally reference them but can't completely delete them?

Answering yes to any of the above scenario questions is a fairly good indicator that an external hard drive would benefit you.

On the other hand, an external hard drive is probably not the best option for for those of you who only have a small volume of unimportant files to save, which might be better served by using a cloud storage program like Dropbox or Google Drive or by offloading their old files onto a large USB flash drive.

Best External Drive for MacBook: What to Look For in 2020?

Storage Capacity

If you're purchasing an external hard drive, it's because you need the space on your MacBook, so it doesn't make sense to cut corners on how much exterior space you purchase. However, it's still important to consider exactly how much space you need. Consider how quickly you create large files (such as photo imports) and if you plan on keeping them in a long or short term to decide your actual need.

Formatting

While many newer drives come formatted to work on both Mac and PC, it's best not to choose one that is single-system compatible as it will limit the drive's versatility (though you could manually format an external drive for both PC and Mac compatibility, it's an extra effort and requires you to be a bit geeky). For added convenience, you should look for drives that come pre-formatted for Mac, which means you don't have to install a special program and do it yourself.

HDD or SSD

There are several kinds of external drives based on the electronics that make them work. An HDD is the traditional spinning disk of data, whereas an SSD is newer technology that has no moving parts and store information inside the electronic components. An HHD, or Hybrid Hard Drive, uses a combination of these methods. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to speed, durability, price, and information safety, so make sure you know which you prefer.

The Best External Drives for MacBook Pro in 2020: Our Picks

Kindly note that the products chosen below are mainly based on our personal preferences and the guidelines as shown above. They are by no means made in the order below.

1. G-Technology 10TB G-DRIVE USB-C Desktop External Hard Drive

This speedy HDD drive offers a huge chunk of storage at an uncommonly high RPM. It will stand up to daily use in editing and media programs and connects to your computer via USB-C so you can take full advantage of its specs.

Pros:

• If you have set up Apple Time Machine, this drive will be ready for easy file backup so you won't be waiting for your files to read or write. Also, it comes with a great amount of storage space.

Cons:

• The disk is pre-formatted for Mac, you won't be able to use your files on a secondary computer such as a Windows PC unless you reformat it to NTFS file system.

2. Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB

Available in four different sizes, this hard drive from trusted brand Seagate comes in several colors. Approximately the size of your phone, it packs a punch for its size and is very portable.

Pros:

• It can be used on both Mac and PC without reformatting. Also, it offers fast connection via USB and weighs about 5 ounces.

Cons:

Best Portable Hard Drives For Mac

• Largest TB size option is not compatible with Mac.

3. Silicon Power 1TB Rugged Armor A60

An extremely versatile and sturdy drive, this model is compatible with more than just your MacBook. It's water resistant, with read and write speeds at the standard 120 mbps.

Pros:

• It can be used with several gaming consoles and Apple Time Machine in addition to your Mac.
• It's also durable and available with the modern USB-C which is especially useful if you're using the newest MacBook Pro.

Cons:

• It appears somewhat unprofessional, also the drive is a bit on the heavy side as it weighs around 8 ounces.

4. Glyph Atom RAID 1TB External Solid State Drive

Available with USB and USB-C connections and pre-formatted for Mac, this SSD from well-known brand Glyph provides extremely fast speeds that will support your casual and power use. It looks clean and functions beautifully.

Pros:

• It comes pre-formatted for Mac with easy reformats for PC or cross-platform compatibility, significantly faster than comparable drives from Samsung and other brands, available in several colors and two connection types.

Cons: External webcam for mac. Hp printers compatible with mac catalina.

• It's the heaviest drive on our list at 11 ounces, and a bit on the pricey side as well.

Useful Tips & Resources

Picking a hard drive can be difficult, especially if you aren't sure whether you need one. One way to help decide is to try a cloud storage platform such as Google Drive or Dropbox before you decide to buy an external drive. Both platforms are free to start with and they offer terabyte storage options for paying customers and using one may help you decide if you need more constant access to your files or simply a place to store them.

If you know you want an external drive but aren't sure what storage type you need (HDD or SSD), perhaps this guide from PCWorld will help you decide which best fits your requirements. https://waimiwurti1985.mystrikingly.com/blog/incredimail-2.

Also, It's worth noting that some external drives available on the market are formatted for PC only, but you can reformat it to Mac OS Extended, or for cross-platform compatibility (with NTFS) if you need to use your external drive for your MacBook Pro and a PC as well. This tutorial is definitely worth checking out:

Final Words

Regardless of your final choice of external drive, having one will definitely improve your workflow and computer performance. You'll be able to use your files more effectively and improve your MacBook's performance. Which external drive have you used in the past or are considering purchasing? Let us know.

Mac External Hard Drive Reviews

These days everyone is purchasing external hard drives for their computers, because you never know what's going to happen. Should you lose your computer, or if something happens to its hard drive, then you have completely lost the data on your computer. That means that owning and using an external drive is a smart way to store your information in a separate location, so that you're prepared in case the unexpected should happen.

Quick Summary

Here's a brief overview of our recommendations depending on your specific needs and preferences:

• The 10TB G-DRIVE Desktop External Hard Drive will give you enough volume and lightning speed for a traditional drive, and comes pre-formatted for Mac.
• If you need instant cross-platform compatibility, and an array of color choices, you'll be covered with the Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB.
• Known for being rough on your electronics? The Silicon Power 1TB Drive is rugged and durable, with water resistance in addition to quick read and write speeds.
• If you prefer a modern speedy solid-state drive, the Glyph Atom RAID 1TB SSD is sure to meet expectations in terms of speed and durability.

Do I Need An External Drive for My Mac?

External drives are a worthwhile investment for more than just power users, but it can be hard to determine if you need one or not. Consider this:

• Do you regularly work with large files such as videos and edited images, or run other creative files such as video games?
• Is your MacBook Pro running slower due to being overburdened with files?
• Have you ever wanted to backup your Mac just in case of any data disaster?
• Are you using a cloud storage or online backup service but fear of security and reliability issues from the provider?
• Are old files being stored on your computer because you occasionally reference them but can't completely delete them?

Answering yes to any of the above scenario questions is a fairly good indicator that an external hard drive would benefit you.

On the other hand, an external hard drive is probably not the best option for for those of you who only have a small volume of unimportant files to save, which might be better served by using a cloud storage program like Dropbox or Google Drive or by offloading their old files onto a large USB flash drive.

Best External Drive for MacBook: What to Look For in 2020?

Storage Capacity

If you're purchasing an external hard drive, it's because you need the space on your MacBook, so it doesn't make sense to cut corners on how much exterior space you purchase. However, it's still important to consider exactly how much space you need. Consider how quickly you create large files (such as photo imports) and if you plan on keeping them in a long or short term to decide your actual need.

Formatting

While many newer drives come formatted to work on both Mac and PC, it's best not to choose one that is single-system compatible as it will limit the drive's versatility (though you could manually format an external drive for both PC and Mac compatibility, it's an extra effort and requires you to be a bit geeky). For added convenience, you should look for drives that come pre-formatted for Mac, which means you don't have to install a special program and do it yourself.

HDD or SSD

There are several kinds of external drives based on the electronics that make them work. An HDD is the traditional spinning disk of data, whereas an SSD is newer technology that has no moving parts and store information inside the electronic components. An HHD, or Hybrid Hard Drive, uses a combination of these methods. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to speed, durability, price, and information safety, so make sure you know which you prefer.

The Best External Drives for MacBook Pro in 2020: Our Picks

Kindly note that the products chosen below are mainly based on our personal preferences and the guidelines as shown above. They are by no means made in the order below.

1. G-Technology 10TB G-DRIVE USB-C Desktop External Hard Drive

This speedy HDD drive offers a huge chunk of storage at an uncommonly high RPM. It will stand up to daily use in editing and media programs and connects to your computer via USB-C so you can take full advantage of its specs.

Pros:

• If you have set up Apple Time Machine, this drive will be ready for easy file backup so you won't be waiting for your files to read or write. Also, it comes with a great amount of storage space.

Cons:

• The disk is pre-formatted for Mac, you won't be able to use your files on a secondary computer such as a Windows PC unless you reformat it to NTFS file system.

2. Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB

Available in four different sizes, this hard drive from trusted brand Seagate comes in several colors. Approximately the size of your phone, it packs a punch for its size and is very portable.

Pros:

• It can be used on both Mac and PC without reformatting. Also, it offers fast connection via USB and weighs about 5 ounces.

Cons:

Best Portable Hard Drives For Mac

• Largest TB size option is not compatible with Mac.

3. Silicon Power 1TB Rugged Armor A60

An extremely versatile and sturdy drive, this model is compatible with more than just your MacBook. It's water resistant, with read and write speeds at the standard 120 mbps.

Pros:

• It can be used with several gaming consoles and Apple Time Machine in addition to your Mac.
• It's also durable and available with the modern USB-C which is especially useful if you're using the newest MacBook Pro.

Cons:

• It appears somewhat unprofessional, also the drive is a bit on the heavy side as it weighs around 8 ounces.

4. Glyph Atom RAID 1TB External Solid State Drive

Available with USB and USB-C connections and pre-formatted for Mac, this SSD from well-known brand Glyph provides extremely fast speeds that will support your casual and power use. It looks clean and functions beautifully.

Pros:

• It comes pre-formatted for Mac with easy reformats for PC or cross-platform compatibility, significantly faster than comparable drives from Samsung and other brands, available in several colors and two connection types.

Cons: External webcam for mac. Hp printers compatible with mac catalina.

• It's the heaviest drive on our list at 11 ounces, and a bit on the pricey side as well.

Useful Tips & Resources

Picking a hard drive can be difficult, especially if you aren't sure whether you need one. One way to help decide is to try a cloud storage platform such as Google Drive or Dropbox before you decide to buy an external drive. Both platforms are free to start with and they offer terabyte storage options for paying customers and using one may help you decide if you need more constant access to your files or simply a place to store them.

If you know you want an external drive but aren't sure what storage type you need (HDD or SSD), perhaps this guide from PCWorld will help you decide which best fits your requirements. https://waimiwurti1985.mystrikingly.com/blog/incredimail-2.

Also, It's worth noting that some external drives available on the market are formatted for PC only, but you can reformat it to Mac OS Extended, or for cross-platform compatibility (with NTFS) if you need to use your external drive for your MacBook Pro and a PC as well. This tutorial is definitely worth checking out:

Final Words

Regardless of your final choice of external drive, having one will definitely improve your workflow and computer performance. You'll be able to use your files more effectively and improve your MacBook's performance. Which external drive have you used in the past or are considering purchasing? Let us know.

Mac External Hard Drive Reviews

These days everyone is purchasing external hard drives for their computers, because you never know what's going to happen. Should you lose your computer, or if something happens to its hard drive, then you have completely lost the data on your computer. That means that owning and using an external drive is a smart way to store your information in a separate location, so that you're prepared in case the unexpected should happen.

Also, people have more data than ever, when you consider all the photos, videos, music, and so much more that folks keep on their computers. Even MacBooks aren't designed to store all this information, and that's why an external hard drive will help you to clear some space on your computer. Lets take a look at the top rated Mac external hard drives so that you can be well on your way to finding the right drive for you and your unique requirements.

1. Western Digital

Best Overall Mac External Hard Drive

You get a whopping USB 3.0 connectivity, and the drive is formatted for MAC OS X, so reformatting will be required for Windows. With a 3 year limited warranty, you can be sure that this drive is going to stand the test of time, and should anything go wrong, it's easy to simply return it for a refund.

The chances are there's not going to be any reason to return this drive because it's solidly constructed and made from only the best materials. Perfect for all your backup and storage needs, you're going to see that this drive outperforms the rest, and that's why it's one of the top rated models on the market.

– Darius Spieth

2. Toshiba

Best Overall Mac External Hard Drive – Runner Up

The drive accommodates large digital files with a spacious storage capacity that customers swear by. Also, the body of this drive is compact, and smudge-resistant so that you don't have to deal with unsightly fingerprints. All in all, this is a top rated external drive for Mac because it offers ample storage space in the perfect sized device.

It's easy to carry on the go, and you can be confident when you're using it that you're getting a safe and effective means of saving your important data, so that you can retrieve it whenever you need it most.

– Darius Spieth

3. Seagate

Best Budget Mac External Hard Drive

You can only redeem one offer with your OneDrive account, but you're going to see that this is really all the storage that you're going to need. The program allows you to create customized backup plans that include the signature Seagate dashboard software. You can also backup your mobile device photos and videos anytime using the Lyve App which works automatically.

You experience the fastest file transfer with powerful USB 3.0 connectivity. Also, the USB powered backup drive needs no power supply to operate. All in all, what you're getting here is a tremendous backup drive that is going to give you all the storage that you so desperately need.

– Darius Spieth

We highlighted the top rated external hard drives on the market, and these are popular because they have an ample amount of storage, are affordable, and constructed from the highest quality materials. These top rated models also have the latest technology that makes them easy to use and reach lightening-fast speeds.

If you're not yet convinced that one of these drives is right for you, then you can take a look at this buyer's guide to find some other options that are out there for you. Each drive is so different, so it's important to know what options are available to you so that you can make an informed decision.

Best External Hard Drive For Mac Time Machine

Mac External Hard Drive Comparison

Mac External Hard Drive Buying Guide

When it comes to finding the right external hard drive for your Mac, you have a lot of options out there. When looking for the right solution, you need to consider how much data you have to store, and whether you have multiple computers that are connected to your home network. You also need to take into account backup speed, the sensitivity of our data, how good you are with computers, and the physical size of the drive. This is going to effect the portability.

How Much Storage Do You Need?

It's possible to spend up to $200 on a 2 terabyte drive, or even $300 for a 4TB model, but having all that space may not be necessary for you. You basically want to get the largest drive that you can afford, because this will allow you to store all your data for years to come. Photoshop gimp 2 8. Keep in mind that your storage is going to accumulate, but it's about knowing how much data you really have on a consistent basis.

You for sure want to get a drive that has at least the same amount of storage as your computer's hard drive. The physical size of the drive is another consideration, especially if you want it to be portable. Should you need to take your backup with you, then you want to make sure that it's small enough to carry.

External Hard Drive For Imac

How Fast Should it Be?

The speed of the external hard drive is another consideration that you need to take into account. Some people think that online storage options are a good idea but the problem is that they're really too slow. Sometimes after your first backup it can take almost days to complete the next one, and that's why an external hard drive offers you a faster solution. This makes it quick and easy to store music, videos, and images in a flash. Keep in mind that installation of the drive is going to require a little bit of technical know-how. Once you learn the ropes, you're going to see that an external hard drive is a great alternative to all other forms of storage.

How Many Computers Do You Have?

Best External Hard Drive For Macbook Pro

This is something you definitely need to consider when buying an external hard drive. If you have many computers running on the same network then consider purchasing a network drive that can cover all these devices at once, and helps you to share data that you save. It's going to take a little more time to figure out the installation, but in the long run it's the easiest solution. Also, if your computer is placed near a router then connecting it with an Ethernet cable is a smart choice that is going to give you faster speeds. When you have a wired connection it makes it up to 50 times faster than your usual wireless connection.

Are You Good With Computers?

This is going to help determine which drive you purchase. It's fairly easy to set up a backup, but when you're not tech savvy it's important to choose the simplest option. When it comes to going with the handiest choice, and these are thumb drives and optical discs, it's going to require you to use multiple discs and devices to get the backup done. A good alternative if you know you're not adept at technology is an external hard drive that runs without software or a drive that does backup at the push of a button.

Supplementing your Software

You can find inexpensive drives that do not require software but they're a bit short when it comes to features and flexibility. You can even get software that is bundled with other drives, and these have their limitations as well. Often these are not able to back up onto CDs and DVDs. Third-party backup software is going to be quite inexpensive, and sometimes this option is well worth it. Some operating systems come with their own backup software such as Max OS X 10.5, and these will automatically back up everything that you have and they let you restore anything from a single file onto the entire drive.

It's possible to restore the most recent version of a file that you have modified, and Time Machine in particular makes it easy to do this. The interface of this is quite simple to use, but it does take a little effort to learn the basics of the backup process. Windows 8 also comes with a backup program that has a feature called ‘File History' that will backup copies of files similar to the way that Mac OS X does it.

Add More Protection

Should your backup and computer live in the same area then your data can be prone to fire, burglary, flood and other problems. If you want your content to be as safe as possible then consider a supplementary backup that is in a different location. This means that your content will always be safe should something happen to your computer.

Types of Backup

There are a number of different backup options, including internal, external, online services, network drives, and thumb devices. You get the fastest backup with an internal drive, but installation of this can be quite complicated. This kind of backup is also susceptible to malware that may infect the primary drive. Optical discs are quite easy to use, but you're going to need a lot of them, and the discs themselves are prone to wear and tear.

Thumb drives are another good option and they offer higher capacities than optical drives. Keep in mind that it is easy to lose these and they don't have the same capacity as hard drives. With all the types of backup that you should consider, an external hard drive seems to be the most appealing.

Conclusion

If you're someone that owns a lot of data then having an external hard drive is a must to ensure that all that data is safe and secure. Most computers just don't have the storage capacity that people need, and that is why an outside source helps to take the load off your computer while also keeping this data safe in a remote location. There are a lot of external drives out there to choose from, and when you're looking for a model that is specifically designed for the Mac then you're going to see that the options almost seem endless. We highlighted the top rated external drives on the market, and these are praised by customers because they deliver solid performance, durability, and are made from the highest quality materials. You can be confident when you purchase one of these models that you're getting a product that will safely store all your material and will be able to handle ample volume.

The buyer's guide took it a step further by highlighting the various features that are available to you. When it comes to finding the right drive for you, it's really about knowing yourself and what you're looking for. If you're someone who is not very tech savvy, then it's smart to go with a simpler option that isn't going to require as much installation and upkeep. If you're very good with technology, then you can select one of the more complicated options that is probably going to work faster and more efficiently. No matter what device you choose, you're going to love the benefit that you get from owning an external hard drive, and the peace of mind that it gives you.

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