I remember some years ago going shopping for an external drive with Daniel, a client who is an accountant. I’ve also helped a number of businesses and companies set up backup systems. I’m currently considering upgrading my iMac’s backup drive to a larger-capacity portable drive to free up a PowerPoint in my office.

All of these drives have been working flawlessly for many years. I use a Seagate Expansion Drive on my Mac Mini media computer to hold a large iTunes library and have several Western Digital My Passport portable drives in my desk drawer. I currently use Time Machine to back up my 1 TB internal iMac drive to a 2 TB HP SimpleSave 3.5-inch external USB drive.īut that’s not my only external drive. I’ve been diligently backing up my computers for decades and have tried a wide variety of backup strategies, software, and media.

My name is Adrian Try, and I’ve been using external drives since before USB existed. Best Hard Drive for Time Machine: How We Picked.Other Good External Drives for Time Machine Backup.Best Rugged Backup Drive for Mac: ADATA HD710 Pro.Best Portable Backup Drive for Mac: Seagate Backup Plus Portable.Best Backup Drive for Desktop Mac: Seagate Backup Plus Hub.Best Time Machine Backup Drive: Our Top Picks.You may prefer to spend a little more for a high-speed drive, even higher capacity, or a sturdy metal case that will match your Mac and look incredible on your desk. In my opinion, these offer the best value for money for most Mac users. The company’s portable drive also offers exceptional value, though if you prefer a more rugged solution, you can’t go past the ADATA HD710 Pro. There are large capacity options that are quite inexpensive, it includes a USB hub for your peripherals and memory sticks, and even include cloud storage. Heavy users of portable drives may prefer a ruggedized version that’s less susceptible to damage.įor desktop Mac users we love the look of the Seagate Backup Plus Hub for Mac. Desktop users may prefer to max out the storage with a larger 3.5-inch drive, while laptop users will appreciate a smaller 2.5-inch drive that doesn’t need to be plugged into mains power. One hard drive solution won’t suit everyone. In this guide, we’ll recommend a number of the best drives to consider. In our review of the best Mac backup software, we recommend every Mac user should use Time Machine to back up Mac data to an external hard drive. They’re useful for storing files you don’t need to keep permanently on your computer, for transferring files between computers, and for keeping backups of your Mac’s internal storage. With the growing popularity of SSD drives, the average Mac has less storage than it used to, making an external drive handier than ever.

Portable hard disk for mac