If your computer is going at a speed more like a steam train than a Ferrari then it probably means it’s memory is starting to fill up. This leads you with a decision to be made.
Do you buy a whole new computer that will be faster but won’t have any of the information from your last computer or do you free up space on your old computer by using an external hard drive.
For me there’s only one choice - an external hard drive.
This will save you money and won’t put you through al the stress of moving information from one computer to another.
If you’ve come to the same decision then you’ve probably come to your next hurdle.
What external hard drive do you buy. Well there are a few things you need to consider.
What Size External Hard Drive You Need
Well that depends very much on what you want it for.
If you want to use it as a storage device in your own home then the external hard drive market really is your oyster with a huge range of sizes, shapes and memory options available.
You will find though if you’re looking for a portable device (i.e. something you can put in your pocket) that the range will narrows, the price rises and the space available decreases.
I would therefore seriously think about exactly how you want to use it before you buy otherwise you could pay a lot for a feature you don’t need or pay less for something that is then going to break your back as you log it from home to the office.
How Is The External Hard Drive Going To Be Powered?
If you’re buying a external hard drive to take on the move with you then you’ve got to make sure it’s a USB or Firewire powered device, otherwise you’re going to be running up and down the train in the vain hope of finding a plug socket.
How Much Memory Do You Want?
Personally I’m of the opinion you should buy as much memory as you possibly can. It can be very tempting to buy a cheap external hard drive with 40GB of memory because “it’d do for now”.
Well that is true but you’re only going to end up having to pay out more when you fill it up!
Make Sure You Buy A Hare Not A Tortoise
It’s important to make sure you get an external hard drive that will finish storing your information before you go old and grey ( or alternatively before you get so annoyed with how slow it is you throw it out the window..)
Make sure that your external hard drive has a RPM of at least over 5000 but if you can afford to go high I would really recommend it.
Get An External Hard Drive That Will Save Your Bacon
Many external hard drives these days come with some form of backup or recovery software included. This is really worth having because you never know when your computer is going to ….. (I’ve gone all superstitious and can’t say it…
Why Should I Buy My External Hard Drive?
The best value for money is always going to be online and there are some great online stores just waiting to help you out which include PC World, SVP Communications, Maplin and Memory Bits.
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