Best External Hard Drive for Mac Reviewed!
The G-Technology G-DRIVE Q 2TB External Hard Drive is the best external hard drive for mac!
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The Best External Hard Drive for Mac
We recently discovered that there are a ton of mac users who are looking for the best external hard drive for mac computers or laptops. If you have gone and looked at various external portable hard drives, you might have noticed that there are hard drives that are built specifically with the mac in mind. While it is true that any portable drive could work with your mac, compatibility with the apple time machine may be non-existent. The Apple time capsule may be one of the alternatives some have considered but majority of mac users prefer other drives (especially since the time capsule is a bit expensive).
What to look for in finding the best external hard drive for mac
To make it simple, we have put together a list of things to consider while you’re on the lookout for the best external hard drive for mac computers/laptops:
- Portable or Desktop? – First, you have to know in advance which machine you will be using the hard drive for. If you will be using it mainly as backup drive for your iMac, then choose an external desktop hard drive. However, if you plan to use it with your laptop and need the portability then a portable external hard drive is a big must. Take note that hard drives for desktops need a separate power source while the portable drives are simply powered via the connection cable.
- Apple Time Machine Compatibility – Time machine has become a vital program for mac users this is why other external hard drives for macs are preferred over ordinary hard drives. The Apple Time Machine allows you to automatically backup your files making sure that your files are kept up to date.
- Port/Connectivity/Interface – This can be USB 2.0 / USB 3.0 / Firewire 400 / Firewire 800 . Thunderbolt is the latest and fastest so far but not all macs are equipped with it. If you need speed for playbacks, those with firewire 400 and firewire 800 are your safest best. Otherwise, a usb would do just fine.
We no longer included the price and design as one of the possible factors since these mostly vary depending on personal preference and budget. Be ready to spend more than $200 for a good hard drive. Of course those equipped with firewire or thunderbolt tend to be more pricey than their USB counterpart. It is all a matter of knowing what you’ll need it for in advance even before purchasing. DO NOT go for cheap hard drives or you will risk losing your files.
Our Choices for the Best External Hard Drive for Mac computers and Laptops
G-Technology G-DRIVE Q 2TB External Hard Drive – This, for us is the best external hard drive for mac and we seriously think this is underrated and overshadowed by the more popular western digital brand. This baby supports eSata, USB 2, Firewire 400 and Firewire 800. This alone is a huge plus point! It’s quiet, portable and is equipped with high transfer/play speeds. If you deal with photos, videos or any type of media, the G-Tech G-drive is for you. Plus it comes with a 3 year warranty.
Iomega eGo 2 TB Mac Edition – The Iomega 2TB External hard drive comes in very close second to the G-Technology Hard drive. Basically, choosing either this or G-tech ends up being a good choice. The only main difference is, this one doesn’t support eSata which really isn’t a deal breaker for most. The durability of this drive is great! One reviewer even went out of his way to drop this hard drive on a hard surface while it’s in the middle of file transfers and it still went on without a glitch.
Western Digital My Book Studio II – the western digital my book line is one of the most popular hard drives and they have a few models to choose from which are all formatted for the mac. But the My Book Studio II is our top choice because it’s lightning fast proven to keep up with 3D rendering and video editing. The quad interface as well as all the cables needed are also included. Apart from these, western digital offers a five year warranty for these drives.
There are a lot more hard drives worth mentioning but only a few worth considering. Hopefully, we were able to point you towards the right direction. From time to time, we will be updating this page as we discover the best external hard drive for mac so be sure to check in every now and then.
