Going to buy my first macbook air 13" next week. Still debating on the 256. I see people saying 128 is enough, but still leary for some reason. If I go with the 128, what is the best external USB 3.0 HD??
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External HD for 13" air
- Thread starter tgwarmac32
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If you will go with the MacBook Air, you will definitely want an External HDD. Even I, who has a 1TB disk needs more.
But it all depends on what you have. I have 1080p files and 8 Megapixels of thousands of photos. If you're doing standard things such as web, pages, keynote and numbers, I'm sure you won't need an external HDD.
But it all depends on what you have. I have 1080p files and 8 Megapixels of thousands of photos. If you're doing standard things such as web, pages, keynote and numbers, I'm sure you won't need an external HDD.
I don't know about the "best", but I'm using a 1TB version of WD My Passport Essential SE. Apparently it's faster than the "non-essential" version if you're to believe WD.
http://wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=430
It needed formatting for mac but that's such a simple operation that I don't get why they have a mac version as well. But they do.
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http://wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=430
It needed formatting for mac but that's such a simple operation that I don't get why they have a mac version as well. But they do.
.HGST Touro Mobile Pro 500GB is a nice fast (7200 rpm) reasonably priced USB 3 drive. If you are wondering who makes it: Western Digital bought Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST) division.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145518
If you are looking for a fast 64GB thumb drive I'm also happy with: Mushkin Enhanced Ventura Pro 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226228
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145518
If you are looking for a fast 64GB thumb drive I'm also happy with: Mushkin Enhanced Ventura Pro 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226228
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I have the same one in the 750GB size and it works quite well. Good price in those also.
I would think carefully about limiting yourself to 128GB internal storage - that feels tight very quickly in my experience, even without a lot of media.
Regardless, you will almost certainly want an external.
My first point - do get a portable one! I bought a desktop one with an external power supply for backup purposes, but having to take my MBA to the desk, where I don't work, find a spare socket for the drive etc. mean I don't back up as often as I should. Yes, they are minor inconveniences, but having any resistance to your backup and storage routines seems like a very bad idea.
Second - I also have a WD passport drive, and I like it very much. I also have a very good Samsung which I got from Amazon at an excellent price (in pink with hearts, but it comes in plenty of more subdued designs), and I would recommend either. TBH I would just go for whichever of the two I could get a better deal on, though I like the feel of the WD a little better (it's more 'compact' somehow). I've tried a Seagate, and they are nice, but mine at least is much slower in operation than the other two.
A good thumb-drive or SD-card is a good idea too for on-the-go storage and backup, and again can be had very cheap.
Regardless, you will almost certainly want an external.
My first point - do get a portable one! I bought a desktop one with an external power supply for backup purposes, but having to take my MBA to the desk, where I don't work, find a spare socket for the drive etc. mean I don't back up as often as I should. Yes, they are minor inconveniences, but having any resistance to your backup and storage routines seems like a very bad idea.
Second - I also have a WD passport drive, and I like it very much. I also have a very good Samsung which I got from Amazon at an excellent price (in pink with hearts, but it comes in plenty of more subdued designs), and I would recommend either. TBH I would just go for whichever of the two I could get a better deal on, though I like the feel of the WD a little better (it's more 'compact' somehow). I've tried a Seagate, and they are nice, but mine at least is much slower in operation than the other two.
A good thumb-drive or SD-card is a good idea too for on-the-go storage and backup, and again can be had very cheap.
I bought a 1TB external Seagate. It's somewhat large, but portable and doesn't need an external supply. I'm getting as much as 90MB read/write over USB3.0. But now that I have it, I'm wondering if it's too much. It's sort of bulky, and 1TB is huge. I ended up ordering a 64GB USB flash drive from tiger for $25. I'm thinking that might be enough when I'm away from home. At home I'm plugging into a docking station with 2 3.5" drives over USB3.0 getting up to 113MB/sec. The docking station was only $29 on Amazon.
How to save $100 on the upgrade
Going from 128GB to 256GB on the Apple site is a $300 upgrade. For that price I can get a 240GB SSD ($175 at the time of posting) and a USB 3.0 external case ($26 at the time of posting) and still have about $100 in my wallet. That gives me 128GB in the computer and 240GB portable to take between laptop/desktop or whatever. All SSD so shock is no problem.
I've done this exact setup with my 60GB Vertex 2 and looking at the price I might just upgrade to the 240GB and call it a win.
Going from 128GB to 256GB on the Apple site is a $300 upgrade. For that price I can get a 240GB SSD ($175 at the time of posting) and a USB 3.0 external case ($26 at the time of posting) and still have about $100 in my wallet. That gives me 128GB in the computer and 240GB portable to take between laptop/desktop or whatever. All SSD so shock is no problem.
I've done this exact setup with my 60GB Vertex 2 and looking at the price I might just upgrade to the 240GB and call it a win.
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I have the 256GB model and did just buy the WD 2TB USB 3.0 My Passport. It transfers super fast, and of course, takes advantage of USB 3.0