Best External Hard Drive for Mac

How much ever hard drive space you have on your computer, it will fall short some day. With the amount of digital data that we create today in the form of photos, videos, movies and other personal data, you can be damn sure that some day you are going to wish for more hard drive space. Recognizing this need, portable external hard drives were created which could be used for multiple purposes. They act as your data back storage devices, aid easy data transfer and provide ample space for storing your videos, photos and important documents. In this article I present contenders for the title of best external hard drive for Mac (2010). Go through the reviews below and choose one that suits your requirements and budget perfectly.

Before You Buy an External Hard Drive For Mac

Before I talk about the best external hard drive for MacBook, let me underline some of the most important points of consideration when choosing an external hard drive for your Mac. The most important feature to look out for in an external hard drive is its storage space of course. More the better is the rule here. Another feature to check out is the kind of data transfer interface that the hard drive comes with, to connect with your computer. It could either be USB 2.0, FireWire 400, FireWire 800 or eSATA interface. Check what kind of ports are installed in your Mac. If it's a brand new MacBook Pro, it will have a FireWire 800 port that guarantees higher data transfer speeds compared to USB 2.0. It will also have USB port connectivity.

So opt for an external hard drive that has a FireWire 800 interface as it will work best on your MacBook. It will be an added advantage if it has support for USB 2.0 and eSATA as it guarantees more portability. eSATA external hard drives are some of the fastest in the market currently, but MacBooks don't support it yet. External hard drives come in two sizes of 3.5" and 2.5". Opt for the 3.5" inch ones as they are faster in their operation. Look out for the maximum data transfer speed offered. Other than that, look for warranty and of course a reasonable price that falls within your budget. So now that you have an idea about what to look for when purchasing a new external hard drive, you are ready to browse through the reviews presented below.

Best External Hard Drive For Mac: Reviews

Finally, here are the contenders for the title of best external hard drive for Mac (2010). Instead of external hard drive reviews, I have purely listed the specifications here, along with the price, as they themselves speak for the quality of the product. If you are looking for the best 1TB external hard drive, you will find it below. Browse through the list and pick out the best external hard drive for Mac.

Western Digital 2 TB FireWire 800/USB 2.0 Hard Drive

• Storage Capacity: 2 TB
• Data Transfer Interface: FireWire 800
• Data Transfer Speed: 100 Mbps
• Warranty: 3 Years
• System Compatibility: PC, Mac
• Price: $189.00-$280

Iomega 500 GB USB Portable External Hard Drive

• Storage Capacity: 500 GB
• Data Transfer Interface: USB 2.0
• Data Transfer Speed: 60 Mbps
• Warranty: 1 Year
• System Compatibility: PC, Mac
• Price: $65-$124

Western Digital 1TB MY Passport Essential SE For MAC Portable Hard Drive

• Storage Capacity: 1 TB
• Data Transfer Interface: USB 2.0
• Data Transfer Speed: 60 Mbps
• Warranty: 2 Years
• System Compatibility: Mac
• Price:$132-$158

Toshiba 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive

• Storage Capacity: 320 GB
• Data Transfer Interface: USB 2.0
• Data Transfer Speed: 60 Mbps
• Warranty: 3 Years
• System Compatibility: PC, Mac
• Price: $59-$120

LaCie 500GB Rugged Triple Interface Portable Hard Drive

• Storage Capacity: 500 GB
• Data Transfer Interface: FireWire 400, FireWire 800, USB 2.0
• Data Transfer Speed: 100 Mbps
• Warranty: 3 Years
• System Compatibility: PC, Mac
• Price: $155-$169

Iomega EGO 34794 Hard Drive 1 TB

• Storage Capacity: 2 TB
• Data Transfer Interface: FireWire 400, FireWire 800, USB 2.0
• Data Transfer Speed: 100 Mbps
• Warranty: 3 Years
• System Compatibility: PC, Mac
• Price: $127-$138

I am sure you must have found the best external hard drive for Mac among the listed reviews above. Go for as much more storage space, as you can. You will need it later surely! It will cost a bit more for now, but it will certainly be a very useful investment for the future.