Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/458422
APPS E X T E R N A L H A R D D R I V E S are great for expanding the storage capacity of your computer, as well as backing up your data. You can never have too much hard drive space. The day will come when your computer's internal hard drive is full and you'll need a bit more space for your ever-growing col- lection of files. An external hard drive makes this simple, by connecting a simple USB or Thunderbolt cord to your computer, or even using an available Wi-Fi connection. Besides expanding your storage space, external hard drives also make great backup devices. Internal hard drives can fail or become corrupt for a variety of reasons, and hav- ing an external backup drive minimizes your risk of losing important files or family photos that you've saved to your computer's internal drive. Key things to look for when choosing an external drive are capacity, speed and warranty. Here are three we recommend. By Terry Ng LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 Thunderbolt Series 256GB SSD P R I C E : $ 2 7 9 | W A R R A N T Y : 2 Y E A R S LaCie makes a great portable external hard drive that's shock, dust and water resistant. It's MIL-compliant, which means that data is protected even during accidental drops of up to 6.6 feet. The removable cover provides protection against dust and water. Powered by a solid-state drive with no moving parts, it's the fastest drive of this group, but that speed comes at a higher cost. Western Digital My Book 2TB P R I C E : $ 1 2 5 | W A R R A N T Y : 2 Y E A R S Western Digital's My Book external hard drive comes with automatic backup software, password protection and hardware encryption to ensure your data is protected. The 2-terabyte capacity delivers ample space for your videos, photos and other files. A perfect choice for those looking for a desktop external hard drive. Seagate Wireless Plus 1TB Portable P R I C E : $ 1 6 0 | W A R R A N T Y : 2 Y E A R S The Seagate Wireless Plus portable external hard drive features a built-in Wi-Fi network for simple wireless file transfers and media streaming. No need for any USB or Thunderbolt cables. The portable hard drive will connect up to 150 feet away and delivers up to a 10-hour battery life. E x p a n d i n g a n d YOUR COMPUTER'S HARD DRIVE SPACE BACKING UP Know & Tell Tech tips 14 www.cta.org