Portable Hard
Posted on Sunday, November 14th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
What’s the difference between a Desktop External Hard Drive and a External Portable Hard Drive?
I have a laptop and I would like to get an external hard drive to backup my data. I was wondering the difference between a Desktop External Hard Drive and a External Portable Hard Drive. Can I use a Desktop External Hard Drive with my laptop? Or not? Please be as detailed as you can as I am somewhat computer illiterate. All help would be greatly appreciated.
Both would work with your laptop as they both use a USB port to connect to your computer, which both laptops and desktops are equipped with.
Desktop Eternal Hard drive- It is physically larger and is used for larger storage needs. These drives need to be plugged in to their own power supply in order to work. This doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t pick up the drive and take it with you, it’s just that it’s larger and more cumbersome, because it needs to be plugged into an outlet in order to run. So these are ideal for leaving on your desk at home or work.
Pros: More storage capacity
Cons: Needs an outside power source
External Portable Hard Drive: A smaller physical drive, therefore more portable. It doesn’t require an outside power source. It will run off the power from your laptop. These tend to have small storage capacities than the Desktop Drives though. But they are also small enough to thrown in your laptop bag or backpack on the go as they tend to have a low profile.
Pro: Small and portable, No external power needed
Con: Smaller storage capacities, draws power from your laptop and can be battery draining if constantly plugged in.
So you need to figure out what you’ll be using the drive for. If it’s just for storing and backing up your system, go for the desktop drive. If you think you’ll be using the external drive to backup files on the go, or transporting files, go with the portable drive. I can guarantee both with work with your computer. It is just a matter of figuring out your needs.
Iomega eGo 500GB Portable Hard Drive Review
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