Q&A: Choosing an external hard drive

Reader Arash writes: I'm looking into buying an external hard drive to back up pictures and old files. Do you have any brand you recommend? Or what should I look for? Flash vs. regular, name-brand vs. generic, etc. I want to scan and back up my mom's pictures from 40 years ago to present day, and would like to have a solid backup of everything available.

External hard drives are probably the most convenient and quickest way for anyone to back up their files. Just plug it in and copy what you need -- or let the backup software, preloaded on many such drives, do it for you.

To answer Arash's first question, a traditional external hard drive will serve most users just fine. For a backup drive that's only plugged in/turned on intermittently, reliability is unlikely ever to be an issue, and since the device is only used for storing files rather than accessing them in real time, performance really doesn't matter. Don't shell out extra money for a flash drive when a larger, cheaper, just-as-reliable disk drive will do just fine.

Picking the right model is a somewhat trickier proposition. The truth of the matter is that many vendors are making top-notch hard drive products right now, and quality is high across the board, at least among major name manufacturers. In recent months I've tested external drives from Samsung, Western Digital, Lenovo, Seagate, SimpleTech (Hitachi), Iomega, and others, with virtually no problems along the way.

How do you pick one? The Seagate Replica includes a fancy docking system and somewhat complicated software to automate backups, while SimpleTech's Signature Mini packs 500GB into a streamlined shell with minimal fuss (the backup software included didn't really thrill me). If you need the hand-holding, go with something like the Replica. Users with their own strategy can safely pick something like the Signature Mini. Either way, make sure you're buying plenty of capacity. Tiny backup drives like the Samsung S1 Mini may be convenient and super-portable, but they have smaller hard drives inside.

An even bigger consideration, in my mind, is how the drive is powered. I would never recommend buying an external hard drive that requires external A/C power to work. Most newer drives can be powered solely by their USB connection to the PC -- or a second USB plug in many cases. The USB-only connection is far more convenient, as power bricks tend to get lost and, if you're on the road, are rarely workable, so make sure that whatever drive you buy it can get all the juice it needs from USB alone.

Perhaps the biggest consideration: Price. I recommend sticking with a name brand unit vs. a generic one, and buying new, not refurbished. Bottom line is: During your shopping if you see a major brand device that's large enough and on sale, snap it up.