If you’re looking to backup a lot of data, or wish to backup your entire hard
drive, an external hard drive can prove to be the easiest and most affordable
solution. They are no different than a hard drive, but unlike the one in your
CPU it is not integrated into the machine and is easily portable.
Most external drives, like key drives, will plug into the USB port. Many
won’t require special drivers on newer machines, so they are pure plug and play
which makes them easy to use and move.
Most external hard drives are going to be between 80 and 120 gigabytes,
about the same as an average internal hard drive. This makes it incredibly easy
to make a straight backup of your entire hard drive, as there is just as much
space on a single external hard drive as there is on your internal drive.
Prices for external hard drives differ, ranging between $80 and $150
normally, although you can find cheaper and more expensive models. If you are
only looking for partial backup for a limited amount of data an external hard
drive might be a bit of overkill, but for larger backup jobs it is an excellent
solution.
Data Storage Space: Averages between 80 and 120 gigabytes
Ease of Use: Generally plugs in through USB, just like using your
normal hard drive
Physical Storage: Fairly large, a little smaller than a hardcover
novel.