Today's PCs are overburdened with a gazillion files - photos, MP3s and work stuff. Files which can take up a lot of space on your notebook or desktop. Add videos to the mix, where each file can run from hundreds of megabytes all the way to multiple of gigabytes, and you have a hard drive full of 'rojak' files.

Most of today's notebooks and desktops come with at least a minimum of 160GB hard drives. There are also massive multimedia systems with 750GB and upwards of 1TB (terabytes) drives that are still in the affordable price range (under $2000). This may sound like a lot but with the ever increasing consumption of digital data, it's only a matter of time before you need more storage space.

Since it's physically impossible to add a second drive into your notebook, and some users find the need to install an internal drive in their desktop troublesome, I recommend that you get an external or portable* drive for all your back up needs. I am recommending that you start with a minimum of 1TB consideration (or 500GB for portable drives), given that prices for external drives of this capacity have dropped to less than $200 these days. Here are a few candidates to consider for the job.


Seagate FreeAgent Go (500GB)
Price: $179
Where: South Asia Computer, #03-01 & #03-41 Funan Digitalife Mall

The FreeAgent Go is my favorite half-terabyte mini wonder. This portable drive looks just as good as it performs; it comes with a svelte, superbly designed dock. When docked, the drive backs up your computer round the clock. And the sweetener is that as with all Seagate hard drives, the FreeAgent Go comes with a five-year no-questions-asked warranty.


Western Digital My Book Mirror Edition (2TB)
Price: $449
Where: Challenger

You could say that the WD My Book Mirror Edition is the ultimate USB drive for backups. While its specifications state that it is a 2TB machine, it's real capacity is actually 1TB - its twin internal 1TB drives constantly back each other up (hence the name "mirror"). So even if all hell breaks loose and you suffer multiple drive failures, your data is still safe. Reviews for this drive have been overwhelmingly positive so far, and it's fast becoming a techie joke that its only flaw is that it isn't fire-proof.


LaCie Little Big Disk Quadra (500GB / 1TB)
Price: $299 - S$379
Where: EpicCentre Stores

One of the priciest external drive solutions, the Quadra is also equipped with a plethora of connectivity options including the standard USB, FireWire 400 & 800, and the new eSATA 3Gbits. The Quadra is no slouch in speed either, with a built-in RAID 0 for video and photo professionals who craved for fast transfer rates, while its ergonomic heat sink aluminum design ensures heat should never be a worry for its owners. But what I really like most about this LaCie drive is that it comes with Time Machine support for Mac users.


Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB
Price: $229
Where: South Asia Computer, #03-01 & #03-41 Funan Digitalife Mall

Not to be confused with its cousin mentioned above, the FreeAgent Desk, as its name suggests, functions as an external backup solution that sits on your desk. It's a no-frills USB drive that doesn't pretend to be special, although it does come with an awesome backup software that also encrypts your sensitive files and folders. If you're looking for an affordable and dependable work horse that doesn't look too shabby, this is a good choice. It also comes with an intuitive automatic backup software and an assuring five-year warranty. With all these pluses, this FreeAgent Desk should be at the top of your list.

*Portable hard drives are typically smaller than their external counterparts. With a 2.5-inch notebook hard disk in its casing, portable drives are powered directly through the computer's USB ports - whilst external drives require an external power supply due to the larger internal 3.5-inch desktop grade hard disks.

Read more:
Tech Weekly: Finding the right notebook
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iPhone 3GS - to buy or not to buy?

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About Aaron Yip
A self-professed geek, Aaron Yip started out as one of the pioneer editorial staff of Hardware Zone during its early days in 2001, before founding the gaming arm of the media company - GameAxis. He later joined the Microsoft Xbox 360 team as its Regional Associate Product Manager. He's recently set up a gaming media company that works with secondary schools and polytechnics with the aim to educate and promote the media industry using video games and gadgets as a platform.