And unlike HFS+, it can actually work on Mac computers too.
Understandably, it is the default file system for Windows PCs. But contrary to its name, it’s a rather old file system that was developed by Microsoft decades ago and launched in 1993. Strong customer service is also valuable when something goes wrong.NTFS is short for New Technology File System. Warranty and customer service: Three-year warranties are standard among portable solid-state drives, though a few come with five-year warranties.Indicator light: Some drives feature an LED indicator that lights up when the drive is connected to your device, and although it’s not a requirement, we found this indicator to be very useful.
You can find plenty of backup service alternatives online.
Software: Backup software is a nice addition to a portable SSD, but it’s not essential.Not all portable SSDs offer this feature, and we’ve seen technical issues crop up, particularly during upgrades of operating systems such as macOS. External solid-state drives with AES don’t require software to set it up, although they should include password-protection software to enable encryption to keep your data safe from unauthorized access even if someone removes the drive from its housing. Encryption: Portable SSDs that support the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), can more reliably protect your sensitive information.Size and weight: A portable SSD should be light and compact-many are roughly the size of a stack of sticky notes or even smaller.Our picks for the best laptops have 128 GB to 512 GB of drive space, so a 1 TB portable SSD will allow you to back up such laptops with room to spare. Drives with 250 GB to 500 GB of space are too small for many people they’re becoming less widely available and typically more expensive per gigabyte. Drives with capacities of 2 TB tend to be about as cost-effective at about $300. Capacity: Currently, an SSD with a capacity around 1 TB and a price tag around $150 represents the best mix of affordability, space, and speed.But for most people, paying two to three times more than the price of our pick for that speed isn’t necessary.
For instance, Samsung claims the Portable SSD X5 has read and write speeds of 2,800 MB/s and 2,100 MB/s, respectively-more than twice as fast as those of the Samsung T7.