External Data Storage

Traveling for business or pleasure is not as simple as it was in the days before e-mail, digital cameras, digital video cameras, and files that need to move from computer to computer. Photos, videos, and work files all take up a lot of storage space and we often need to back them up or access them while on the road. So whether carrying a laptop or not, an external hard drive of some kind provides portability, peace of mind, and additional security.

There are essentially three kinds of external storage devices to serve most needs. A portable external hard drive holds the most data - with many models as much as your regular desktop or laptop. But the size has shrunk down to the height of a soda can. Photo storage hard drives are larger, but come with a screen for viewing photos and they can pull data directly from memory cards.

Thumb drives, or USB drives, are small devices that plug directly into the USB port of any computer. These tiny drives don't hold as much, but they are convenient and some come loaded with software enabling you to leave your laptop at home.