

This uses a special chip on the drive to handle encryption duties (the "hardware" part of hardware encryption). Hardware encryption is generally more secure and faster than encryption via a software program (software encryption). #External hard drive for pictures only software#

Limited storage compared to SSDs or portable HDs.Īn SSD has no moving parts.Slightly higher average cost per GB than SSDs.Most USB flash drives aren't as fast as SSDs.Cheaper if you don't need much storage.Some drives are as fast as many portable SSDs.There's also a whole class of ruggedised devices, meaning they're designed to be protected against impact, dust and water, but you can expect to pay more for this extra peace of mind.īut whether they're cheap or expensive, simple or full-featured, their compactness can actually work against them on occasion – they're small so they're really easy to lose. #External hard drive for pictures only portable# These days, the term is often used when referring to flash storage drives larger than a USB thumb drive and connected by a cable, rather than plugged in directly. Though technically USB flash drives can be classed as SSDs, this is not common in product names or marketing.

