Best Reviewed
External Hard Drives
- Best external hard drive Western Digital My Passport Essential SE *Est. $100
- Budget external hard drive Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Ultra-Portable *Est. $50
- Fireproof, waterproof external drive ioSafe SoloPro *Est. $240
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- Simple, automatic backup
- Small and light
- Compatible with both PC and Mac
- Must reformat to switch between PC and Mac
- USB 2.0 only
For the easiest possible backups, experts and owners overwhelmingly recommend the Clickfree (*Est. $125 for 500 GB) portable backup drive. Reviews say it really does work click-free -- just plug the drive into your computer' s USB port, and it automatically backs up all of your files. You can use it with multiple computers, too -- the Clickfree will automatically detect a different computer and save its backup separately. It's compatible with both PCs and Macs, but you can't switch back and forth between the two without reformatting the drive.
The original palm-sized Clickfree comes in capacities ranging from 250 to 500 GB. It has been around the longest and accumulated the most recommendations, but Clickfree has introduced some new versions that also get good reviews, including a second-generation Clickfree C2 portable drive that can do scheduled backups and the Clickfree C2N that can plug into your wireless router to back up all of the computers on your network, with capacities up to 2 TB. The Clickfree is USB 2.0 only, which reviews say is plenty fast enough for ordinary backups. If you regularly back up very large files, a desktop drive with an eSATA, FireWire or USB 3.0 connection -- such as the Western Digital My Book 3.0 (Discontinued) -- may be more suitable.
Reviews at CNET, ConsumerReports.org, PCMag.com and The Wall Street Journal test and describe the original Clickfree portable hard drive in an easy-to-understand way. We found a healthy number of user reviews -- mostly pro, but some con -- at Amazon.com.
| Clickfree Automatic Backup C2 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive HD527B (Piano Black) | |
(64 reviews) In Stock. |
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Our Sources
1. CNET
The original Clickfree portable hard drive makes CNET's list of the best external hard drives. Justin Yu appreciates the fast transfer speeds, value and ease of use.
Review: Clickfree Portable Backup Drive (320 GB), Justin Yu, Jan. 27, 2009
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Editors here test a few external hard drives, including the Clickfree, and recommend the best picks. This review is written clearly and simply for readers that are not particularly tech savvy.
Review: Computer Backup Systems, Editors of ConsumerReports.org
"Simply put: Just go out and get one of these drives. They're that good," PCMag.com says of the Clickfree. The only real con is that you can't switch between PCs and Macs unless you reformat the drive. The Clickfree earns an Editors' Choice award.
Review: Clickfree HD325, Joel Santo Domingo, Feb. 27, 2009
Walter S. Mossberg calls the Clickfree portable hard drive "one of the simplest and most effective backup products I've tried." The original version that Mossberg reviews does not do constant automatic backups, but Clickfree now offers an upgraded version that does.
Review: Clickfree Backs Up Your Files Easily, So You're Not Toast, Walter S. Mossberg, Jan. 7, 2009
5. Amazon.com
The Clickfree is among the higher-rated portable drives at Amazon.com, averaging 4.5 stars (out of 5) with more than 130 user reviews posted. A handful of users complain that they couldn't get the drive to work, but the vast majority say it couldn't be easier.
Review: Clickfree Automatic Backup 250 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive HD225 (Cherry Red), Contributors to Amazon.com
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