2018 Best Nas Storage For Mac Products
When you purchased your computer, you thought it had plenty of space. Or at least, it seemed like it did… until photos, videos, programs, documents, and other files began crowding the disk space.
Best Nas Storage For Home
Understanding NAS units and their specifications can be a challenge. If you’re thinking about getting the best NAS for your needs, it’s important to research how to setup your NAS in the way that works best for you. NAS Capacity. A NAS holds hard drives within it. These hard can have different storage capacities. The Best Network Attached Storage with 5-Bay Array The Drobo 5N2 DRDS5A21 is an affordable NAS unit that can hold up to 5x 3.5” SATA HDDs. It also has an optional mSATA SSD as well as Beyond RAID protection; this NAS is excellent for home because it’s easy to use and it can be personalized to fit your needs. The 2018 Mac mini starts at $799 with an i3, 8GB RAM, and 128GB storage. That's just silly. Apple has two configuration columns, one starting at $799 and one, with a six-core Coffee Lake i5, 8GB.
Whether desktop or laptop, 10 years old or only 2, running out of storage on your Mac or PC is a widespread problem with an easy solution.
For a lot of people, the go-to is cloud storage services such as iCloud or Google Drive, but these aren’t a great fit for everyone, especially if you have a lot of files or need to access them offline on both your mac and PC.
In this case, an external drive that’s Mac and PC interchangeable is the best option, because you’ll have all your files on hand at all times and it can store significantly more data than a cloud drive.
In this article, we’ll help you better understand the use cases of a physical drive, and round up the best Mac & PC compatible external drives for backup and storage purposes.
Quick Summary
Tired of learning all the “techy” terms related to hard drives? We understand. Here’s a brief of our recommendations to save you time exploring.
For Mac users: G-Technology Portable External Hard Drive 2TB
From the sleek design to the pre-formatting, this terabyte-sized drive is perfect for Mac users who need a little extra space and offers the transfer rate up to 140MB/s for accessing all your files.
For Windows PC users: WD 2TB Elements Portable
At 5400 RPM but only around 3″ x 4″, this tiny drive packs a real punch. You can get it in sizes from 1 to 4 TB, all of which are equally portable and will allow you to access your files with speed and efficiency wherever you go.
For the best of both worlds: Samsung T5 Portable SSD
Whether you simply prefer the speed of an SSD or use both Mac and PC on a regular basis, this drive offers formatting that works everywhere you go and top notch read/write rates. The drive is small, portable, and sleek (available in multiple colors!)
Who Should Get This?
You don’t have to be a power user to make use of an external drive, but if you aren’t sure you need one, here are some considerations:
- Has your computer slowed down due to being stuffed with files you aren’t necessarily using all the time?
- Do you need to backup your computer, especially if you’re worried about a crash soon due to the age of the machine?
- Are the fees for your cloud storage service not worth the amount of storage you get?
- Do you want to clean up old files that you only occasionally reference?
- Need a better place to run large applications from, or have programs you want to run on more than one computer?
If you’re saying yes to any of these, then there’s a good chance you would benefit from an external drive. It’ll give you space and security that you need.
However, an external drive might not be the best choice for you if you only have a few files that need storage, or if you already have a backup of your computer for example via backup software. In that case, using a small flash drive or an online cloud storage provider might be the better option.
External Drive for Mac and PC Compatible: What to Look for?
File Capacity
The number one consideration when buying an external drive is how much space it has to offer. Depending on what type of files you’ll be storing and how long you want the drive to last, you may want more or less space. However, when buying an external drive you should be getting at minimum 128GB, as anything less will be better served by a flash drive. Many people will be much more satisfied with closer to 1 TB of storage though since space tends to disappear faster than you would think.
Type: HDD and SSD
External drives come in two types: HDD and SSD. The former is what is normally referred to as a “hard drive”, since it uses a physical spinning disk to read and write data, while the latter, sometimes called a solid-state drive, actually uses flash memory and stores everything electronically and has no moving parts. An HDD tends to be cheaper, but SSDs are faster and more reliable.
Formatting
An external drive is typically formatted for either MacOS or PC use. While there are some drives that work on both, most tend need to be reformatted to be functional on the opposite system, and that will erase all your data. Formatting in the first place can also be difficult, so look for a drive that’s already formatted to work with your computer and know that you will only be able to access your files on machines of the same type.
Speed
All external drives are rated for read-and-write speeds, which is how fast they can store, retrieve, and display information. Higher speeds are better, but a small difference won’t be noticeable. An HDD is generally not capable of the higher speeds of an SSD, but they do tend to be much cheaper.
Best External Drive for Mac and PC Interchangeable: Our Picks in 2019
1. G-Technology Portable External Hard Drive 2TB
Using a Mac? This drive is preformatted just for you, offering a high transfer rate for fast file access and connects easily via USB-C. It will definitely stand up to regular use of creative editing applications and store files/backups well if you’re using in a more long-term frame.
Pros:
- 2TB is a fair amount of storage space for any user, and this drive is available in larger sizes as well.
- The transfer rates up to 140 MB/s means you can easily access your files without sacrificing any time spent loading or waiting for files to transfer.
Cons:
- Pre-formatted for Mac, but can be reformatted to Windows.
- Not cross-compatible.
2. WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive
If you’re an avid PC user, this HDD drive from Western Digital has you covered. With sizes from 1 to 4 TB and plug-n-play functionality, you’ll start with your feet on the ground. USB 3.0 allows you to transfer files at up to 5MB/s, and the drive overall runs at 5400 RPM.
Pros:
- A high RPM means you don’t have to worry about sitting in front of your computer waiting for files to load, while the slim 3″ by 4″ design is super portable, perfect for taking files to and from work or another setting.
- Can even be used to backup games on your console.
Cons:
- Only for PC, unless you want to separately reformat to use with Mac.
3. Samsung T5 Portable SSD
Available from the smallest 250 GB size all the way up to 2TB, this external SSD from Samsung writes at 540MB/s, which is a stellar rate. It normally uses a USB-C cable, but if your computer doesn’t yet support this, a standard USB-A cable is also provided. This product also ranks in our best portable SSD drive review.
Pros:
- Formatted to work on Mac and Windows and even Android!
- A variety of storage options makes it easy to find the right size for you.
- The sleek drive is also very sturdy and fits into the palm of your hand.
Cons:
- Transfer speeds may be slightly lower if you can’t make use of the included USB-C cable.
Useful Tips
Don’t forget to get an external drive case (like this one from Amazon), which will help protect your drive from potential damage caused by accidental scratch or dropping. It also allows you easily pack it into backpack or briefcase.
Want to format your external drive for Mac and PC compatibility? Check out this step-by-step tutorial we created earlier.
To extend the life of your storage drive, it’s a good practice to always put it on a flat and stable surface and away from heaters, humidifiers or air conditioners. Also, when you’re done with data backup or file transfer, make sure to properly eject the drive before plugging it out.
Still can’t decide between an HDD or SSD external drive? Check out this guide from PC World, which will help outline which is best depending on your situation. Alternatively, if you aren’t sure about getting an external hard drive at all, you can always try out a web-based cloud service first to see if it gives you space and flexibility you want.
Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox are great places to get started since they offer free options at the lowest tier, and paid users can get more than 1TB of storage space.
Final Words
Whether you prefer HDD or SSD, you’re looking for your first drive or your third, an external drive is usually a great solution for data backup and file storage on both your Mac and PC. Moving files off your computer will also help tune up your PC a little bit and will protect your important files from potential damage.
Are you using both a Mac and PC, and how much space do you need for your external drive? Leave us a comment below and tell us how you’re making the most of your external drive!
Influenced by the startup culture in the Silicon Valley, Jessica loves building things from zero to one and is keen on following news related to the Big Five tech giants and many SaaS startups.
If you deal with enormous files on a regular basis or simply want some piece of mind knowing that your data is copied and stored locally, then a RAID array might be a great storage solution. In short, a RAID array is a group of two or more independent hard drives that work together to basically form one super hard drive.
For more info, check this out:
If you're running the new iMac Pro and want to pick up a great RAID system, then check these out!
G-RAID
G-Technology makes excellent hard drives, so it's no surprise that its RAID systems make this list. The G-RAID with Thunderbolt 3 is perfect for your high-performance storage needs. The enclosure features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a USB-C ports, and an HDMI port that supports 4K at 60FPS, as well as HDR. You get a drive speed of 7200 RPM and transfer rates of up to 500MB/s.
You can daisy chain up to five more of these puppies, and there's a 5-year warranty should you experience any defects.
Synology
The G-RAID features two removable drives and starts around $650 for 8TB. You can go all the way up to 24TB for $1600.
G-Speed Shuttle XL
The G-Speed Shuttle XL is for the professional who needs it ALL. It offers 7200 RPM drive speeds and transfer rates of up to 1500MB/s, as well as two Thunderbolt 3 ports. You also get eight removable drives and starting storage capacity is 24TB. It's expensive AF, with a starting price of $2800, and you can go all the way up to 72TB for a whopping $7700.
This definitely isn't a consumer-level product, but if you're opting for the iMac Pro for your business, then this is a huge amount of storage and performance that's nigh-unbeatable. It supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10 configurations.
If you have a power- and resource-hungry workflow, then this might be the solution for you.
PROMISE Pegasus3
Recommended right on Apple's site, the PROMISE Pegasus3 is 12TB of kickapow. It features four drives at 3TB each (also available with four, six, or eight drives) and two Thunderbolt 3 ports, which are backward compatible with older Macs that support Thunderbolt 2 (you just need a 3-2 cable!).
Outlook 2016 for Mac, the latest iteration of the email and calendaring app, is a worthwhile upgrade for existing users. But if you don't already use Outlook.
You can daisy chain up to six devices with this system and you can configure it for RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10. At $1500, this is pricey, but you can go with one of the lesser versions if you don't need 12TB.
Glyph Atom RAID SSD
The Glyph Atom is a bit of an outlier on this list in that it's a self-contained RAID 0 solution, so it's all about performance and pretty much not at all about data replication. This drive is already formatted for Mac and fully compatible with Thunderbolt 3.
It's a 1TB solid state drive, making it perfect for smaller projects, with transfer speeds of up to 770MB/s. This portable RAID solution comes in black, white, gold, gray, and silver, and features a rugged enclosure that's designed to be taken on the road with you. It's perfect if you have all your data stored at home but really need to work on that one thing while you're out.
At $430, it's not a bad deal for 1TB, and there's a 2TB version available for $830 if you need more space.
Qnap
What's your RAID array like?
Do you have a great Thunderbolt 3-compatible RAID system? Let us know in the comments below!
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