THE ECOMMERCE BOARDROOM
Menu

Network and storage

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

A pocket drive with no moving parts, for moving large files between machines.

What it is good at

  • Surviving a bag because there is no spinning disk inside
  • Copying large files at a steady rate rather than crawling
  • Running from bus power with no separate supply

Check before you buy

  • The interface of the drive against the port on your machine
  • Whether the cable is a standard one or a proprietary shape to replace
  • Whether the maker offers software for the drive, and whether you want it

Who it is not for

Long-term archive storage, since flash left unpowered for years is a poor place to keep the only copy.

A portable SSD is a bare drive on a bridge chip inside a case. The drive is fast, but the bridge and the port set the ceiling, so the same model on an older USB port can be several times slower than on a current one.

Flash retains data best when it is powered occasionally. A drive that lives in a drawer for months is a working copy rather than an archive, and a second copy somewhere else is what makes the arrangement safe.

Also in Network and storage

Two or three units that put one Wi-Fi network across a flat instead of one weak signal.

Best for
Flats and houses with thick walls or a router stuck in a hallway cupboard.
Watch out for
The wireless backhaul between units halves the speed unless the units are wired together.
Check price and availability

One cable from the laptop that fans out into display, network, cards and USB ports.

Best for
A laptop with two or three ports that has to drive a screen and peripherals at a desk.
Watch out for
It can only pass through what the laptop port supports, and it usually gets warm under load.
Check price and availability