GADGET: WD My Passport SSD 256GB
BEST FOR: Portable storage with fast transfers; password protection with hardware encryption
?PRICE: Rs 10,318
Are you one of those people who want things done now and is put off by a soporific boot-up and app launches at a snail's pace on your laptop ? Also, are you always in a tearing hurry and need to shut down your laptop abruptly to catch the next flight or train? If you've answered yes to both questions, and you are looking for a large capacity drive for huge data, you are a prime candidate for a solid state drive (SSD). Unlike a hard disk drive (HDD) - which uses a mechanical arm with a read or write head to move around and read information - an SSD is like a memory stick or pen drive. SSDs don't have any moving or spinning parts, as information is stored in microchips. This difference makes them much faster. It's like having a book opened on your table in seconds, rather than walking across the room to retrieve the book from a rack and opening it to the particular page for a particular bit of information.
Until recently, most users avoided SSDs because of high prices, limited storage capacities and potential for compatibility problems with a laptop. Most of the issues have now been sorted, so you can safely go for a SSD.
Western Digital (WD), known for its cheap and portable external hard drives, has recently launched a portable SSD. Christened My Passport SSD, WD seems to have shrunk it down by replacing the spinning drive with a solid state one capable of transferring data up to 515MB per second.
Apart from offering a faster and more durable drive, Western Digital has upgraded the port. They have replaced the typical USB 3.0 Micro B, usually found on external hard drives, with USB-C port, which is the emerging standard for charging and transferring data. There's also the USB Type-A adaptor for anyone who is not ready to jump port.
The My Passport SSD is roughly 3.5 inches (8.89cm) long, 1.75 inches (4.45cm) wide, and a mere 0.4 inch (1cm) thin. It looks like a longish match box that fits in the palm and can be tucked into a pocket. It's really rugged and worked fine even after I accidentally dropped it from my desk.
It works with both Windows and MacOS. But the most striking feature is the strong encryption option. The 256-bit AES hardware encryption - the strongest commercial encryption to date - can be turned on using WD Security software (available for both Windows and MacOS). Once you turn this on and seal it with a password, your data remains safe in case you lose it or it gets stolen. In other words, you are protected against possible data theft.
