Why every traveling professional needs one of these
Why every traveling professional needs one of these
As a frequent traveler who often works overseas, one of the things that worries me is what would happen if my laptop gets stolen, or if it breaks somewhere during my journey.
My work data is often mission critical and can’t be replaced, which is why I know how important it is to carry one of these in my backpack: a Western Digital My Passport SSD.
Whenever I finish a work session, I backup my data to this SSD and keep it separately from my laptop, in case one or the other is lost. That way, I know I’ll always return home safely with my data.
There are a few key reasons why I chose the WD My Passport SSD.
1. Backing up is automatic
WD Backup software is included with the My Passport SSD, which automatically backs up files, in case I forget to do it manually. Just keep the SSD plugged in when working.
Some people will wonder why I don’t just back up to online storage. The My Passport SSD will do that for you too, but the answer for me is that not every country I visit has high-speed internet, and my photography assignments can often produce large files that are laborious to upload.
(WD Backup works fine with Windows, but I use a Mac, and it works great with Time Machine too.)
2. Data transfer is fast
Data transfer is blazingly fast with the My Passport SSD, which is vital if you’re backing up large files on the move. If you have a USB Type-C port, you can transfer files at speeds of up to 515MB/s, which means a 1GB file can take just a couple of seconds to jump over.
This is especially useful if you, like me, work with large batches of photographs, which can take up several gigabytes of space. At a recent event, for example, I shot over 300 photos, which came up to about 4GB in total. Using the USB Type-C port, it took about 10 seconds to transfer over, instead of minutes.
The My Passport SSD is also compatible with USB Type-A ports, and supports USB 3.1 Gen 2, as well as USB 3.0 and 2.0.
3. The My Passport SSD can take some knocks
Since it has to travel everywhere with me, my backup drive has to be able to survive some knocks. That’s why I’ve chosen an SSD over a traditional hard disk drive (HDD). Unlike an HDD, an SSD has no moving parts, which means there’s less chances that it’ll be damaged by a fall.
The My Passport SSD is also built to withstand a drop of up to 1.98 meters, which gives me additional peace of mind when I accidentally drop it (well, I accidentally drop my phone at times too).
4. The My Passport SSD comes with password protection
I know many people don’t think about password protecting their portable drives, but I don’t want to think about my work documents being exposed to anyone who can simply steal my drive and plug it in.
That’s why I use the built-in WD Security Software to secure My Passport SSD with a password and 256-bit AES Hardware Encryption. That way, I know that even if it gets lost or stolen, nobody will have access to my personal data.
5. It fits into my palm
Finally, a small but important reason: the My Passport SSD fits into my palm. I like to travel light, and this device helps to lighten my load. In contrast, traditional external HDDs are bigger than SSDs.
The My Passport SSD only measures 90mm by 45mm by 10mm, or just slightly longer than my name card holder. It’s amazing to consider that you can get up to 1TB of storage for this size.
Click here to find out more about the Western Digital My Passport SSD.