(OLD MODEL) Seagate Backup Plus 1TB Portable External Hard Drive for Mac USB 3.0 (STBW1000900)

Seagate thought of the needs of today’s user whose information may reside more in virtual cloud storage than on a local hard drive. Managing this could be a nightmare, if not for a product like Seagate, that makes easy work of backing up your photos and videos on Facebook, YouTube and other web-based sites.If you’re not backing up your computer and other devices regularly, think of what you’d be in for should you lose your photos, videos, music, financial information, favorite sites and all the customized settings you’ve saved. Investing in a simple product, such as the Seagate Backup Plus, is a must.There are two flavors of the Seagate Backup Plus, one for devices using the Windows operating system, and one for Mac. There are also several color choices.The Backup Plus is about the size of a wallet, yet it contains a generous 1 TB of storage, allowing the user ample space to add hungry files, like video and music. You can even store several backup versions at once.Backup your computer, other devices and Cloud data using the USB cable (attach the converter that came with your phone or tablet), or choose Firewire or Thunderbolt and speed up the task. Wired backups are more secure than wireless, and recommended for that reason.Your device already contains the appropriate software, “Time Machine”, to make the Backup Plus work, so you don’t need to do anything but plug the unit in and set your options using that software. This is a sensible design option, since cluttering up my systems with redundant apps or software is not something I like to do unless there is a good reason. Plus, this ensures that all of your software support comes from Apple. I find Time Machine a little clumsy but fairly simple to understand after consulting the instructions available in online help.Social Media users also have the option to install the “Seagate Dashboard”, that makes managing photos and video easy, and ensures they’re backed up onto your drive. Tutorial videos also load with the software, and more information is available at the Seagate website.The first backup will take a while and is best done at a time when you can leave it alone to do the job. When backing up a lot of information, be sure your system’s options are set to keep it from shutting down to conserve energy, or else you’ll find yourself having to do that first backup a few times before it is complete.You can choose to encrypt the data on your Backup Plus. Password protection is managed through your Mac.After you successfully perform your first full backup, the system takes it from there, automatically backing up just your changes on with a frequency that you determine.For extra security, the Backup Plus’ portability makes keeping your backup off-site easy with a unit that is small enough to fit in a safe deposit box or another secure place. At less than $100, purchasing a second drive is within reach of many budgets.Alternatively, you can backup your data to the free Cloud storage available from Seagate for the first year. After that, you can subscribe to keep using the Cloud.These options may seem inconvenient and even overkill, but consider what people say when tragedy strikes. They all seem to mention with great sadness the loss of keepsakes and mementos, especially photographs.The Backup Plus comes packaged with a USB cable, instructions, and software. It is lightweight, and takes up very little space on your desk.Windows/PC users should purchase the Seagate Backup Plus for Windows.