Why You Should Consider Using Solid State External Hard Drives for Mac Instead of LTO-Tapes

When it comes to storing large amounts of data, many professionals opt for solid state external hard drives (SSDs) or magnetic tapes like LTO-8. While both options have their advantages and disadvantages, I want to share my personal experience with using an SSD and why I think it's a better choice for some users.

First, let's talk about the benefits of LTO-tapes. They can last for over 30 years and are immune to destruction from viruses or ransomware attacks because they simply sit 'air-gapped' on a shelf. The latest generation of LTO-tapes can store up to 18 TB of raw footage or 45 TB of compressed data per tape, which is relatively affordable at around $140 each.

On the other hand, SSD drives require more maintenance than LTO-tapes. They need to be connected to a computer every few months to ensure that the drive remains in working order. This can be inconvenient for users who don't regularly access their stored files.

Another consideration is the cost of storage space. While LTO-tapes are relatively affordable, SSD drives can be more expensive. For example, the Western Digital MyBook drives (USB 3.0) offer 18 TB of storage space at a cost of around $330, which works out to less than $20 per terabyte.

I've had personal experience with using an SSD drive, specifically the SanDisk Extreme Pro, which is one of the best reviewed external hard drives on the internet. It's a high-performance drive that offers blazing fast transfer speeds of up to 1050 MB/s over the USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 connection. The drive itself is portable and lightweight, with storage space ranging from 250 GB to 4 TB depending on the model.

However, I want to caution users about the potential risks associated with using SSD drives. In my experience, data recovery is not possible like it is with traditional hard drives. If an SSD fails, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to recover your files. This was a valuable lesson for me when I experienced a failure with one of my SSD drives.

Fortunately, I had redundancy in place and most of my precious files were backed up. But the experience taught me the importance of regularly backing up data and having multiple copies of important files.

Overall, while LTO-tapes may be the better choice for some users who need to store large amounts of data for long periods of time, SSD drives can be a good option for those who require faster transfer speeds and more flexibility. Just be sure to keep in mind the potential risks associated with using SSD drives and take steps to protect your data.

Solid state external hard drive for mac