Would appreciate any and all input re the best Backup solution(s) for my MacBook Air. What is the best external HDD to purchase? Want to make the process as seamless and simple as possible!!
Hello and welcome to the forums!
First, there really is no 'best' external drive for Mac (laptops or desktops) backups (BU). Second, many of us here use multiple external HDs and/or SSDs for backup purposes; e.g. I have an iMac and two laptops (MBPro & MBAir), each uses at least 2 drives, one for a TM (Time Machine) BU and the other for a cloned BU (CCC or Carbon Copy Cloner is the app I use; others recommend SuperDuper), so that would be my suggestion for starters, although others will likely 'chime in' in agreement or with different comments. Now, on my iMac & MBPro, I also do redundant BUs, i.e. using additional drives (all external drives can fail suddenly, esp. after 3-5 years - happen to me w/ an iMac TM BU HD last week) - there are other steps that I use and some not (e.g. storing a redundant BU off site in case of theft or a disaster, such as a fire or flood).
As to the type(s) of external drives to purchase, there are MANY considerations: 1) Type, spinning HD vs. SSD; bus or AC powered; 2) Capacity, typically in GBs or TBs; 3) Connections - wired (e.g. USB, Thunderbolt) or wireless; 4) Cost - spinners are cheap while SSDs are more expensive; and 5) Budget which also impacts on the number of drives wanted per machine for the type of BU and/or redundancy. Now, these are just some opening comments for your considerations - please return w/ questions; plus, more posts will likely appear recommending specific brands/models. Dave
