STACK #195 Jan 2021

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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THE SIMPLE BARE ACCESSORIES

Your kids are heading back to school and you’ve armed them with the latest laptop. Ah, if only it were that simple! For them to get the best out of their computers they’ll need certain accessories, and STACK is here to help with some of the most typically necessary extras to help their learning flow.

SUPER STORAGE!

M ost modern laptops contain an SSD – Solid-State Drive – which is brilliant, as it allows super-fast access to files. But there’s a downside – they’re expensive, so those inside most computers only offer small amounts of storage. Add video files, MP3s and one or two games – they’ve got to have some fun – and the drive will be full. Luckily, there’s a simple solution in the form of external storage. This can take several forms, ranging from the USB flash drive to external SSD drives and classic external hard disk drives. Each has advantages – a flash drive, such as the handy 128GB SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0, is the cheapest option, it’s small and can be popped into a pocket for easy computer-to-computer transport. The downside is that it offers the smallest amount of portable storage. An external SSD is the speediest option. Most laptops gain double the storage should you plug in one like Seagate’s 500GB OneTouch Portable, or you can really up capacity with Samsung’s rugged 1TB T5 Portable SSD. Being solid state means no moving parts, so these are up for pretty much anything that a student can hurl at them. If you’re after monster storage, a traditional hard disk drive is the go. They’re cheaper and offer huge storage options from 1TB to 5TB for portable drives like Western Digital’s MyPassport range, and up to a massive 10TB for desk-based options such as Seagate’s Backup Plus Hub Desktop Hard Drive. Ultimately, you need to consider the benefit of price versus durability – if your budding student is a rough and ready type, then investing in an SSD is definitely the safest option.

RIGHT ON TRACK What if your young pride and joy can be a bit careless when it comes Bluetooth tracker is made to save expensive grief. Available in a useful four-pack, attach one to anything from a laptop to a phone or even a cable or charger, and if it’s misplaced, just open a mobile app to find where it’s hiding. to looking after their stuff? The Tile Mate

Sandisk Ultra

Samsung SSD

Seagate SSD

WD MyPassport

30 JANUARY 2021

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