I’m feeling sentimental right now, and not just because I delivered my firstborn to college yesterday. (OK, that’s 99 percent of the reason. That was hard, you guys.)
The other reason: I once spent $250 for a 250-megabyte hard drive. Because, you know, storage used to be expensive. But, holey moley, is it ever not expensive now.
To wit: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the WD Easystore 4TB portable USB 3.0 hard drive for $84.99 shipped (plus tax). Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me?
I don’t know what’s more amazing, the price of the drive or the physical size. I mean, 4 terabytes for $85? (By comparison, it goes for $100 at Amazon.) And it can fit in your pocket? Also not that long ago, anything above a terabyte could fit only in a big, desktop-size case. This thing weighs half a pound, measures 0.8 by 3.2 by 4.3 inches and runs on USB power.
Specifically, USB 3.0 power. (It is, of course, backward-compatible with USB 2.0 ports.) Just plug and play, no external power supply required.
Western Digital provides backup software that can perform automatic continuous or scheduled backups. There’s also a two-year warranty, which is nice; I still see drives that are covered for only one year.
OK, but is it any good? You be the judge: 6,000 Best Buy shoppers collectively rated the drive 4.8 stars out of 5. That kind of positivity is rare. I’d say this is probably a pretty good hard drive.
So much storage. So little money. Excuse me, I think I’ve got something in my eye.
Bonus deal: Whoops! Forgot to snag a new backpack for your kid headed back to school? It’s not too late: Amazon has a Lightning Deal running on this Seehonor slim antitheft backback. It normally runs $26.99, but it’s currently $17.99.
I like this new style of backpack: light-gray polyester, a smooth exterior without a bunch of pockets and zippers, and an easy-access USB charging port. (You supply the mobile charger on the inside.) It’s water-resistant, too, which is handy for kids stuck at bus stops in rain and snow.
The only thing missing is a place to put a water bottle. I consider that essential, though kids probably don’t.
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