Summary of Reddit Comments on External Drives

Types and Brands of External Drives

Popular brands like Western Digital, Seagate, Samsung, SanDisk, Toshiba, and LaCie are recommended for external drives.
External HDDs are hard drives within enclosures that are portable and connect via USB.
M.2, 2.5, and 3.5 inches are different sizes for drives, with technologies like spinning disks or SSD, and protocols like SATA or NVMe.
SSD drives are faster while SATA drives offer larger storage capacities.
Enclosures with 3.5in drives require a separate power source, unlike M.2 and 2.5in drives.

Buying External Drives

For smaller drives (2TB or less), SSD is recommended; for larger drives (4TB and above), spinning drives are suggested.
User warning against very cheap external drives as they could be fake or unreliable.
Recommendations to buy 3-4TB drives from different vendors to avoid data loss.
Encouragement to research reputable brands and avoid overly cheap options when buying external drives.
Suggestions to invest in reputable brands and shops to ensure data security and integrity.

Longevity of Drives

Disagreement on the frequency of drive failures, with some users reporting drives lasting for over a decade.
Recommendations to follow the 3-2-1 backup rule for data protection.
Doubts on the 3-4 year average lifespan of external drives, with personal experiences of drives lasting much longer.
Suggestions to use enterprise-grade drives for longer lifespan and data redundancy.
RAID arrays can help in drive failure situations but are not a substitute for backups.
Tips on monitoring drive health using SMART tests and maintaining backups for data security.
User experiences with successful long-term usage of external drives and following proper backup routines.

Recommendations for Specific Drives and Use Cases

Suggestions to use USB sticks or SSDs for faster data transfers and data security.
Recommended brands for external drives like Samsung TN, Seagate, WD, and Crucial for reliable storage solutions.
Recommendations for encryption and backup strategies to ensure data safety.
Tips for using external drives with iPhones for storage and backups.
User experiences with using brands like Samsung blu ray drives and Verbatims for extended periods.
Suggestions to explore refurbished enterprise-grade drives as cost-effective storage solutions.

Miscellaneous Comments

Discussion on highway hypnosis and its effects on long drives and daily commutes.
Experiences with autonomous driving mode and struggles to stay alert during repetitive tasks.
Personal anecdotes on losing focus while driving and taking proactive measures to avoid accidents.
Various user experiences and insights on the concept of highway hypnosis and its implications.

By following the advice shared by Reddit users, individuals can make informed decisions on purchasing, using, and maintaining external drives for their data storage needs.