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Storage
The MacBook Neo ships with 256GB: external storage is essential for backups, media, and archives.
Portable SSDs (Recommended)
Fast, durable, pocket-sized. Best for everyday use.
| Drive | Capacity | Speed | Interface | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung T7 | 500GB | 1,050 MB/s | USB-C 3.2 | ~$50 | Reliable, compact, great value |
| Samsung T7 | 1TB | 1,050 MB/s | USB-C 3.2 | ~$85 | Sweet spot for most people |
| Samsung T7 | 2TB | 1,050 MB/s | USB-C 3.2 | ~$150 | Room for everything |
| Samsung T7 Shield | 1TB | 1,050 MB/s | USB-C 3.2 | ~$95 | IP65 dust/water resistant |
| Samsung T9 | 1TB | 2,000 MB/s | USB-C 3.2 Gen2x2 | ~$110 | Fastest portable Samsung SSD |
| SanDisk Extreme 1TB | 1TB | 1,050 MB/s | USB-C 3.2 | ~$80 | Rugged, carabiner loop |
| WD My Passport SSD | 1TB | 1,050 MB/s | USB-C 3.2 | ~$80 | Hardware encryption, WD reliability |
Portable HDDs (Budget)
Slower but much cheaper per GB. Good for large backups and archives.
| Drive | Capacity | Speed | Interface | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WD Elements | 2TB | ~120 MB/s | USB-A 3.0 | ~$60 | Cheapest per-GB option |
| Seagate Backup Plus Slim | 2TB | ~120 MB/s | USB-A 3.0 | ~$65 | Compact, reliable |
| WD My Passport | 4TB | ~120 MB/s | USB-A 3.0 | ~$105 | Best value for large archives |
| Toshiba Canvio Advance | 2TB | ~120 MB/s | USB-A 3.0 | ~$60 | Budget option, works fine |
HDD drives use USB-A: plug them into the dock's USB-A ports, or use a USB-C to USB-A adapter when mobile.
Desktop Drives (For Time Machine)
If you leave a drive permanently at your desk for automatic backups.
| Drive | Capacity | Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WD My Book | 4TB | Desktop HDD | ~$100 | Plug into dock USB-A, always-on backup |
| Seagate One Touch Hub | 8TB | Desktop HDD, hub | ~$170 | Extra USB ports on the drive itself |
| Samsung T7 1TB | 1TB | Portable SSD | ~$85 | Faster backups, leave it plugged in |
What Size Do You Need?
| Use Case | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Time Machine backup | 2x your Mac's storage (512GB) | 1TB SSD or 2TB HDD |
| Photo/video library | Depends on collection size | 1-2TB SSD |
| General file archive | Whatever you've accumulated | 2-4TB HDD |
| Boot clone (emergency) | 256GB+ | 500GB SSD |
macOS Setup for External Drives
- Time Machine: System Settings > General > Time Machine > Add Backup Disk. Select your drive. It backs up automatically when connected.
- Format: Use Disk Utility to format as APFS (for SSDs) or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) (for HDDs). Use exFAT if you also use the drive with Windows.
- Eject properly: Always eject before unplugging (right-click in Finder > Eject, or drag to Trash). Pulling the USB cable without ejecting can corrupt data.
For the dock setup: plug your backup drive into one of the dock's USB-A ports. Time Machine will back up automatically every time you sit down and connect the USB-C cable.