Most desktop computers and laptops forgo optical drives nowadays ... Add on 40x CD read and write speeds, and you have one of the best external optical drives on the market.

Laptop drive almost full? Need to back up your photos? Desktop-size and portable platter storage has never been cheaper. Our deep-dive reviews help you track down the right external hard drive.

External USB/Thunderbolt drives (aka direct-attached ... and a copy of the copy kept off-site. It’s the best way to safeguard your data against both computer failure as well as local disasters ...