The Kingston XS1000 Exterior SSD is in regards to the dimension of pack of gum however holds as much as 2 terabytes of information. And it may possibly switch information at excessive velocity, too.
I put the petite however highly effective and reasonably priced strong state drive to the take a look at and got here away impressed.
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Kingston XS1000 Exterior SSD evaluate
Inner storage is quick and handy, however Apple makes its prospects pay by the nostril for it. Configuring a MacBook Air with an extra 256GB prices a whopping $200, for example.
A straightforward manner round that is with an exterior SSD. With the Kingston XS1000, you’ll be able to add 2TB to your laptop for about $100.
Plus, an exterior drive is a very simple solution to improve an older Mac. For some fashions, it’s the one possibility.
An SSD like this additionally proves helpful to again up your information. You should utilize it for Time Machine backups, then depart it at residence once you carry your MacBook round.
An SSD able to go on the highway
Picture: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The outside of the Kingston XS1000 is a black plastic rectangle. It measures a mere 2.75 inches by 1.3 inches by 0.5 inches (69.5mm x 32.6mm x 13.5mm), and weighs 1 ounce (29 grams).
In brief, it’s extraordinarily transportable, particularly contemplating it is available in both 1TB or 2TB capacities. The SSD is well pocketable.
There’s a USB-C port on one edge, with an LED that blinks to point information is being transferred.
The draw back of the XS1000’s design is that it wants a cable to attach — it has a USB-C port, not a connector. That’s not an issue to be used within the workplace or residence, however it’s one thing else to tote round when utilizing the SSD on the highway.
Pleasingly fast information transfers
Picture: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Kingston XS1000 isn’t simply transportable, it’s fairly quick. The drive helps USB 3.2 Gen 2, so it may possibly transfer information at as much as 1,050 MB/s learn and 1,000 MB/s write.
To check Kingston’s claims about velocity, I did some real-world testing … and got here away impressed.
Transferring a 1GB file to or from the SSD took about two seconds. A 10GB file made the journey in roughly 13 seconds.
That velocity places the XS1000 on the excessive finish of efficiency for consumer-grade exterior SSDs. Nevertheless it’s slower than drives that use Thunderbolt, just like the Sabrent 1TB Rocket Nano XTRM SSD. Thunderbolt-enabled merchandise are significantly costlier, although.
To get high efficiency from the drive, you want a cable designed for high-speed information transfers. It comes with one, however this connects to USB-A ports. You’ll want to provide an adapter or a USB-C cable to connect with your Mac.
The tiny SSD helps macOS, iPadOS, iOS, Home windows, Android and Linux. I examined it with an iPad and an iPhone 15, and it carried out superbly.
Kingston XS1000 Exterior SSD last ideas
Picture: Kingston
I retailer information, photos, movies, and so on., on a 2TB exterior drive that I carry on my desk. I purchased it a couple of years in the past, so it takes up a strong chunk of desktop area. The XS1000 holds the identical quantity of information, and it’s so small I must discover a safe place to retailer it so I don’t by accident misplace the drive.
Alternatively, I may make a duplicate of all the things and preserve it in my baggage to make use of after I’m touring.
That’s welcome progress in shrinking down exterior storage.
★★★★☆
On the draw back, the all-plastic exterior seems a bit low cost. And lots of Mac customers might want to purchase a USB-C cable to make use of with the drive.
Pricing
The Kingston XS1000 Exterior SSD is kind of reasonably priced contemplating its capability choices. The 1TB model lists for $64.99 whereas the 2TB model goes for $109.99.
Purchase it from: Kingston or Amazon
XS2000: A sooner various for some
Should you additionally use a Home windows PC along with your Apple computer systems, you is perhaps fascinated about Kingston’s XS2000 as an alternative. This SSD is similar to the XS1000, however it helps USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, which suggests it may possibly switch information at as much as 2,000 MB/s. Nonetheless, Macs don’t at the moment help USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. Apple’s focus is extra on Thunderbolt, which is even sooner.
However you is perhaps within the XS2000 for different causes. Its casing is metallic, not plastic, and it comes with a rubberized bumper case. Plus, it contains the USB-C cable wanted for a Mac.
Kingston offered Cult of Mac with a evaluate unit for this text. See our evaluations coverage, and take a look at extra in-depth evaluations of Apple-related gadgets.
