Is it One of the Best Portable SSDs for Mac Yet? Let’s find out…
The StoreJet 600 portable SSD is one of the latest additions to Transcend’s new line of solid-state drives. It comes with the USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface, a sleek and durable metallic casing, and high speed transfer rates. Boasting a capacity of 240 gigabytes, it could very well be among the best portable SSDs for Mac systems out yet.
We’ve written this review to provide you with an overview of the StoreJet 600, along with some information about its features, performance, usability, and its pros and cons. Can it live up to your expectations? Let’s find out.
Design and Packaging
The Transcend StoreJet 600 comes in a sleek and premium-looking design with its metallic casing and space gray color that rightly complements the sleek design of Mac devices. Its casing is made from aluminum to ensure that it’s lightweight, sturdy, and modern-looking.
While sleek-looking, the body is not exactly scratch-resistant, and you can find a number of better SSDs with protective casing and durable design.
Since the StoreJet 600 is designed mainly for Mac computers, the packaging reflects the similar aesthetics that Apple’s products and packaging have. The product comes in a white packaging that displays the drive’s image alongside a MacBook Air. Inside the package, you can find a quick start guide, a number of flyers, a warranty card, a Type-C and Type-C to Type-A cable, and the StoreJet 600.
The product has a dimension of 120.16mm x 33.6mm x 7.5mm or 4.73″ x 1.32″ x 0.30″ and weighs only 47g (1.66 oz), making it an extremely lightweight and portable storage device.
Performance
StoreJet 600 comes with a storage capacity of 240 gigabytes to ensure that you can get enough storage space to accommodate your various media such as hi-res images, 4K videos, and more!
The device is formatted with the HFS+ file system for the Mac OS, thus allowing you to use it immediately after connecting to your Mac. It also comes with Time Machine support, a backup program which is found in Mac devices.
Based on the product specifications, the StoreJet 600 comes with the USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface and UASP support (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) which allows sequential read speeds reaching up to 470MB/s and write speeds of 460MB/s. This is around four times faster than the traditional portable hard drive storage media which are often capped at around 100 megabytes per second.
As mentioned earlier, the package includes both Type-C and Type-C to Type-A cables. This means you can use the portable SSD is any Mac models that support USB Type-C and USB 3.0.
Lastly, the StoreJet 600 comes with the Transcend Elite software, a user-friendly application which is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS. With the Transcend Elite, you can easily perform backups, restore files, encrypt and decrypt, sync data, and backup your files to the cloud.
StoreJet 660 vs. Other Well-Known Brands
While the StoreJet 600 is powerful enough on its own, let us find out how it fares against other popular portable SSD brands of the same capacity on the market.
- 1. StoreJet 600 vs. Samsung Portable SSD T3
Considered as one of the best portable SSDs in the market, the Samsung T3 is a solid competitor against the StoreJet 600. It’s available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB variants. It measures 74 x 58 x 10mm and is incredibly lightweight at only 51g. Compared to StoreJet, it’s a bit bulkier but equally compact and durable with its shock-resistant aluminum casing.
Performance-wise, the T3 has maximum sequential transfer rates reaching up to 450MB/s (read speed) and 440MB/s (write speed) based on CrystalDiskMark’s data. It’s cross-compatible across various operating systems such as Windows, Mac, and Android with its Type-C interface for easy plug and play, plus a Type-C to Type-A cable for connecting to larger units.
- 2. StoreJet 600 vs. Adata SE730
The SE730 portable SSD from Adata is another rightful contender to the StoreJet 600. It comes with a storage capacity of 256 gigabytes and connects via UBS 3.1 Gen 2. It weighs only 33g, making it lighter than the StoreJet 600, and measures 72.7 x 44 x 12.2mm.
In terms of performance, it has sequential speeds reaching up to 500MB/s. Lastly, it’s both dust and waterproof due to its USB port cover and can even withstand shocks and accidental drops easily.
- 3. StoreJet 600 vs. Sandisk Extreme 500
Then we have the Sandisk Extreme 500, a rugged and chunkier portable SSD compared to the other brands we’ve pitted against the StoreJet 600. It’s available in 120GB, 240GB, and 480GB variants.
Its chunky frame is designed to withstand shocks and vibration and even withstand temperatures that range from -4 F to 168 F. If you need a waterproof variant, you can opt for the 480GB model. The drive measures 75.7mm square and 10.7mm thick and weighs only 78.9g.
Compared to the StoreJet 600 in terms of performance, the Extreme 500 has maximum sequential speeds of 415MB/s (read) and 340MB/s (write). It has the standard USB 3.0 interface instead of the Thunderbolt, although you won’t have any problems using it on your Mac or Windows PC.
- 4. StoreJet 60 vs. Samsung T5
Last but not the least, the Samsung T5 is a portable SSD that can be considered faster and more powerful than the StoreJet 600. It comes in variants of 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB. Albeit larger and chunkier than the StoreJet, weighing 51g and measuring 74 x 57.3 x 10.5 mm, it’s one of the most reliable SSDs you can use on the go.
When it comes to performance, the T5 can reach maximum sequential speeds of up to 540MB/s, which is way more than what the StoreJet 600 offers. It also has a sturdy shock-resistant metallic design and can handle accidental drops of up to 2 meters. The package comes with a USB Type-C to C cable and USB Type-C to A for seamless connectivity without the need to purchase additional adapters.
Software Information
The Transcend Elite software is a program available in Transcend’s line of portable SSDs. While most drives often have a utility meant for doing backups, Transcend’s solution does more than just that. It also offers basic and advanced functionalities such as backup and restore, data sync, encryption, and cloud backup.
- Backup and restore – this feature allows you to backup and restore data as long as you know your file paths. This will require a hands-on approach since you need to choose paths and folders manually. While tech-savvy individuals don’t find it a hassle, it’s not 100% user-friendly especially to newbies. There’s a schedule backup feature which you can configure to daily, weekly, or monthly.
- Sync functionality – the sync feature is no doubt a useful feature. However, you can expect a few error messages every now and then.
- Encryption and decryption – the encryption feature works perfectly well. You simply need to choose your target file or folder, then create a password for that particular file/folder. It will appear as an ENC file on your StoreJet SSD with the same name to that of the original, except that it has the .ENC extension. Decryption, on the other hand, tends to create a new folder within the directory containing the file inside. While it’s not a major issue, it can prove to be quite cumbersome at times.
- Cloud backup – the cloud backup feature allows you to store your files in the cloud. You have to choose between Dropbox and Google Drive for cloud storage in the interface.
Usability
As mentioned earlier, the StoreJet 600 portable SSD is primarily designed for the Mac OS. This means that it’s already configured to function immediately in your Mac without the need to install any prerequisite programs. Simply connect to your device using the cables that come along with the package.
Due to the product’s portability and compact size, you can carry it in your bag or pocket wherever you go. This makes it suitable for people who enjoy outdoor activities and bring their own laptop and storage media with them. These include outdoor camping enthusiasts, wildlife photographers, digital nomads, and more. However, this is not dust or water proof compared to the Adata SE730 and Sandisk Extreme 500’s 480GB variant; hence, extra care should be taken to make sure it won’t get exposed to too much dust or get submerged in water.
The StoreJet 600 is basically plug and play. The indicator light, which is located near the port, will tell you if the drive has been connected properly.
- Lightweight
- Comes with premium aluminum design
- Compact-sized
- Fast read/write performance at 470MB/s and 460MB/s respectively
- Includes two cables for USB Type-C and USB 3.0 interface
- Three-year limited warranty
- A bit expensive
Final Verdict
Overall, the StoreJet 600 portable SSD is a durable, reliable, and well-performing drive for your Mac devices. It’s not as affordable as other products that offer similar, or even better, performance like Samsung’s T5 portable SSD. However, if you’re looking for a portable drive which you can use for your Mac device on the go, it is definitely worth trying. Also keep in mind that the product also works with Windows 7 and later versions, although you need to format it to exFAT or NFTS first.
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