|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Back That Thang Up Kat Vossler  |
| |
Two years ago, I brought my computer to a technician for what turned out to be a virus. All of my documents, photos and music had to be wiped completely, and each CD used to back up my data cost $20.
In the end, I lost my music and my photos.
The lesson: back up everything on your computer. The best way is through an external hard drive. However, not all hard drives are the same. Four things your need to look for:
• RPM (revolutions per minute) – This is the speed of the hard drive, and how fast it can read information. Generally speaking, there are three stable speeds: 4,200; 5,400 and 7,200. Most consumers opt for 5,400 rpm, because the combination of stability and speed gives the most optimal performance. Any higher than 7,200, and the wear and tear caused by the high revolution will shorten it’s life span.
• Capacity – Don’t break the bank searching for the biggest hard drive out there. It’s simply not worth it. Think about how much information you really need to back up. Unless you have a ton of music and videos, a smaller hard drive is fine. Keep in mind that multiple computers can back up information onto one hard drive.
• Warranty – The average lifespan of a hard drive is anywhere from three to ten years. You may find a good deal for a hard drive, but read the warranty. Compare product to product within the same company; a mobile hard drive may not have the same warranty as a desktop hard drive. Find a warranty that covers at least a full year.
• Compatibility – Make sure your hard drive will connect with your computer. Some hard drives use only a Firewire 400 or 800 connection, which work great with Macs as a fast, stable and efficient connection. However, few PCs today are equipped with Firewire compatibility.
Also consider whether you need this hard drive to be portable or not. Do you want to carry a 500 GB hard drive with your laptop? Probably not. Leave that at home, and carry either a flash drive with you or a mobile hard drive that can hold up to 160 GB of storage. Along those same lines, figure out if you need a hard drive powered by your computer or plugged into a wall.
Some companies offer additional online storage as a way to back up your information. Although this sounds convenient, it’s usually not. Expect to pay an additional fee and have to deal with a complicated process. And consider that Internet backup isn’t practical if you’re Internet connection isn’t high speed.
Keep in mind that an external harddrive isn't a permanent solution, although it's still a practical one. It will die, it's just a question of when. The most practical way to back your external hard drive is by burning CDs for the files you know you won’t change: family videos, photos and music. The more fluid information, like financial documents and resumes, belong on a flash drive.
The most reputable company that I’ve found is LaCie. Although they only make the enclosures for the hard drives, (companies like Maxtor and Western Digital make the actual hard drives), it’s hard to compete with LaCie’s warranty. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|