Many Factors & Benefits of Data Storage
Have you ever noticed people carrying around interesting key chains that can easily be plugged into their computers? Have you witnessed people inserting little cards into digital cameras, cell phones or various gadgets and wondered why they were doing such things? These are all common gadgets surrounding data storage. Data storage devices have become a popular way for people to expand memory on existing technology, transfer files, or even back-up their current data.
Data storage is essentially any device that can be used to store data from your computer or other electronic device in an alternate space. These devices aren’t just useful but they can be incredibly helpful in various situations. For instance, if you have ever had a moment where your computer crashed and you realized that everything you had in the way of music, pictures, documents, and personal information, was all stored in that one computer- then you may have, in the midst of your panic, wished you had had all that information backed up and stored somewhere else. Data storage provides you with that helpful alternative. Think of them as storage units where you can just keep an extra copy of the things you need handy in the event you need them.
Different Types of Data Storage
There are a lot of different data storage available. They’ve been around for a long time. Remember the floppy disc? That was a form of data storage. Today, the average person stores their data on a few accessible pieces of equipment. For major storage, people tend to use external hard drives. For small things or for manually transferring a file, people will use the popular USB drives. For expanding memory on your camera, people shop for memory cards that are loaded up with gigabytes.
If you are trying to make the right purchase for your data storage needs, then you will want to first determine what it is exactly you need data storage solutions for!
Protect Your Information
As mentioned above, there is nothing worse than when your computer has a meltdown and your thinking about how terrible it will be if the computer technician later tells you your information is lost forever. Just think about the amount of stuff we store on our computers! Pictures, music and movie libraries, important documents, and even personal information like passwords and address books all occupy many of our computers. If you didn’t have this information stored in a back-up location, losing it all can really disrupt your life.
The best way to protect yourself is to invest in an external hard drive. These small and portable devices are excellent for backing up large amounts of information, like an entire hard drive! You can even keep it hooked up to your computer and set it up to automatically back-up every few days, weeks, or months- so your back-up information always remains current. These devices come in all sizes of memory so you should be able to find one that can contain the information on your computer.
Prices can vary, as can brands and quality. Typically, the first thing you want to do is determine exactly how much memory you really need out of your data storage device. Once you’ve made that determination, you can effectively begin the shopping process. Prices will usually range from $100 to $300 for an external hard drive. Many come with different perks, and some will even come with bonus software to entice you. If you aren’t sure which to choose, you should consult costumer reviews as this tends to be the best way to really determine the way a product will work. Check out how other people enjoyed using the product and go from there.
On the Go Memory
Back at the top of this article I talked about seeing the person plug their key chain into their computer. Those are removable USB drives, and they can be very handy data storage devices. These devices are perfect for the on-the-go person who likes to keep a storage device handy.
You might be thinking: why on earth would I need that if I can just e-mail a file anyway? Well, there are two reasons. First, some e-mail providers actually have limits on how much you can send in a file attachment. Second, and most importantly, you won’t always have an internet connection. If you are somewhere and need to get a file over to your personal computer at another location, and you have no internet signal, then e-mailing that file isn’t going to work out very well.
A small USB drive is very portable. You can keep one on your key ring, in the car, at school, or work. They can be useful if you can’t e-mail or if you want to the assurance of securely transporting a file from one location or person to the next without questioning if it has been hacked or screened by the wrong people.
USB drives are also among the cheapest of the data storage devices. You can purchase a USB drive for around $20 on average, depending on how much memory you want it to have.
Expanding Cameras
The last and more popular device among the average tech user is the memory card. Most popularly purchased for cameras, a memory card is good investment everyone should make. Most cameras come equipped, if at all, with a very small data memory card. It will basically help you get started snapping pictures, but if you keep it you will be uploading photos every day to clear it. Get a memory card, for about $20, and don’t worry about the memory on your camera.