{"id":1969,"date":"2019-02-11T08:00:21","date_gmt":"2019-02-11T13:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=1969"},"modified":"2019-02-10T16:08:09","modified_gmt":"2019-02-10T21:08:09","slug":"a-reader-asks-does-it-still-make-sense-to-buy-external-hard-drives-in-the-cloud-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/11\/a-reader-asks-does-it-still-make-sense-to-buy-external-hard-drives-in-the-cloud-era\/","title":{"rendered":"A reader asks: “Does it still make sense to buy external hard drives in the cloud era?”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reader Simone Paciaroni* asks: “Does it still make sense to buy external hard drives in the cloud era?<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think so, yes. But not instead<\/strong><\/em> of cloud storage — with<\/strong><\/em> cloud storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local storage gives you immediate access to everything, regardless of the size or number of files you’re accessing. When you’re dealing with terabytes of storage, or trying to process very large files, local storage will almost always win in terms of speed and convenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local storage also doesn’t make you dependent on a long chain of extra tech — LANs, WiFi, ISPs, the internet at large, remote cloud providers, remote servers, etc. — to be able to get at your data. With local storage, as long as your PC and hard drive are working, your data is available to you even during times when communication is out or your cloud-provider goes dark, for some reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, cloud storage shines in protecting your files from purely local problems (say, your PC is damaged or stolen — your cloud data remains intact); and in facilitating sharing between and among dispersed systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the two together — a mix of local storage with cloud copies\/backups — lets you combine the best of both. You have fast access and full control over your local files; with the assurance that copies are safely available, even in the event of local catastrophe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, yes! External drives still make great sense for fast, reliable local storage — especially when you combine them with the safe, offsite backups that cloud storage provides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Permalink: <\/em><\/strong>https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=1969<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

* Want to ask Fred a question? Have a comment? Click here!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want free notification of new content like this? Click here<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reader Simone Paciaroni* asks: “Does it still make sense to buy external hard drives in the cloud era?“ I think so, yes. But not instead of cloud storage — with cloud storage. Local storage gives you immediate access to everything, regardless of the size or number of files you’re accessing. When you’re dealing with terabytes of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,10,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-reader-asks","category-science-and-tech","category-windows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-vL","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2045,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/15\/a-reader-asks-what-is-the-sense-of-backing-up-data-on-your-hard-drive-if-it-is-lost-when-the-computer-crashes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1969,"position":0},"title":"A reader asks: “What is the sense of backing up data on your hard drive if it is lost when the computer crashes?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-02-15","format":false,"excerpt":"You're right. There's absolutely no sense in that. Storing backups on the same physical hardware as the original is a terrible idea because, as you say, any major PC problem that takes out the original is also likely to take out the backup. You'd be left with nothing. True backup\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6011,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/07\/do-external-hard-drives-make-sense-in-the-cloud-storage-era\/","url_meta":{"origin":1969,"position":1},"title":"Do external hard drives make sense in the cloud-storage era?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2022-03-07","format":false,"excerpt":"With effectively infinite storage available online (such as the Google data center, pictured above), is there any point to storing files and backups locally, on external hard drives? A subscriber\u2019s question prompts today\u2019s first item. The second item looks at a PC electrical glitch. A subscriber has a battery-backed uninterruptible\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AskWoody Plus"","block_context":{"text":"AskWoody Plus","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/askwoody-plus\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/NL-2022-03-07-Langa_Fig1-e1646659422287.jpg?fit=400%2C267&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":285,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/06\/a-reader-asks-fred-whats-your-current-recommendation-for-backups\/","url_meta":{"origin":1969,"position":2},"title":"A reader asks: Fred, what’s your current recommendation for backups?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-09-06","format":false,"excerpt":"Reader Eric Desman writes: Fred, You have always had a practical approach to layered backups. In 2018, what is your recommendation for backups? I currently backup to a local external hard drive and use Backblaze for off-site backups. I found an old version of Zipit.bat that made me think of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1329,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/12\/13\/a-reader-asks-my-pc-has-an-ssd-and-hdd-installed-will-adding-an-old-slow-hdd-make-my-whole-pc-slow\/","url_meta":{"origin":1969,"position":3},"title":"A reader asks: My PC has an SSD; will adding an old, slow HDD make my whole PC slow?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-12-13","format":false,"excerpt":"Nope --- not if you're smart about how you set it up! Older, slower drives are great for medium-to-long-term data storage --- files that you want to have handy and accessible, but that are not in constant use. 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An error during shutdown, or storage, or reboot, may have damaged the disk's MBR or Boot Sector or GUID table (depending on how the disk was set up). 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