Portable data storage—
yes, you can take it with you
Remember floppy discs? An early form of data storage, floppy discs came in a number of physical sizes and were designed to allow computer users to move files from one computer to another.
Floppy disc usage has dwindled in the last 10-15 years as newer technologies have produced higher data capacities than the floppy's measly 1.5 megabytes. There are now a multitude of higher-capacity media formats, including Compact Discs, DVDs, Secure Digital Cards, USB flash drives and others.
It's easy to become confused by the selection of portable storage formats. Which is best for your particular need or application? Read on for an explanation of the most popular data storage options.
Compact Discs
The "read-only" compact disc forever changed the music industry in the early 1980s. In 1990, the recordable CD was made available which allowed consumers to make their own compilations of music or data files. Today rewritable CDs can be used to add and erase data files from the same CD hundreds of times.
An individual CD holds approximately 700 megabytes of data, making CDs ideal for storing photos, music files, or business documents. They are inexpensive, which make them a great way to give files to friends, clients, or business associates.
The downside of using CDs to move media from location to location, in addition to their exposure to damage, is their physical size in relation to their data capacity. Many newer storage formats are much smaller and can hold vastly more information.
DVDs
DVDs, like CDs, are available in recordable (DVD-R) and rewritable (DVD-RW) versions. They can be used to store files just like CDs, but their storage capacity is more than six times that of CDs. Not only can you share photos and business documents, DVDs are ideal for sharing videos.
DVDs are relatively inexpensive when purchased in bulk and can be easily shared or mailed to friends.
Be careful when using DVDs though. From my own personal experience, recordable DVDs are not as robust as CDs and must be cared for properly. They tend to scratch easily which can make them unreadable. If you use DVDs (or CDs for that matter) for archival data, it's best to put them in a safe place away from sunlight and inquisitive hands.
USB Flash Drives (Thumb Drives)
USB flash drives have become more and more popular in the last few years as physical sizes decrease and data capacities increase.
Flash drives have no moving parts (a small printed circuit board is enclosed in a plastic or metal housing) making flash drives more reliable than floppy discs, CDs or DVDs.
Flash drives come in capacities of up to128 gigabytes (that's 128,000 megabytes!). That's enough space to hold about fifteen DVD movies, 51,000 high quality photos, or 35,000 music files.
The main drawback of USB flash drives is related to the two features that make them so popular: size and capacity. Because of their high storage capacity, people are inclined to load them up with all of their important files, including sensitive personal, business and client data. However, due to their small size, flash drives are easily misplaced or lost, potentially putting your private data on someone else's computer. Some companies have made policies disallowing the use of flash drives simply to protect company information from falling into the wrong hands.
In their defense, most new flash drives include software that allow the owner to create passwords to protect access to the data saved on the drive.
Memory Cards
Memory cards include a number of competing formats. Most notable in this arena: Secure Digital (SD) Cards, CompactFlash cards, Sony Memory Sticks and xD Picture Cards.
These miniature (usually less than 1" square) formats are best suited for cameras, camcorders and cell phones; however, many new computers and media players like DVD and Blu-ray disc players, come with memory card readers built in, making memory cards a simple way to move and share files on the go.
Because of their size, memory cards are easy to misplace or lose.
Online Storage
A number of online services promise to be the only media storage solution you'll ever need. These services rely on remote servers (computers) to host your data and make it available wherever you may find yourself, whether on vacation in Borneo, or sipping tea in your backyard. The only thing you need is an internet connection and a password.
What sets online storage apart from other storage options is the ability to allow for collaboration between two or more people. Each service has a slightly different approach to allowing others access to your files, so shop around to find a service that meets your needs.
Because online storage is still relatively new, take great caution using it as a reliable place to save your files and never use online storage as a single source to save your data. These services are ideal for saving copies of your backup files or copies of files and photos you may want to access while away from home or the office.
Some popular online services include: Box.net, Drop.io, Mediafire.com, Window's Skydrive (skydrive.live.com), and Dropbox (getdropbox.com).
Greg Perry is the Manager of KCBXnet, a local Computer and Technology Training Center offering classes and internet services. Contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it