Despite there being different back up media like floppy disks, CD's, DVD's, pen drives etc, there is no absolutely fool proof solution. With the introduction of portable hard drives, many hope that the quest for the perfect solution that is portable, affordable, hardy and with a high capacity has finally been met. Currently, anyone who is serious about data backup and storage only speak in terms of a portable hard drive. A portable hard drive is extremely versatile and can be used just for good old data back up or to transport movies, documents etc from place to place.
Portable hard drives are the result of cutting edge technology, which has been designed to solve the common backup woes of the average man. The technology used is similar to that used in laptops and portable media players. Portable hard drives are designed in a manner keeping the future in mind, so any investment in acquiring one will fully last the whole nine yards and won't become redundant because of the lack of supporting technology which is so often the case. Especially with the evolution of the global citizen who jet-sets from destination to destination, the need is for a storage medium that can be accessed from multiple destinations without too much bother, the portable hard drives completely fulfill this need.
Portable hard drives come in two configurations and in several capacities. In fact one can even find a portable hard drive with the capacity of 500GB which truly is incredible and opens up all possibilities for storage of data. It is fairly easy to connect the portable hard drives to a system but in the case of large storage capacity drives, it is mandatory to have a powered hub.
Backup Media Has Come a Long Way
Often, portable drives are compared to other storage media like floppies, CDs, DVDs etc but most fall short in comparison as the currently available portable hard drives are the result of evolution and improvements on the older versions. For example, the earlier popular floppy disk is almost redundant now as a result of its slow transfer capabilities, small storage capacity and lack of hardiness so much so that most new PCs do not have a floppy slot. The only advantage that floppy users see in its use is that floppies are extremely affordable. While zip drives did gain in popularity not all computers were designed accommodate these drives and so the need to make special installations proved to be inconvenient. While CDs and DVDs are extremely popular they do have their limitations and are susceptible to rough handling.
Portable hard drives have been created, taking into account the drawbacks of their predecessors while keeping in mind future demands. Even security features are enhanced in portable hard drives with encryption possibilities being built-in. This is hugely beneficial as it prevents unauthorized access to the stored data. These hard drives are extremely popular amongst network and system administrators who find it convenient and help in troubleshooting maintenance.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Portable hard drives are very hardy and not very susceptible to scratches and mishandling as when compared to the less hardy media like floppies, CDs etc. Of course that they are portable proves to be hugely advantageous. They can be transported from location to location without any difficulty and therefore makes them very useful. However, what would be the single most attractive feature of portable hard drives is their dense storage capacity; this makes them a delight to users who require storage of voluminous data. It almost seems that the sky is the limit storage-wise while the portable nature of this media makes it an answer to storage and backup woes. The good news doesn't end here. The use of portable hard drives does not require additional device drivers which makes it an even better investment.
This almost miraculous invention does have its drawbacks, one of the chief ones being that it is limited in the number of write and erase cycles it can sustain. Also most portable hard drives do not support a write-protect mechanism. This can be a drawback when the need for virus repair arises. The average user may find the portable hard drive a bit expensive but given its versatility and usefulness it is an investment completely worth it!
Portable hard disk drives at a first glance appear to be a solution to all your data backup woes. These little devices which have been introduced into the market quite recently seem to have attained the top spot as a data backup utility. It is quite natural that they are marketed as a complete and stress free solution for all the data loss problems that you might encounter.
Advantages of Portable Hard Disk Drives
First, let us have a look at some of the features of these hard drives that make them so popular and then decide whether they are actually as useful as claimed.
They offer a large storage space, even in excess of 250 GB. This proves to be quite useful for individuals who need to backup large amount of data.
Even though it is a bit expensive, it proves to be a one time investment for the home users and is generally quite affordable.
It makes use of USB 2.0 technology and hence offers high transfer rates.
Also, as the USB ports are now available on all computers, storage of data on them does not require any other hardware as in case of DVDs where they require a DVD burner in order to copy the information. They can just be plugged into a system and used straight away.
They offer innumerable rewrites which again proves helpful.
They are small in size and hence, as their name suggests, are indeed portable. You could easily carry it along with you wherever you go.
These devices proves to be quite a useful means for transfer of data between computers that are not connected to the same network and the data size is too large to be transferred online.
Also, the data that is stored on them can be retained up to a period of 15 years which generally proves quite sufficient.
To add to all this, to ease your data backup, some of them now come with software which automatically backs up your data into the portable hard drives when they are plugged into your system.
Disadvantages of Portable Hard Disks
Although, all these advantages make the devices attractive, it is better to understand its disadvantages before you choose to purchase them for your use. In order to help you see both the sides of the story, we have analysed the disadvantages of the device and presented below:
As they have been derived from the normal hard drives, the portable shares most of the drawbacks of a normal hard drive. For example, similar to your ordinary hard drive, these devices are also highly sensitive to dust. However, they have do have some enhancements in their design to protect them against dust particles.
Similar to any other storage device, mishandling them may lead to data loss. So one should always be careful while handling them and avoid too dropping them down.
They are susceptible to external magnetic fields.
Other than these general disadvantages, some shortcomings also exist in some of the data backup software that comes along with them. The interface employed by them is not user friendly such that inexperienced users might find difficulty using them.
The noise levels of some of them are quite loud and can prove to be annoying.
Some hard disks of low quality are also not quite reliable for data storage leading to corruption of data and data loss.
Since they are portable, it is easy for the employees to misuse the technology and steal official data using these portable hard drives.
The Final Judgement
Even though the portable hard disk drives prove to be quite useful, some inherent faults in them have not yet been overcome. On the other hand, these problems are greatly addressed in the enhanced version of these products. But, as the quality increases, the cost also increases. So, if you do not mind investing a considerable sum of money for purchasing them, they might prove to be useful. Apart from having a long life and rendering satisfactory performance, these devices could be your best companion in saving you during the hard times of unanticipated data loss.
James Walsh has sinced written about articles on various topics from Small Business, Binding Machines and Divorce and Infidelity. James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you are concerned about data loss and would like more information on see. James Walsh's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.