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Data Backup Devices to Suit Your Needs
- By James Walsh
- Published 04/7/2008
- Data Recovery
- Unrated
There are various Data Backup Media available in the market. As the market needs change, the technology too responds to this change. Two decades back, one could not have imagined the plethora of choices that consumers will have in the data backup storage media market as we have today. Since the market is flooded with so many data backup devices, it is important for you to make a prudent decision while you choose your data backup storage device.
Floppy Disks
Floppy disks have been around for a very long time. In fact, floppy disks were one of the first portable data backup devices. Floppy disks are an extremely inexpensive data backup option because for only for a couple of dollars, users can buy many floppy disks. Since floppies come in a protective packaging, data loss incidents can be minimised to a large extent.
The portability advantage offered by floppy disks makes them a huge favourite amongst the users because the users are able to carry their data with them wherever they go. In addition, since floppy disks are very lightweight, it is very easy to carry them around. Although floppy disks offer many advantages, the biggest disadvantage of using a floppy disk is the low data storage space offered by these disks.
If your aim is to back up large amounts of data, floppy disk may not be the ideal option for you. In addition, if time is a constraint, floppy disks can prove to be quite cumbersome since the data transfer speed of floppy disks is very low.
The biggest issue associated with using floppy disks these days is compatibility. Most of the laptops these days do not come with a floppy drive. Therefore, users are bound to face problems when they want to transfer data from floppy disks to laptops.
Tape Drives
Tape drives can store several GB of data and are ideal for backing up large amounts of data. For that reason, the cost per MB associated with using tapes is far lower than other data storage devices. Tapes are also ideal for archiving data.
Some companies also prefer to use recycled tapes as it helps them t
o cut down their data backup costs even further. However, tapes are very fragile and prone to wear and tear very easily. In addition, repeatedly purchasing tape cartridges can be expensive.
USB Drives
USB drives are a user’s delight; they are small, lightweight, easy to use, do not require special usage or handling precautions, and face no compatibility issues. While initially users faced a problem with USB drives because of their limited data storage capacity, modern day technological innovations have enabled the USB drives to offer as much as 64GB of data storage space.
Unlike tapes, USB drives do not require any additional equipment. Therefore, all you have to do is plug your USB device into the USB drive and you are ready to back up your data instantly. The high price that you pay for USB flash drives is the biggest disadvantage of using this data backup option.
CDs and DVDs
CDs and DVDs are very cost-effective options for users because they are very cheap as compared to other data storage devices. It is easy to even create a backup of your backup CDs or DVDs because the additional cost is very insignificant. CDs and DVDs are easy to carry around. Therefore, users can carry their backed up data with them or use them for off-site data backups. One of the major drawbacks of using CDs and DVDs is the fragile nature of these data backup devices. Users have to be extremely careful about how they use and store their CDs and DVDs in order to preserve their data.
Portable Hard Drives
Portable hard drives have a huge data storage capacity and are ideal for large data backups. Since they are easy to carry around, they can also be used for off-site data backups. The average lifespan of portable hard drives is far greater than other data storage devices. Therefore, these drives are ideal for backing up data that needs to be preserved for longer periods of time. Users need to be extremely cautious while using hard drives as they are complex pieces of equipment and very prone to data loss.
James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you are concerned about data loss and would like more information on Data Recovery see
http://www.fields-data-recovery.co.uk
Floppy Disks
Floppy disks have been around for a very long time. In fact, floppy disks were one of the first portable data backup devices. Floppy disks are an extremely inexpensive data backup option because for only for a couple of dollars, users can buy many floppy disks. Since floppies come in a protective packaging, data loss incidents can be minimised to a large extent.
The portability advantage offered by floppy disks makes them a huge favourite amongst the users because the users are able to carry their data with them wherever they go. In addition, since floppy disks are very lightweight, it is very easy to carry them around. Although floppy disks offer many advantages, the biggest disadvantage of using a floppy disk is the low data storage space offered by these disks.
If your aim is to back up large amounts of data, floppy disk may not be the ideal option for you. In addition, if time is a constraint, floppy disks can prove to be quite cumbersome since the data transfer speed of floppy disks is very low.
The biggest issue associated with using floppy disks these days is compatibility. Most of the laptops these days do not come with a floppy drive. Therefore, users are bound to face problems when they want to transfer data from floppy disks to laptops.
Tape Drives
Tape drives can store several GB of data and are ideal for backing up large amounts of data. For that reason, the cost per MB associated with using tapes is far lower than other data storage devices. Tapes are also ideal for archiving data.
Some companies also prefer to use recycled tapes as it helps them t
USB Drives
USB drives are a user’s delight; they are small, lightweight, easy to use, do not require special usage or handling precautions, and face no compatibility issues. While initially users faced a problem with USB drives because of their limited data storage capacity, modern day technological innovations have enabled the USB drives to offer as much as 64GB of data storage space.
Unlike tapes, USB drives do not require any additional equipment. Therefore, all you have to do is plug your USB device into the USB drive and you are ready to back up your data instantly. The high price that you pay for USB flash drives is the biggest disadvantage of using this data backup option.
CDs and DVDs
CDs and DVDs are very cost-effective options for users because they are very cheap as compared to other data storage devices. It is easy to even create a backup of your backup CDs or DVDs because the additional cost is very insignificant. CDs and DVDs are easy to carry around. Therefore, users can carry their backed up data with them or use them for off-site data backups. One of the major drawbacks of using CDs and DVDs is the fragile nature of these data backup devices. Users have to be extremely careful about how they use and store their CDs and DVDs in order to preserve their data.
Portable Hard Drives
Portable hard drives have a huge data storage capacity and are ideal for large data backups. Since they are easy to carry around, they can also be used for off-site data backups. The average lifespan of portable hard drives is far greater than other data storage devices. Therefore, these drives are ideal for backing up data that needs to be preserved for longer periods of time. Users need to be extremely cautious while using hard drives as they are complex pieces of equipment and very prone to data loss.
James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you are concerned about data loss and would like more information on Data Recovery see
http://www.fields-data-recovery.co.uk