Size does matter...but too big is a waste...
Dec 20 '00 (Updated Dec 26 '00)
haha made u look huh :P I'm talking 'bout hard disks and computer storage space!!! what were you thinking? heh heh...
What to get?
Got plenty of extra cash to spend this Christmas? Don’t know what to do with it? Can’t decide between a complete set of Pokemon cards and toys or Harry Potter books for the kids? Well, let me help you out! Drop all that cash in a sealed envelope and send it my way! Heh! No? Okay…it was worth a try.
Storage issues
If you’re new to computers and you’ve got some extra cash for a new computer this year, then you’re in for a hard time deciding on the many, many, many models out there with a lot of confusing and often cryptic specification data. Many others have written really good opinions on buying your first or second computer. But I’d like to focus on just one particular area and that’s storage. I myself have a 20GB and an 8GB hard disk with a 4GB stored safely away as a backup in case the two on my computer fails. What kind of storage and size should you consider? Is bigger always better? Removable? External or internal? We’ll tackle these questions one by one…
What size and what kind?
If you’re buying a new computer, obviously there will already be a fixed disk thrown into the package (question is what size). If you’re adding extra storage, you might want to consider adding a second hard disk. There are plenty of reasons why you may want to increase your storage, besides the obvious. For example, you might want to make room for those newer games you or your children play that take up more than 500MB of space. Some full installations (Baldur’s Gate 2) take as much as 2GB!!
Size does matter
Since hard disk prices are pretty low right now (compare that to about 4 years ago when a 7GB disk cost about USD400, the same cost only about USD100 today), go with the largest you can afford. A 20GB hard disk will last you a long time if you are a regular user who doesn’t keep a lot of MP3 files stored on your disk. It probably won’t make much sense to get a drive larger than 40GB in this case as that is money wasted.
Hard drives do not last forever; you’re lucky if it lasts 3-5 years. My 8GB once would not start and I thought it had died so I kept it stored away for about a year only to find out it’s working again when I installed it back just to try my luck. If you do a lot of MP3s and games, and you must have 40GB, get two, each 20GB. That way, if one goes, you don’t lose everything. It isn’t much sense, on the other hand, to buy a hard disk smaller than 10GB these days. The larger you get, the lower the cost-per-megabyte is. For example, a 7GB disk may cost about USD100 while a larger 13GB may cost only slightly more, about USD130. So you do the math…you get almost twice the capacity for only USD30 more.
Fixed or removable?
This one is a fairly easy question to answer. If you need to backup a lot of data like personal document files, photos, archived emails, go with removable. I don’t recommend fixed solutions as once the drive goes, it goes. With removable, at least you can store away the little discs in a dust free environment and only take them out when you need to. Of course, if you have plenty of cash and space, go both ways. Backup to both a second fixed disk and to removable media such as Zip drives or the larger Orb drives. Be warned though, removable media can die too if not handled carefully. Just because the case is made of plastic does not mean you can throw it around without care.
Internal or external?
For backup storage, I recommend external drives such as Zip drives. This solution may be much slower than their internal cousins but it’s convenient to be able to uninstall your equipment and bring it to your office or friend’s house and use it on the PCs there in case there isn’t a Zip installed on the other computers. If you know you won’t be sharing data much of if your office or friends already have Zip drives, go with internal. Internal drives are much faster when it comes to data transfer rates, unless you have a SCSI external drive, but those cost quite a bit of moolah. SCSI is an interface which allows for very fast data transfers.
For fixed drives, obviously, go with internal. External ones cost an arm and a leg. Get one only in desperate or absolutely necessary situations like when you run out of internal drive bays (the slot holding your drives).
What about speed?
Hard drives come in different varieties, besides size, there is the speed issue. Some older budget drives spin as slow as only 4500rpm (revolutions per minute). My 8GB spins at roughly 5200rpm while the 20GB spins at 7200rpm. Obviously, the 7200rpm drives are much faster when it comes to data access (read and write) rates. But they also cost more so unless you do a lot of disk-intensive work such as large databases and large image/graphics editing, go with an average speed drive of around 5000rpm. Those will serve you will.
Another thing to consider is the interface of your disk. If you have a very recent computer from say late last year, you will have Ultra ATA 66 (allows up to 66MB/s data transfer rates) on your system. This is twice the speed of the older Ultra ATA 33 standard. Again, same rule applies as with the rpm issue. Most newer drives today all support Ultra 66 anyway so this shouldn’t be a difficult question to tackle. If your PC is an older one with only Ultra 33, an Ultra 66 drive will still work perfectly on it albeit running on the slower interface. Note that Ultra 66 drives also needs a special 80-pin cable.
A few words of advice
Before I conclude, here are some words of “wisdom” from someone who has worked with plenty of different storage devices before…
1. Never think “Oh…I’m never going to need more than 10GB.” Sooner or later, you will need more space than you first bought. Buy sensibly, go for at least 20GB but don’t waste too much money on the newer technology 70GB drives!
2. Never think that just because the internal fixed drive is in a case, dust cannot kill it. Dust is a mortal enemy of all computer equipment and peripherals! So keep your computer case screwed on at all times and don’t leave it lying around on dusty carpeted floors.
3. When installing your new disk, always handle with care and never touch the bottom part with all the soldering and chips (same rule applies for all other PC parts). Always handle it by the sides and avoid excessive shocks.
4. Before you open your computer case and handle the parts inside, always ground yourself first to discharge any static electricity which is very harmful to computer parts. Do this by touching the metal parts of your pc or a metal pipe in your home.
Well, that’s it for now. Hope this helps in helping you make your own decisions. Happy shopping and happy upgrading! :)
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