What is an Internet Hard Drive?
Since the advent of digital media, there has been a need to store and retrieve media. Internet hard drives have served to meet this need, offering a creative new solution to the issue of data storage.
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Function
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The sole purpose of an Internet hard drive is to offer a means of accessing your computer files (pictures, documents, music, videos, etc.) from any computer, as long as that computer has access to the Internet. Similar to depositing money into your bank account, and later withdrawing that same money from any ATM machine, an Internet hard drive will allow you to "deposit" your computer files into a remote hard drive, and then later access those very same files from any other computer.
Benefits
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Unlike your local hard drive, which may have a limited storage capacity, a competitive Internet hard drive provider will offer virtually unlimited disk space such as offered by LiveDrive.com. By uploading regular backups of your files, you can remain immune from the dangers of file loss due to viruses or your hard drive crashing; your local computer can be completely destroyed and yet the files which were stored online would remain safe and unharmed.
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Drawbacks
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Uploading your files takes time. The larger the file, the longer it will take to upload to your Internet hard drive. Likewise, the amount of time it takes to retrieve a file will be relative to its file size as well, although this rule may not necessarily apply to videos. Companies such as LiveDrive.com offer the option to view your videos directly from the Internet without having to first download the video to your local hard drive.
Despite any apparent benefits or drawbacks, whether you will choose to store your personal files on this clever remote device or not, the Internet hard drive will give you the freedom to retrieve your files using any computer with Internet access.
Setup
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Setting up an account for your own Internet hard drive is generally simple. Visit the website of a provider such as LiveDrive.com, and follow the simple instructions. Once your account is created, you will be able to immediately log in and begin "uploading" or sending files from your local computer to your remote Internet hard drive.
Warning
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Always remember that despite any promises made of security, whenever you are uploading your files to the Internet, you are entrusting your personal information to the safekeeping of someone else. The safest backup is always going to be a "hard backup," such as a floppy disk, CD or DVD.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Aaron Stokes
