How to Choose a Secondary Storage Drive for Your Computer

Computer storage drive prices are dropping due to technological improvements, and new alternatives are always in the works. Secondary storage provides you with more room and the possibility of backing your files up.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Determine the quantity and size of the files you will be backing up from your computer. Consider that graphics, sounds, and video files take up the most space, and plan for considerable growth.

2. Figure out how much you can budget for a secondary storage device and the removable media to use with it.

3. Choose a 100 MB Zip or similar drive if you need limited storage capacity (less than 1GB). For versatility and portability, buy an external parallel-port or USB Zip drive. If you will use the drive only for backup and can install it yourself, buy an internal Zip drive.

4. Choose a 250 MB Zip drive if your storage needs are moderate (just a few GB).

5. Select a CD-RW drive if you will back up more than 500 MB of data.

6. Get an external hard drive, a Jaz drive, or a tape backup drive if you will be backing up large amounts of data.

7. Determine if you'll want to use your backup disks on other computers; if so, removable media will be easier.

8. Consider the capacity you need per disk. Buy a device that will let you complete your backup on as few disks as possible.

9. Calculate the cost per MB of media for each drive you are considering.

Tips & Warnings

• Zip drives, the least expensive drives to buy, are the most expensive to use because of the cost of their storage media.
• Two types of CD recorders are made: CD-R (to record once only; practical for storage but not backup) and CD-RW (rewritable). Name-brand CD-RW drives start at $200, with discs costing several dollars apiece. CD-R discs cost well under $1. CDs hold up to 650 MB and are the most permanent and reliable media. They can also be used on most computers.
• Jaz drive cartridges hold 2 GB (1 GB cartridges may still be available).
• Tape drives hold the highest capacity (varying by model, and depending on compression software), but are the slowest of these devices. Tapes cost a few dollars each. They are the least reliable of the devices discussed here.
• External hard drives can be a cost-effective backup option, but you can't keep archives of past backups as easily, and you can't transport the drive as easily as you can a removable disk.