Originally Posted By -em I need to come up with a better way to store pictures on my computer, right now I *think* I have most backed up on CD (but thats debatable..) but in no order and most CDs somehow only have 30-50 pics on them (and add the fact I have about 100 CDs floating around...) so when I need to find a specific picture or event its near impossible.. I am thinking about either getting a few USB drives or an external hard drive (as my laptop can't hold much) and wondered if anyone had an opinion on which is better for long term storage (and recoverability if needed..) and a better overall value. I would love to spend about 75 dollars max (but could spend more if needed..) I would estimate I have 10,000+ pictures that I would need to store... -em
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb I myself burn to DVD and then spread the disks far and wide (fireproof safe and Mom's house out of state). My sister uses one of those online back up services, which worked out really well when her hard drive crashed. I know you asked about external USB hard drives. I don't know the brands well enough to recommend specifically, but I know Maxtor and SeaGate both make reliable internal drives.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I would lean towards a USB flash drive. Cheap and no moving parts to break. Also so portable that you can carry it wherever you go and keep it updated.
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb What I meant by that is I imagine if their internal drives are reliable, I would think the external ones would be too.
Originally Posted By avro_imagineer There are also upload servers (Online Backup) where you can save online large files. Dell offers thi service as idrive.com, xdrive.com, mozy.com etc. Many of these sites offer a couple of gigs free, with you being able to pay for more. However if I used one of these services I'd still keep backups on DVD or an External drive just to be safe. If you have a relative or friend who keeps their computer on, you could get them to set up a NAS/Home server with FTP capabilities so you could upload directly and keep it safe. But always keep a "hardcopy" (Drive/Flash/Optical Media) if you use an online service just in case. (Remember Epson Photo Center?)
Originally Posted By ShivaThDestroyer I have to agree with Deb and avro_imagineer. I make multiple DVD back-ups and store them in separate locations. I also copy them to an external hard drive. I don't have a lot of confidence in flash drives as permanent storage. I've seen the data on too many of them become corrupt and, although there is software that *may* be able to retrieve your data, it is not 100%. Good DVD recorders are readily available within the price range indicated and will greatly reduce the number of disks needed. Typically, a CD will store 700 megs, a single layer DVD 4.5 gigs. That's over 6 times the storage for just a few pennies more per disk. I wouldn't be surprised if your 10,000+ pictures would all fit on just 2-3 single layer DVD's. As previously mentioned, on-line storage could be another layer of redundancy.
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb Another atvantage of DVD over CD is we're now hearing that the "life expectancy" of data on a CD is not nearly as good as that of DVD. I'm not sure if the difference is as great as floppy to CD, but your data is safer on the DVD format.
Originally Posted By -em Thanks guys! I never even thought about going the DVD route.. Question though- Does the DVD store them in the same file format as CDs (ie simply clickable) or does it add menus/layers etc? I found a Sony burner for about 75 on amazon is that good? It seems that itll work with my XP system.. -em
Originally Posted By mawnck DVD works the same as CD, only bigger. It doesn't add menus and layers, but **you** can if you have the software. $75 strikes me as a bit steep for an internal DVD drive (I've seen new OEM Sonys for as low as $25) but since it'll come with all the wiring, software and instructions you need, it's probably a good buy for a first DVD drive. The Sony drives are good 'uns. (So are the Pioneers, LGs and - so they tell me - Benq's.) If it's an external drive (one that connects via USB), then that IS a pretty good price. Make sure your pooter is equipped with USB-2, though, or it'll be as slow as Christmas. A few more pearls of wisdom, coming from someone who used to duplicate and QC the fool things for a living: Do not use: Off-brand or store brand blanks (For the purposes of this discussion, you should consider Memorex an off-brand.) Dual-layer discs Rewritable discs Stickers of any kind - and that includes stick-on labels. Ball-point pens or other sharply-pointed writing implements. (Use a felt-tip Sharpie to label them.) DVD cases that involve sliding the disc into or out of a plastic container. *** A blank DVD holds 4.7 GB of material. That's a heckuva lot of pictures.
Originally Posted By Shiva ^^yes, I was referring to an external drive for around the $75.00 range since -em mentioned she had a laptop (good call on the USB 2.0 advise). I also wasn't clear when I mentioned 4.5 gigs worth of storage on a DVD. Even though the discs are rated at 4.7, most of the burning programs I use limit the burn capacity to 4.5.
Originally Posted By -em I think my USB is good enough, my laptop is about 3 years old now and runs XP I looked at discs today at Mart and all they had was Memorex so Ill need to look elsewhere... -em
Originally Posted By Shiva ^^I was pretty sure, when you mentioned that you had a 100 gig hard drive that it was new enough to have USB 2.0. Good Luck!!
