Have you ever felt that a lifetime is not enough to watch all the movies and videos that you keep accumu¬lating? That however does not stop any of us from collecting even more huge files, does it? A storage upgrade is usually imminent, especially with the advent of even larger HD video files. But what kind of storage do you invest in and how much space do you really need?


External Benefits
Your first thought might be to get the largest capacity hard disk you can afford and plonk it into your PC. After all, manufacturers are advertising TB drives as the ideal solution for all your storage needs. If you are looking for a way to 'dump' all your non- critical data (like movies and music collection, something that you may not listen to everyday), then consider an external drive. You connect it only when you want and also move your data around with ease. You will increase the drive's
lifespan as it will not be running the whole time the PC is on. In case of a power surge, the risk of damage to your drive, and hence your data, is also reduced.

As for the internal hard disk for as and programs, keep your existing drive to do the job, or buy a fast single platter smaller capacity (say, 160GB or 320GB) hard disk. In which case, the existing internal drive' won't go waste - you can buy an external hard disk casing with USB connectivity and use that drive as a small capacity external storage for less important files.

Speaking of hard disk casings, they were once a cheaper way of making your own external drive, but with current pricing, going for branded storage is not going to cost you much, especially for those with external power connectors. For example, a 500GB 3.5-inch hard disk costs about and the casing another while an external drive from a brand costs. Sure, you save about Rs.600, but the quality of most external hard disk casings is questionable, especially the supplied power adapter. Some of these hard disk casings reportedly have problems working with large capacity drives. Two of my casings (local brands) developed problems with a few months of use. If you are going to assemble it yourself, make sure you buy the casing from a good brand.

The adage 'do not put all your eggs in one basket' couldn't be truer than in the case of storage devices. Consider getting two or more hard disks of lesser capacity rather than a single one of larger capacity. The data you are storing cannot be obtained again in case of a disk failure. Splitting-ITB of data into three 320GB or two 500 GB drives will keep at least some data safe if one drive fails. With this approach, you can even put your important data, like work files, on multiple hard disks apart from CD I DVD backup. The greater the redundancy(same data on different disks), the higher the safety.

Another SLR vs P&S Question
After reading my SLR vs point and shoot discussion in the November 2008 issue, PC World reader Yusuf from Jaipur asked if the new Canon PowerShot SX1 IS can replace an entry level SLR. The answer is a definite no, simply because the SX1 IS is a different kind of camera from an SLR - you cannot compare apples to umm ... potatoes, can you? An SLR suits an enthusiast who does not mind the bulk and the expense to get those great shots, while an advanced point and shoot camera like the SX1 IS is best suited for someone who wants a versatile camera with excellent video recording and is light to carry around. Though its price is in the league as an SLR, it is not valid to compare it to one.