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External Data Storage

Take your data with you, anywhere!

External data storage has become very popular since it allows you to easily transfer data form one computer to another. But the problem is that there are to many external storage devices available on the market, so the choice is difficult.

Everything from USB to SD, Zip disks to DVD's and many more are available on the market. So what is ideal for your data storage needs? Well that all depends on what you need it for.

Here are some factors you need to take into consideration when purchasing your external data storage device.

  1. Security: Is the data that is going to be stored very important, or just regular old data? If it is important, you want to go for something like an enclosed external hard drive. If it isn't, then a removable USB flash device would be perfect. It fits in your pocket, and is very inexpensive.
  2. Compatibility: If you plan to transfer the data or look at it on another computer, then it needs to be able to plug into that computer. So how do you make sure that it will when we live in a world where all computers are not created equal? Well first of all, just about every computer these days have a USB or Fire wire port. Those two ports are the most common used for transferring data from an external data storage device to a computer. So you should be fine as long as you purchase a storage device that uses that connection (They always say right on the box or in the product description).
  3. Convenience: Obviously, if you plan to move your external data storage device from one compute to another, then you want something small, light and easy to use. Now if you have large of amounts of data that are very important, then a larger professional hard drive or tape drive is what would be ideal.

Remember to keep those 3 main factors in your mind when purchasing your external data storage device.

Now let's talk about the different types of data storage devices available on the internet, and at your local electronics store.

USB Flash Media Storage

If you like to take your work home with you, or you are a college student and need a convenient way to store and transfer documents and data, then a USB flash media device is perfect for you.



Small and light, yet can store a lot of data. You can even purchase one with your school's symbol on it! This is what I use and I recommend it to everyone.


External CD/DVD Burners and Drives

A great example of a USB external storage device is a CD/DVD burner and drive . Why is a burner so great? For one, with DVD technology you can hold more than 9GB on one side of the disc! Also, if your burner is RW (ReWriteable) compatible, then you can erase and add more files and then re-use the RW discs.



This mean's your burner basically is like a floppy disc drive now, just with a thousand times more storage capability. This is my second recommended type of external data storage.


External Hard Drive

As everyone knows, a hard drive is what stores all of your information on your computer. Right now, it is working inside your PC as you read this. So I bet you can see the benefit of taking your hard drive everywhere with you, and with USB technology that is possible.

An external hard drive is the best external data storage device with the largest amount of capacity. If you have a lot of information that needs to be stored, then this is the type of external data storage device that you need to buy.

External hard drives can store more then or just as much as a tape drive, which can cost around $1000. An external hard drive doesn't cost as near as much as that, and is much more compact, convenient, and better looking in appearance.



Also, hard drive enclosures are another good idea if you want to bring your hard drive with you. A hard drive enclosure is a case that you can put your current computers hard drive in.

Yes, you put the actual hard drive in your computer right now, into this case. The case protects it from damage and has a USB port which adapts to your hard drive, so you can access it through any USB port.


Removable Hard Drive Tray

Removable hard drive trays allow you to slide your hard drive in and out of one of your computer's drive bay. This is better then an external data storage hard drive because for one, it isn't external but yet can be taken with you anywhere.

The only problem is if you want to hook it up to another computer, it too would have to have a removable hard drive tray.


Flash Media Readers

Flash memory storage has taken the world by storm, especially since the development of the digital camera. Whatever you use it for though, you definitely need a way to transfer the data (photos) from the flash card to your computer. To do this you need a flash media reader .

Flash media readers usually come with slot's for all the different types of Flash media that are available on the market. With a Flash media reader, you can also bring it anywhere and hook it up to a computer with a USB port.

This means you can view or print those photos during a Holiday when your computer isn't near, or transfer data to any computer with a USB port.


External Floppy Disc Drive

We all know what a floppy disc drive, and we all have one. Some times though it would be nice to be able to take one with you, just in case you run into a Macintosh computer or another OS that won't recognize the disc since you created in Windows. So an external floppy disc drive is perfect for those types of situations and for when a PC doesn't have a floppy drive.


External Tape Drives

Tape drives were basically one of the first types of storage used for mainstream computers, and they are still used. Why you ask? With much better technology available, why buy something bigger, heavier, and less storage capacity for its size.

Well many people use it for extremely secure documents and because they feel that the data will last longer on tapes to. I recommend a external tape drive only if you really care about security, and have a lot of money to spend. Not the best external data storage device to buy.


Zip Storage Device

Zip external data storage drive has been around for awhile now, and has become custom to many PC users. Zip drives do hold a pretty good amount of information and are pretty easy to use.



The only problem I see is that Flash cards that are the size of a penny can hold as much, and more, then Zip disks which are only a little bigger then floppy discs.


Need a USB and/or Firewire port?

If your computer doesn't have a USB or Firewire port, then you should upgrade your computer to have one. It is very easy to do, and anyone can do it. All you have to do is buy an interface card with USB or Firewire ports, then check out my page on installing a PCI card. Install it, then restart your computer and you will have a USB and/or Firewire port for your external data storage device.

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