Top 5 Reasons To Invest In An External Hard Drive

In an age where both desktop and laptops now have staggering amounts of computer storage and RAM memory, it can be difficult to see why the average computer user would need an external hard drive. However, with prices of hard drives and SSDs dropping, they are becoming a convenience that many computer users simply should not be without. From storing downloaded movies and music to providing a reliable back-up, here are the top five reasons to invest in an external hard drive.

1. Portability

The nature of the external hard drive means that they are even more portable than many laptops. Compact and hardwearing, they can be taken to work, on business trips or even over to a friend’s house at the weekend. Most of them connect easily through USB cables, meaning that they can be utilised almost anywhere with the correct link-ups.

2. Capacity

Though computers and laptops often have more than enough storage space on which to run, especially with the multitude of computer hard drive upgrades available to them, having extra space means never having to worry about download capacities. Large volume files such as high-definition movies and whole music libraries can be stored on external hard drives with no need to delete older files or make room.

3. De-clutter

Rather than navigating through an old laptop, with dense folders full of documents and files that are years on, having an external drive means keeping a laptop or computer free of clutter without deleting anything. The portability of the units mean the files are easily accessible with a USB cable, and can be reached without slowing down the main machine.

4. Back-ups

Those who use their computers and laptops for business should always practice backing up their files in case of a system crash on their main unit. The external hard drive is not permanently connected to the computer or laptop, so any system failures or corrupted data will have no effect on the files stored on the external unit, and all files can then be restored.

5. High Speed

External hard drives which are connected with Firewire will have very fast data transfer rates and will be able to copy large files from computers or laptops in a relatively small period of time. For those who use their computer for video, image or music editing and need to work alongside large volumes, this will come in extremely handy.

SSDs To Account for 33% of Computer Storage Market in 2017

Research firm IHS has predicted that SSDs (solid-state drives) will account for more than one third of the computer storage market by 2017, almost seven times than the number of shipments recorded in 2012. The total worldwide shipments is expected to increase from 31 million units to 227 million units in the space of five years, forcing down the percentage of the market devoted to hard disk drives; from 94% in 2012, hard disk drives are expected to take up just 64% of the total market in five years. The explosive growth over this period equates to around 48%, and will put the SSD on the map as a promising substitute for hard disk drives.

The rise in the number of SSDs being shipped across the globe has already begun; measuring in at just 6% of the computer storage solutions market in 2012, the demand for ultrabooks and other super-slim laptop models over the next few years is expected to drive demand considerably. Touchscreen displays are becoming more prominent, and the upcoming Haswell processor created by Intel is set to revolutionise thin computers for consumers. These units demand powerful, versatile and compact drives. Combine this with the price of NAND flash memory drastically decreasing, and the conditions are perfect for a surge in SSDs.

SSDs carry out essentially the same function as a conventional hard drive, but with one vital difference: they have no mechanical or moving parts. Where hard disk drives function by using magnetic fields and spinning parts, an SSD uses a flash memory chip which is similar to the memory within a USB drive. This innovation drastically reduces read and write times, and also has the added advantage of never wearing out; the moving parts within a hard disk drive can wear and diminish in effectiveness over time, but the lack of moving parts in SSDs mean that they can function at a higher level for a sustained period of time.

However, the future dominance of the SSD is not all bad news for the trust hard disk drive. They are still far cheaper in price than their high-tech competitors, and they generally have much higher storage densities when compared to the majority of SSDs. In situations where large volumes of data need to be stored, a hard disk drive is a more suitable option. Hybrid disk drives are also becoming an option; these units combine the benefits of both hard disk drives and SSDs in order to make the most of each technology. Fast read and write times and no defragmenting necessary combines with high storage capacity to create a very cost-effective PC storage solution for the mass market.

To browse a range of Data Memory Systems’ hard drives and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

Chromebooks: The Future?

Chromebooks are being mooted as the future of laptop computers, with many of the world’s largest computer manufacturers preparing to bring out new models later this year. The innovative, new cloud-based laptops are described as a more secure option than conventional PCs, and with weak sales of Windows 8 so far recorded, experts have speculated that it was only a matter of time before PC makers turned to something else to boost their profits. Acer and Google are reported to be adding updates to their older Chromebook models, whilst Asus, HP, Lenovo and Samsung are also rumored to be planning entirely new Chromebooks which will hit the market within the next twelve months.

With their many benefits, Chromebooks are seen as an exciting and innovative way to work and communicate on the go, but their limitations are coming under fire. Relying on a Chromebook as a complete computer system has its problems, not least in that the computer memory included in the small units are very restrictive. The majority of Chromebooks only offer 2GB of RAM; there are some which are blessed with 4GB, but upgrades are rendered impossible by the slim construction of the laptops.

The Chrome operating system which many of them run combined with other software such as iTunes or any Adobe programs can easily fill up the RAM memory of a Chromebook and make them impractical and constrained units for those who wish to rely solely on one portable system. There is no doubt that Chromebooks are gaining popularity among some core groups; Acer, for instance, are marketing their latest offering purely for students, who need a powerful unit with the ability to work on the go. But for those who need a powerful system which has the capacity to hold all of their personal files as well as multitask, whether it is for work or leisure, Chromebooks are an unsuitable choice.

Many conventional laptops come readily equipped with plenty of PC or Apple memory, but for those who don’t find it to be quite enough, upgrades are always available. This will aid those who need to download large volumes of data whilst word processing and surfing the web, or those who use their system for the editing of music, video or high resolution images.  Memory upgrades can be purchased in increments of 1GB or 2GB and can vastly improve the overall performance of a laptop until they can outperform the highest specification Chromebooks.

To find out more about the new range of PC and Apple memory solutions from Data Memory Systems and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com