With cloud storage becoming more popular and internal hard drives getting bigger all the time, many people wonder if they still need an external hard drive. Here are some quick answers to common questions about external hard drives in the age of the cloud.
Quick Answers
Do I need an external hard drive if I use cloud storage?
Yes, external hard drives are still recommended even if you use cloud storage. Cloud storage is convenient but has risks like service outages. External drives provide offline backup.
With bigger internal hard drives, why would I need an external one?
Bigger internal drives provide more storage, but external drives help backup your data and provide overflow storage if your internal drive fills up.
Aren’t external hard drives outdated with new storage technologies like SSD and flash drives?
No, external hard drives are still very useful. SSDs and flash drives offer faster speed but less capacity per dollar compared to traditional hard drives.
The Role of External Hard Drives
External hard drives serve a few key roles that make them still very necessary in the modern age of abundant storage options:
- Backup: External drives provide a great way to backup your data. You can manually copy important files or use automated backup software. External backup protects against data loss if your primary devices fail.
- Overflow storage: External drives provide expanded storage capacity if your main internal drive fills up. You can offload less accessed files like photos, videos, and documents.
- Accessibility: The external portability of these drives allows you to easily move data between devices. You can bring large amounts of data with you on the go.
- Security: Keeping sensitive files on an external drive helps protect them if your main system is compromised. The drive can be disconnected and stored safely when not in use.
The Risks of Cloud Storage
Cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Apple iCloud, and Amazon Cloud Drive are incredibly useful for accessing files across devices and sharing data online. However, there are some downsides to relying solely on the cloud:
- Service outages: Server outages can temporarily take cloud storage offline, preventing access to your data.
- Technical issues: Glitches with syncing or connectivity can disrupt cloud access.
- Hacking: Cloud services can fall victim to hacking, exposing your data.
- Account suspension: Your account can be suspended due to service terms violations, taking your data offline.
- Permanent data loss: Major disasters or human error can wipe out data on cloud servers with little hope of recovery.
For these reasons, cloud storage may not provide the same reliability as local external drives when it comes to accessibility and long-term backup.
How Big Internal Drives Reduce External Needs
Computers these days come with very large internal drives compared to older machines. For example, laptops frequently include 500GB to 1TB of SSD storage. Desktop machines often have 1TB to 4TB or more of HDD space.
With such abundant local capacity, you may be less reliant on external expandable storage than in the past. Very large media collections or other data hoarding scenarios are about the only situations where even today’s roomy internal drives may feel too confining for some users.
However, bigger internal drives mainly reduce the need for external storage expansion rather than external backup. You still need that redundant external backup solution to protect against data loss disasters. The larger your internal data volume, the more essential having a backup becomes.
Why External HDDs Still Beat SDDs and Flash Drives
External hard disk drives (HDDs) have been the traditional standard for extended capacity and portable storage. New solid state drives (SSDs) and USB flash drives offer far faster speeds and more compact form factors. So why choose traditional external HDDs still?
HDDs remain hugely popular for external local storage because they provide unparalleled storage capacity at a very affordable price point. You can get multi-terabyte (TB) external HDDs for under $100 these days. Comparably sized SSDs cost 5-10 times more. And flash drives max out at just 1-2TB currently.
Here’s a comparison of storage value per dollar these days:
| Storage Type | Price Range (2TB) | $ per GB |
|---|---|---|
| External HDD | $50-$80 | $0.025-$0.04 |
| External SSD | $200-$300 | $0.10-$0.15 |
| USB Flash Drive | $200-$400 | $0.10-$0.20 |
For massive local storage at the lowest cost, traditional spinning disk external HDDs can’t be beaten still. Their slower speeds are a worthy compromise that many users gladly accept. External SSDs and flash drives have their benefits like speed, size, and durability, but their limitations in capacity and price compared to HDDs ensure external hard disk drives still have an essential role in most people’s hardware arsenals.
New Innovations Expand USB Drive Use Cases
USB flash drives and external SSDs have expanded their usefulness and appeal through new bleeding edge technologies and specs:
- USB 3.2/USB4: Interface speeds up to 40Gbps allow for much faster file transfer than old USB 2.0 drives.
- USB-C: The USB-C connector offers greater ease of use, universality, and ability to handle more power.
- Rugged designs: Solid state external drives with rugged casings can better withstand drops, water, dust, etc.
- Hardware encryption: Built-in encryption keeps sensitive data more secure if the drive is lost or stolen.
- Biometric security: Fingerprint readers or facial recognition allow easy unlocking of encrypted drives.
Thanks to advances like these, external SSDs and flash drives have carved out wider niches compared to the past. But again, external HDDs still dominate mass storage applications where capacity trumps everything. The affordability and huge capacities of spinning disk drives keep them very much relevant despite the impressive gains of solid state tech.
Use Cases for Today’s External Drives
Here are some examples of how people today commonly use external storage devices to fit different needs:
External Hard Disk Drives
- Backup enormous photo libraries from a desktop PC.
- Add extra storage for access to a vast movie collection on smart TVs or media players.
- Expand capacity of a games console to install more titles.
- Periodically create system image backups as a restore point for computers.
- Store surveillance footage from security cameras.
- Quickly move hundreds of gigabytes of work files between office and home PC.
External Solid State Drives
- Store and edit video files faster while traveling for business.
- Carry a bootable portable OS on public computers that may have spyware.
- Expand capacity of a laptop too slim for a second internal drive.
- Store photos and other media much more densely when space constrained.
- Withstand bumps and shakes that could damage HDDs.
USB Flash Drives
- Transfer documents between home and office computers.
- Give presentations from a PC without needed media software.
- Store important personal files on your keychain for emergencies.
- Boot Linux OS on borrowed devices for privacy.
- Securely carry sensitive financial records separated from network access.
Tips for Buying an External Drive
If you’ve decided it’s time to invest in an external drive, keep these tips in mind for your purchase:
- Storage needs: Choose a high capacity over 1TB unless you specifically need a compact unit.
- File types: HDDs are fine for photos, videos, documents. SSDs help with frequent access to demanding files.
- interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2 and USB-C provide much faster speeds than old USB 2.0.
- Build quality: Solid aluminum or hardened plastic shells withstand abuse better.
- Warranty: At least a 2-3 year manufacturer warranty provides peace of mind.
- Security: Encryption like AES 256-bit ensures greater data protection.
- Backup software: Utilities that automate backup provide set and forget convenience.
Conclusion
In the modern landscape of abundant cheap cloud storage and massive internal hard drives, external drives might seem like relics. But they still serve vital roles like versatile offline backup and massive portable capacity that the cloud can’t entirely replicate.
For huge amounts of affordable storage space, traditional external HDDs are still hard to beat. And new high-speed interfaces and rugged designs make external SSDs and flash drives more useful than ever for tasks that demand speed, durability, and ample space in a tiny package.
So don’t retire your external drives just yet. They may still play an essential role in your digital life thanks to their unique benefits that offset the flexibility of the cloud. An external HDD, SSD, or flash drive is likely to remain a crucial item in your tech toolkit for years to come.