Ample storage is one of the best investments you can make for your workstation. If you’re not regularly backing up your data and other digital media, you definitely should be. Take it from someone who lost a gigabyte of data from a failed internal drive that wasn’t backed up—it’s not a pleasant experience. That was almost 10 years ago, and it still pains me.
An external drive or a few of them is essential for backups in the event that your computer’s built-in drive fails, but you may want to consider using them for primary storage. A pair of external drives in a mirrored RAID configuration allows you to move your data off of your computer’s built-in drive, which may be necessary as your library continually expands. If you’re capturing HD video along with still images, you know how quickly the gigabytes add up.
Drives like those featured here offer big capacities, much larger than what most computers typically include, so you’ll be able to back up all of your important flies with room
Let’s see few type of External Storage available in the market
Apple Technology
For Mac users, Apple’s Time Capsule is designed to work seamlessly with Apple’s Time Machine software (part of OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard and Lion) for automatic, wireless backups of your data. One nice feature of Time Capsule is that it doubles as an 802.lln Wi-Fl router. All of the Mac computers on your network can back up to the device, and can share the Time Capsule as a network drive. It also includes a USB port that allows you to share a printer or an additional external drive. Estimated Price: $299 (2 TB); $499 (3 TB).
Buffalo Technology
Buffalo Technology’s CloudStor drive makes your files available wherever you have an Internet connection, even from mobile devices, through a secure and simple interface. The base model CloudStor has two drive bays, and includes one I TB drive in a design that makes it easy to add a second drive for RAID data mirroring. CloudStor is also available in a version with one 2 TB drive. Both models offer USB 2.0 and Ethernet connections. Estimated Price: $129 (I TB); $169 (2 TB).
Drobo Technology
Drobo is an expandable storage system that can easily grow along with your library. What’s different about Drobo is that it doesn’t include any drives, so you can determine the capacity you need to start and add drives over time. The base model 4-bay Drobo is probably the best choice for most photographers. This model currently supports drives up to 2 TB, but a firmware update coming later this year will support 3 TB drives, and the company plans to continue to support larger drives as they become available. Drobo connects via FireWire 800 and USB 2.0. Estimated Price: $399 (without drives).
G-Tech Technology
Now available in capacities up to 3 TB, G-Tech’s G-Safe is a dual-drive mirrored RAID system. G-Safe comes ready to use with two fast 7200 RPM drives that are hot-swappable, meaning you replace the drives without powering down, handy if you want to take a drive with you for the added security of off-site storage. G-Safe offers three connection options: FireWire 800, USB 2.0 and eSATA. An LCD displays system status. Estimated Price: $399 (I TB); $549 (2 TB); $699 (3 TB).
Lacie Technology
LaCie’s 2big Quadra is a 2-bay RAID-ready backup solution in capacities up to 6 TB (3 TB if you use it as a mirrored RAID). It offers four ways to connect: eSATA, FireWire 400 and 800, and USB 2.0. It includes backup software for Windows, and is Time Machine- compatible for Mac users. The 2big Quadra also can be configured in a Mixed Partition mode, which allows you to use part of the system’s capacity for mirrored RAID back ups while using the remaining space for files you don’t need to back up. Estimated Price: $299 (2 TB); $419 (4 TB); $549 (6 TB).
Seagate Technology
The GoFlex Desk from Seagate is uniquely upgradeable: the connection port is located in a removable, swappable base. So if your A SEAGATE current computer has only USB 2.0, but your next has FireWire, you can simply swap out the base and take advantage of faster transfer rates. Available in capacities up to 4 TB, GoFlex Desk is compatible with Windows and Mac, and includes backup software. An illuminated capacity gauge makes it easy to monitor how much free space remains. Estimated Price: $109 (I TB); $129 (2 TB); $199 (3 TB), $249 (4 TB).
Western Digital Technology
My Book Live from Western Digital is another Internet-connected option if you’d like to access your files remotely. Just connect My Book Live to your wireless router via Ethernet and you can back up all the computers in your home. Your photos and other media are available wherever you’re online, including Android and Apple iOS devices. It also can stream media to DLNA devices like Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or compatible HDTV5. My Book Live works with Apple Time Machine, and also comes with automatic backup software for Windows users. Estimated Price: $149 (I TB); $199 (2 TB); $249 (3 TB). DP
