Q. Is an external hard drive not as viable for backups as Carbonite? What are the pros and cons of these systems? —Michael in Vancouver, WA, listening via podcasts as a Kim’s Club member
A. External hard drives certainly are viable for backups. Among all consumers, and businesses, too, relatively few people do backups. So, if you’re doing any backup, you’re way ahead of most people.
These folks are playing with fire. Here are a few statistics to consider:
• Forty-three percent of people lose irreplaceable files every year.
• Only 3 out of 100 stolen laptops are ever recovered.
• Thousands of files are lost each year to fires, floods and other disasters.
• Up to 13% of hard drives crash in their first year.
I used to keep my data on an external hard drive. That is, until it died and took all my data with it.
Plus, it’s a hassle. You have to maintain the drive’s hardware and software. Plus you have to remember to make the backups.
I prefer the online backup service Carbonite (carbonite.com/kim), one of my advertisers, to a regular old hard drive for a couple of reasons. Primarily, Carbonite moves your important backups off-site. If your house burns down, or is burglarized, the backup is safe. You still have all your precious memories and valuable data.
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