The Hitachi Lifestudio 2TB External Hard Drive: Making Backups Convenient

When it comes to buying an external hard drive, it seems like most people simply have no idea what they are looking for. Whether you are a film editor or just someone that has a lot of pictures, it has always been a good idea to have an external hard drive to help minimize the clutter in your laptop.

The Features

The LifeStudio will provide you with the easiest way to really organize and share your content. Whether you have pictures, movies, music, documents or large files, you will be able to see everything in an amazing 3D wall to make everything easy to find and share. The Hitachi LifeStudio hard drive
has the ability to connect to your Mac or PC via USB and it will automatically organize your pictures and media files. The external hard drive will truly organize all the media in your life as you will get instant access to all the files that were stored on your computer including photos from your Facebook page or a picture sharing site. The 3D wall then makes it very easy to browse, view and share all your files. Often times it can be a hassle to have to dig through your computer to find certain files and it becomes a waste of time.The 3D wall then actually makes it enjoyable to browse through your files.

Detachable USB

The hard drive also comes with a detachable USB that will allow you to transport files from one computer to another without having to carry your whole hard drive. This is a feature that has been missing for quite some time now and truly is something that helps the LifeStudio standout. Being able to just carry around certain files allows you to just leave the hard drive at home and this is the best way to ensure that your hard drive will always be safe.

Convenience

The hard drive is fairly small compared to other hard drives that are on the market today. Having a smaller build is certainly something that has people intrigued and your content will always be safe because there are two levels of protection. There is also a USB drive dock that will allow you to access your hard drive without having to fumble through all the wires that usually become a hassle. Having everything in one location makes it very easy for people to really take care of their hard drive without having to really waste time with all the wires.

You will also have the opportunity to choose either 1TB or 2TB of space and this is quite arguably enough space for most people who are looking for a hard drive. Unless you are making full length movies, 2TB is more than enough space for your media files. The hard drive is also perfect for either a Mac or a PC and so you do not have to worry about various softwares or problems regarding your computer. The three year factory warranty also will give you a great opportunity to have the peace of mind that you will be protected if anything goes wrong.

Overall, the Hitachi lifestudio external hard drive is easily the best place to store your files as it simply works and it works efficiently. With a beautiful 3D wall and amazing features, there really is no reason why you would not like the Lifestudio
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If you are serious about finding a good hard drive that will store all your files in a small yet powerful device, the hitachi LifeStudio hard drive just might be for you. For the best prices on this great drive check out Amazon
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What is the cloud?

The cloud is a large arrangement of computers across the internet (essentially the world) that allow users the ability to use programs, hard drive space, and hardware such as larger processors that they would not ordinarily have available to them.

There are many ways that providers can offer all of these resources and tap into other companies resources and provide them to you, the end user. All of these resources are accessed almost entirely through the internet.

Why is it called the cloud?

One explanation that has been given has to do with drawings. When planning large scale operations involving computer systems and networking engineers use drawings for planning and presentation. Many times when the engineers would use services that involved many different servers (large scale computers) and the services they provide often would be grouped into a drawing within a drawing of a cloud. This is because the actual function of the grouping didn’t matter, just the end result.

Examples of cloud computing

Just about any service that you use through a internet browser such as Internet Explorer

Backup in the cloud

Why use the cloud?

The biggest benefit to backup on the cloud is the costs that belong to owning larger software and hardware is shared and therefore less to the user. Additionally with less needed on your personal computer the lower the costs associated with your next pc or laptop purchase.

Since the backup is in a different location than you and often times has multiple backups itself, you don’t have to stress over the safety of that external hard drive, or collection of DVDs, or flash drive. Come a catastrophe you can be up and running in short order once things are back to relative normal.

What can be backed up to the cloud?

Just about anything you have on your hard drive. Spreadsheets, scanned documents, backups of your Quicken accounts, personal pictures and movies. Most providers won’t allow you to back up your operating system and applications like Quicken, MS Office, etc.

Who is the cloud for?

Honestly, when talking about backing up online, anyone with a laptop or desktop computer. Teachers, accountants, photographers, writers, moms and dads all can benefit.

Difference between cloud backup service and online backup service?

When you hear the term cloud backup service typically this refers to backup for large operations such as business servers. Although they are essentially the same an online backup service is typically geared for individual and small business backup solutions on the cloud.

Who provides backup to the cloud?

The two biggest and most popular companies for personal use currently are Mozy and Carbonite. Both are simple to implement and are relatively inexpensive. Both run about $5 per month on $60 per year.

How safe is the cloud?

Security has to be a concern for anyone using the internet. Most (if not all) companies will provide encryption during the transfer and further encryption upon storage. This dual layer protection gives an almost impenetrable level of security for your files.

What is an external hard drive?

An external hard drive is just the same as the hard drive as the hard drive inside your laptop or desktop computer. In fact it might even be exactly the same, but not necessarily. This drive is intended to function outside of your normal computing device. Generally they are about the size of a paperback book or a little bigger.

You may hear the terms portable hard drive instead of external. They serve similar purposes and are basically the same. The biggest difference is that portable are designed to be just that whereas external are intended to sit on your desk or on a shelf. Portable backup hard drives are made small enough to fit in your laptop bag or sometimes even in your pocket. They can be as small as a pack of cigarettes ans sometimes smaller.

Before deciding on which is the best external hard drive for backup here are a few things to know before you go out and purchase.

As of now there are three main ways to connect a portable external hard drive to your computer. These are firewire, usb,and wireless. Here’s what you need to know in a nutshell:

Firewire: Uses a specially made cable for high speed transfer of information between your computer and firewire capable device. Built for speed and multiple devices it can also use long runs of cable (up to 100 meters).

USB: This is the technology that connects the lion’s share of devices in the computing world. Everything from keyboards and mice to your camera and cell phone. Most portable and external hard drives in use have this technology.

Wireless: Also known as WiFi, uses a type of radio frequency to transit information wirelessly. Setup has gotten easier of the years but can still be affected by interference and various issues. Nice for keeping a neat appearance (in other words no cables except for power) and keeping the device in out of the way places. The downfall is that it may not be the right choice for those who are not just a little bit technically savvy.

Which flavor do you prefer?

It’s important to know whether you are using a PC (usually Windows based computer) or using an Apple computer. Many drives can be set up for either but usually come configured for one or the other.

Selecting the size of your backup external hard drive

But first, what do those letters mean?

Capacity is measured in bytes. A byte is a series of 1’s and 0’s (called binary code) that represent a piece of code for the computer’s use. All of these bytes come together to make your pictures, files, and other data.These days a typical picture at a good resolution is around 5 million bytes (or also called 5MB or 5 Mega Bytes- more on this in a minute). A one minute video is typically about 690 MB.

Here’s what some of those letters mean:

1KB is 1 Kilo byte which is one thousand byte
1MB is 1 Mega byte which is one million bytes
1GB is 1 Giga byte which is one billion bytes
1TB is 1 Terra byte which is one trillion bytes

Currently the most commonly available drives are from 500GB and up to 3 TB with larger drives becoming available practically everyday.

What are you planning on backing up?

What you plan on backing up will make a difference in the size drive you need. Backing up only word document files quite possibly requires less space than say your entire collection of home videos. Most people will want to backup a hodge podge of items. A good rule of thumb is, unless you are certain you need less, get a drive the same size of your computer’s drive when using as a hard drive backup. When used for additional storage go larger.

How do you want to backup?

You have three options to choose from when deciding on how to backup your data: manually, automatically, or both.

Manually
Essentially this is copy and paste using your operating system’s file manager or other file management software.

Automatically
Most manufacturers will usually provide external hard drive backup software that will allow you to set up automatic back ups of your files. You can do this by a set time or date or when there are changes on your hard drive. There is third party software (meaning made by another company) that can handle many different drives as well.

With software you can set up what folders and files are saved as well. So, if you have backups already of certain programs or files you don’t have to clog up your drive with them as well. Most backup programs will allow you to manually backup files and folders as well as the automatic options.

There are numerous manufacturers of external hard drive. Western Digital, HP, and Seagate are the most popular. Prices range from somewhere around $50-$300 or more.

See the Amazon ad below for the most current prices:

The answer to how to backup your computer needs to start with what is it you are needing backed up. First let’s look at what is commonly found on your hard drive. These items can be broken down into three elements: operating system (OS), applications, and files.

Operating System

This is what manages your PC and how you view and interact with the computer and all the files and programs. The three main flavors of operating system are Windows (XP, Vista, 7), Mac (OS X), and Linux (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Mandrake).

Applications

These are the programs that run and handle the things you do. Examples are Internet Explorer, Quicken, PhotoShop, and McAfee just to name a few.

Files

These are the things that you read, use, or view. Pictures, videos, Word docs, spreadsheets, and so on.

In an ideal world you would want to back up everything you have, but that really isn’t practical. Because of increasing hard drive space, your time, and your expertise you may just want and need something simple (more on that in a moment).

In most cases all that you will want to back up is just a few of your files as these are what change the most. For example your pictures of friends and family, that great series of videos you saved from your phone, and what not.

For the average user of a PC the order of importance in things to back up are:
1 Files
2 Applications
3 OS

But before we get into how to, let’s look at what options you have to back up to.

CD’s and DVD’s

Pros: Cheap and readily available.
Cons:Easily damaged, may need many to use for storage and backup.

Flash drives/USB drives

Pros: Cheap
Cons: Can be corrupted (in other words lost files and data), due to their small size can be easily lost.May need more than one.

External Hard Drives

Pros: Can find them the exact size of your computer’s hard drive or perhaps larger. Takes up only a small amount of space.
Cons: Can be damaged and corrupted. Can be costly ($100 or more)

Online server (through a service)

Pros: Usually runs in the background without you knowing it. Storage is elsewhere so you don’t have to worry with it.
Cons: Usually have to pay an annual fee for the service. Needs an internet connection.

There are three main ways to backup your computer system. These are to use your operating system’s backup utility program, use a ghosting (or mirroring) software, or use an online backup service.

As for the utility program option the great thing is it is probably already there. The downfall is you have to make sure the media you use (disks flash drives etc) is available and connected when you have new files to update.

Here’s where to find the top three OS manufacturer’s instructions:
Windows XP
Windows 7
Mac OS

Alternatively you can use what is referred to as a ghosting or mirroring program. This essentially takes a “snapshot” of your hard drive onto a disk or another drive. What is nice is that it is an exact replica of your hard drive. You can reload it onto your hard drive if you have to replace it and be exactly where you were at previously in a matter minutes. Alternatively, if put onto another hard drive, you can swap drives and be up and running in no time.

Norton Ghost
Acronis
EaseUs Disk Copy (free)

A side note regarding backups on removable media:

When it comes to making backups don’t make any backups to the same drive that your operating system is on. Also store your backups in a secure and safe location. A fireproof box and or a safe are ideal spots. This will help ensure that you have them in case of big disasters like fires and storms.

Online Service

An online service such a Mozy or Carbonite is a simple way to backup your files. It will automatically back up anything new that you add to your hard drive with the exception of videos and certain other files. Most of these files, however, can still be backed up by going to the file, right clicking, and selecting the option to back up.

The biggest downfall is that you do have to have an internet connection. You will have to download a small program that manages everything and answer a few questions to get it set up. The first time it starts saving your files may take a while, but after that most updates take moments and you rarely notice it running.

I personally use Carbonite but Mozy has a free trial. Either service will run you about $60 per year.

So What Do I Recommend For Backing Up Your Computer?

For the average home PC user I would recommend the following (it’s the same as I use on my wife’s computer):

1. Make a backup copy of the hard drive using your OS’s utility program (or make a ghost).
2. Use Mozy or Carbonite to do daily backups.
3. Once a year make a backup of the hard drive using the utility program or ghost.