External Backup Devices

An external backup device is a storage device that can be plugged to your local computer but that isn’t part of it. Sometimes called removable storage devices, they can include also removable media, which is device-independent, such as writeable CDs or DVDs and an external burner unit.

External backup devices are an easy way to have backups done locally and with no need for Internet access. They are also affordable and somewhat reliable as long as you handle them with the proper care.

Among the most commonly found external backup devices are external CD and DVD burners, external hard drives and pen drives (also known as USB memories or USB drives). We can group them into two categories, the first one being those that are mechanic or have some iternal movement. External hard drives and external DVD and CD burners would fit in this category as there are movable pieces on the inside. The second category would be for those that are solid state based which includes pen drives and SD, MC, MMS and other memory cards.

However it’s important to keep in mind that external devices aren’t built to last forever, so you should constantly monitor them for any malfunctions or wear outs and should be stored in a secure location, since they are small enough to be easily misplaced or stolen.

When selecting an external backup device, there are some things to look into other than price. The main one is how much data you want to backup and how ofter will the backup be updated. If it’s not going to be updated often, maybe an external burner unit would be your best choice, as you can burn your backups to DVD-Rs or CD-Rs and even use the burner unit for other purposes. However if you’re going to backup huge amounts of data and will be updating that backup often, then an external hard drive should be your best choice.

As a personal advice, I would also suggest to get a small pen drive and have a copy of the most important files there.