What do you think?

[Bokchoi]

Now that my hdd is full...

I thought of getting the Plextor dvd burner but then I checked the pricing of hard drives and for the same price I could get a 200gb (7.2k rpm 8mb cache)

Now my question is, is there any hard drive out there that can be plugged into a router and be accessed by any pc in the network? Or am I stuck with a usb/firewire hdd that needs to be plugged directly to a pc?

The downside of getting a hdd is:
Can't backup dvd movies/games/data onto dvd

The good side of getting a hdd is:
don't need to buy dvd-r(s)

Tell me what you guys think.

[ignus]

well, dvd-r discs are still kinda pricey compared to cd-r's, so that should weigh on your decision. personally i wouldnt buy a 200gb hdd, if any thing i'd buy 2 smaller ones, more reliable and you could set up drive-ghosting and stuff. also, do you have a cd burner? cuz though i'd be surprised if you didnt, they are essential! and you can burn cd's w/ a dvd burner. also make sure your pc can support a 200gb drive.

[Stockboy99]

Now that my hdd is full...

I thought of getting the Plextor dvd burner but then I checked the pricing of hard drives and for the same price I could get a 200gb (7.2k rpm 8mb cache)

Now my question is, is there any hard drive out there that can be plugged into a router and be accessed by any pc in the network? Or am I stuck with a usb/firewire hdd that needs to be plugged directly to a pc?

The downside of getting a hdd is:
Can't backup dvd movies/games/data onto dvd

The good side of getting a hdd is:
don't need to buy dvd-r(s)

Tell me what you guys think.

Those are called Network Attached Storage, or NAS. Usually expensive stuff.

Its a matter of usage. If you expect to be accumulated large amounts of information over a short period of time; I say go for the burner. Just watch out for the quality of media if you plan on archiving things over long periods of time. Like everything else, DVD-r's are NOT permanent solutions. They are subject to rot and decay like everything else. On the otherhand, HDD are equally prone to failure.

[ignus]

[quote=Bokchoi]Like everything else, DVD-r's are NOT permanent solutions. They are subject to rot and decay like everything else. On the otherhand, HDD are equally prone to failure.

digital discs are pretty dang near close to immortal if you care for them though

[DrGreen]

I use 2 250g IDE drives in 2 USB2.0 external enclosures. They aren't formally mirrored like a RAID array but the copy back and forth to each other for redundancy via a batch script set as a scheduled task.
NAS is what you are asking about. Network Attached Storage is, as mentioned above by Stockboy99, a pricy option & really just a glorified file server. It runs a server OS but you usually don't use a monitor mouse & KB. Just plug the NIC into the router and you can see it over the network as a share you can mount to. A single 250g drive will run around $200.00 & the USB2.0 xternal enclosure, under $50. If you shop around you might find the drive already in the enclosure for less. Let me know actually if you do. If seperate ,the drives are not difficult to install into the external cases.
They still fill up with enough data and I find myself still moving things to CD or DVD

[Bokchoi]

Yes I have a CD burner, but right now I'm trying to backup a whole series of anime (episode 1-70 or maybe more) and surely they don't fit on a single dvd-r let alone cdr. I'm trying to think about future in mind, I did fail to mention I don't have SATA support on my current mobo, which really sucks in a way. I'm tired of having tons of cds around my desk. And I've calculated the price of a dvdr, it's cheaper than cdr (size/price). And I always prefer having 1 dvd than 6 cds.

On a second note, how expensive are those NAS drives? And can anybody show me the external enclosure for a normal hdd?

[Angry Kid]

"The [Linksys] EtherFast 120GB Network Storage Device is immediately available through resellers; distributors and direct response for an estimated street price $849." 8O 8O 8O

The cheapest street price I've seen is in the $450 range with an 80 GB HD on-board with one empty internal slot.

Wouldn't it be easier/cheaper to build a cheap file server using an old PC? :? :?

There ya go - buy a new PC (you know you want to :wink: ) and turn your old one into a file server.

[Bokchoi]

My gf doesn't like it at all when I leave my computer on over night to download stuff (electricity fee blah blah and loud noise from the pc in our bedroom). So I use the laptop to do the downloading. I really don't have the cash to buy that NAS if it starts at 450. My budget is about 300 CAD or about 200 USD.

[Bokchoi]

I guess the hdd that have SATA aren't gonna work with ATA interface.

[Stockboy99]

nope. Sata have different data connectors and power connectors. If you get one make sure you get a power adapter or that your PSU has a SATA power connector.

[NVmySTYLE]

this is just my opinion.........


brownies pwn cake.

[Angry Kid]

this is just my opinion.........


brownies pwn cake.

key lime pie > brownies > cake > poptarts

[Bokchoi]

Well, I ate lots of mini cream puffs from Costco and I've decided on what I'm getting. The Plextor dvd burner.

I'll explain, if I get a hdd, it would be SATA. My mobo doesn't have SATA connectors, so I either have to purchase a SATA controller (did alot of research on pricing) or I get a new mobo that supports both Ultra AtA and SATA. I calculated the cost of mobo+hdd and controller+hdd, it's about the same amount(for me in CAD) as the Plextor dvd burner. Now I don't mind either having a hdd or a dvd burner, but here is the deciding factor for me; The value of either mobo+hdd or controller+hdd will depreciate faster than a dvd burner (even though all pc components value depreciate way too fast). And I can always buy newer technology on hdd and mobo with better cpu upgrades later on. The dvd burner can be used with new systems eitherway. And on the plus side, I can backup many many things with the burner. www.cdfreaks.com does alot of testing of cd/dvd burners and even though the NEC is faster and cheaper, it wasn't able to backup as many types as the Plextor.

[Chairman_Kaga]

Like everything else, DVD-r's are NOT permanent solutions. They are subject to rot and decay like everything else. On the otherhand, HDD are equally prone to failure.

digital discs are pretty dang near close to immortal if you care for them though
Not true. CD-R media will decay over about 7years. The chemicals that the laser "writes" on breaks down.

CD-RW actually lasts longer. But that's still only like 10 years I believe.

HDD life is normally 3-5 years. However, you're only talking 1 of those as compared to dozens of CDs.

You can get DVD-R media for around .80 / disc if you buy in bulk.

For NAS, you're looking at quite a bit of $$$. Just the first one I found (http://shopper-zdnet.com.com/NETWORK_ATTACHED_STORAGE_80GB_NAS_HARD_DRIVE___PRI NT_SERVER/4014-3382_15-20449025.html)

[ignus]

Like everything else, DVD-r's are NOT permanent solutions. They are subject to rot and decay like everything else. On the otherhand, HDD are equally prone to failure.

digital discs are pretty dang near close to immortal if you care for them though
Not true. CD-R media will decay over about 7years. The chemicals that the laser "writes" on breaks down.

CD-RW actually lasts longer. But that's still only like 10 years I believe.

HDD life is normally 3-5 years. However, you're only talking 1 of those as compared to dozens of CDs.

You can get DVD-R media for around .80 / disc if you buy in bulk.

For NAS, you're looking at quite a bit of $$$. Just the first one I found (http://shopper-zdnet.com.com/NETWORK_ATTACHED_STORAGE_80GB_NAS_HARD_DRIVE___PRI NT_SERVER/4014-3382_15-20449025.html)

you can still read off of a disc after the 7-10 years though, even if you cant write to it. i have dozens of games that are 10+ years old that will work if i pop them in.

[ignus]

http://www.3dcool.com/?module=product&cat=131

check out those USB external drive enclosures. $33 for a hdd one, that seems reasonable to me.

[Chairman_Kaga]

Like everything else, DVD-r's are NOT permanent solutions. They are subject to rot and decay like everything else. On the otherhand, HDD are equally prone to failure.

digital discs are pretty dang near close to immortal if you care for them though
Not true. CD-R media will decay over about 7years. The chemicals that the laser "writes" on breaks down.

CD-RW actually lasts longer. But that's still only like 10 years I believe.

HDD life is normally 3-5 years. However, you're only talking 1 of those as compared to dozens of CDs.

You can get DVD-R media for around .80 / disc if you buy in bulk.

For NAS, you're looking at quite a bit of $$$. Just the first one I found (http://shopper-zdnet.com.com/NETWORK_ATTACHED_STORAGE_80GB_NAS_HARD_DRIVE___PRI NT_SERVER/4014-3382_15-20449025.html)

you can still read off of a disc after the 7-10 years though, even if you cant write to it. i have dozens of games that are 10+ years old that will work if i pop them in.
Factory written/created CDs are different media than CD-R. That's why most "purchased" CDs are silver but your burned ones are either blue or green.

[ignus]

Like everything else, DVD-r's are NOT permanent solutions. They are subject to rot and decay like everything else. On the otherhand, HDD are equally prone to failure.

digital discs are pretty dang near close to immortal if you care for them though
Not true. CD-R media will decay over about 7years. The chemicals that the laser "writes" on breaks down.

CD-RW actually lasts longer. But that's still only like 10 years I believe.

HDD life is normally 3-5 years. However, you're only talking 1 of those as compared to dozens of CDs.

You can get DVD-R media for around .80 / disc if you buy in bulk.

For NAS, you're looking at quite a bit of $$$. Just the first one I found (http://shopper-zdnet.com.com/NETWORK_ATTACHED_STORAGE_80GB_NAS_HARD_DRIVE___PRI NT_SERVER/4014-3382_15-20449025.html)

you can still read off of a disc after the 7-10 years though, even if you cant write to it. i have dozens of games that are 10+ years old that will work if i pop them in.
Factory written/created CDs are different media than CD-R. That's why most "purchased" CDs are silver but your burned ones are either blue or green.

how bout the black ones? anything better with those? other than the fact that they look like playstation games :lol:

[Stockboy99]

No.

The problem with rot and decay is the whole principle of how CD-R's work in the first place.

A retail CD from the factory is usually "pressed". Meaning they take a chunk material and actually etch grooves into the surface. Much like a vinyl record.

CD burners work by focusing a laser onto specially prepared media which is in essence a surface of chemical bubbles. The laser will cause a reaction in the bubbles discoloring the surface. This is where you get a compromise of permanence versus compatibility. The easier it is to change the surface (making it more compatible with various brands of burners) the shorter its life span is. This is by the simple fact that the chemical is easier to change, thus more volatile.

As far as black CD-R's they make no difference at all. Well, I shouldn't say that. Some (older) CD-rom's have trouble reading specific colors due to the frequency of their lasers. But that's another issue.

[Chalybos]

Pretty smart for a stockboy. :D