USB vs External Hard Disk installations

[Murong_Yao]

I just don't want to mess with the internal hard drive, so I used the external hard disk and a few USB drives for the experiment.
As usual, I burned Live DVD， and installed to an USB.
To be honest, USB drives are incredibly SLOW; with portable hard drives today, it is much wiser to install to portable hard drives.
SSD （Solid State Drives) are much better than spinning drives, but they are also way more expensive as well.

[TheFu]

Yes, USB is to be avoided except for data. Even USB3 with extra bandwidth is less than ideal for running an OS due to queuing issues.

As to using SSDs - I suspect that makes sense for many people. Less than 5% of my systems have an SSD. I've been very happy with spining disks for years and years. They work in a predictable way and we know how to backup the information AND restore it to different devices later, if the need arises. Spinning disks have a wear pattern that is well understood too.

Still, when it comes to data storage, it is like musical chairs. Eventually, every storage device will fail - it is their nature. Our goal is to have already moved onto newer storage before that failure impacts us or our data.

Backup, backup, backup. Oh - and test a full restore at least once. Doing the backups are only 10% of what is important - the restore is 90% of the process.

[Murong_Yao]

Yes, USB is to be avoided except for data. Even USB3 with extra bandwidth is less than ideal for running an OS due to queuing issues.

As to using SSDs - I suspect that makes sense for many people. Less than 5% of my systems have an SSD. I've been very happy with spining disks for years and years. They work in a predictable way and we know how to backup the information AND restore it to different devices later, if the need arises. Spinning disks have a wear pattern that is well understood too.

Still, when it comes to data storage, it is like musical chairs. Eventually, every storage device will fail - it is their nature. Our goal is to have already moved onto newer storage before that failure impacts us or our data.

Backup, backup, backup. Oh - and test a full restore at least once. Doing the backups are only 10% of what is important - the restore is 90% of the process.

The time has come for cloud storage, but I only store my public files on my cloud, though.

[TheFu]

The time has come for cloud storage, but I only store my public files on my cloud, though.

I disagree. NOTHING should be put on "somebody else's computer" (that is what "cloud" means) unless you want the entire world to see it. Just ask Jennifer Lawrence and all the other celebs who didn't share anything, but all their personal nude photo files are all over the internet today.

RMS has said, "cloud computing is careless computing (http://www.networkworld.com/article/2228050/opensource-subnet/cloud-computing-is-careless-computing-and-chromeos-pushes-people-into-it-says-open.html)." He's correct, IMHO.


Giving up control of your data is "worse than stupidity" says GNU/FSF founder

[Bucky Ball]

Thread moved to Installation & Upgrades.

The Cafe is not for support requests, not that I'm sure what help you are after. ;)

Yes, USB drives will/would be slow. Perhaps e-SATA might suit your purposes. As fast as an internal drive. Or firewire may suit. USB3 external drives might be a different matter, but have little experience. USB, as opposed to e-SATA or firewire, do not have the same consistent data transfer rate ...

Good luck.