Box

Previously: Stirrings Of A Techno Revolution

The money set aside to buy an external hard drive didn't come. Instead, the desktop was replaced by a laptop, and the data stored on my old hard drive got transferred to my portable computer. While the desktop had already been given away, the hard drive is still with me - kept inside my closet in case the files on my laptop get lost.

But storage devices are cumbersome and unreliable hardware, and I am not certain if the data stored in the drive could still be retrieved. It's been two years since I got my portable machine and I have not run a diagnostics on the original disk to check the condition of its contents. Faced with the possibility that only my laptop holds my digital pictures, music files and office documents in its magnetic vault, to contemplate on procuring an external hard drive is a sound foresight.   

However, technology is changing how data is stored today. And with faster bandwidth connection at home, I can do away with the external hard drive, which is not only open to being tampered, the elements can break down the hardware as time goes by. In a way, the investment is good only for a short time. Long-term data protection is still the goal.   

This is where the Cloud comes in. For those who are still parched under the sun, the Cloud idea creates a network of computers in different location, and are connected to a remote, third-party server. The hosting site operates by providing data storage to different clients for a fee. 

With file hosting and back-up services on the rise, it is time to think out of the box. The plan is to move my documents and photos to a place where it can be accessed and downloaded from any computer. The concept worked with Dropbox, when it was introduced to us by a client last year. However, with a storage limit of 2 GB, and the fact that I could not create another account for my personal data, (since I am using Dropbox to sync my files on my laptop and workstation) the choice is to look for another service to store my files.

Enter the Box.

Box was introduced to me by Sloane as a way to share his audio files. We have the same passion for Alternative music and since I was too lazy to see him and get the mp3s myself, he found a way to share it online. At that time, the concept of Cloud has yet to reach me, and so I didn't pay attention to the technology. It is only when I realize the threat of losing my Word documents from high school and college did I change my mind and look at redundancy with utter desperation.

Like I said, no longer can I use Dropbox because I am already using it for work. Google Drive offers bigger storage, but you can only store documents and pictures in their service. I searched Wikipedia for alternatives. I even sought experts on my Twitter account. 

In the end, I stuck with what has already been introduced to me. I will use Box. File evacuation was supposed to begin after I have written a blog entry about the service. But with Avast detecting a Malware on one of my Windows .exe files, urgency requires that I should begin data uploading at once.

I'm on my second day of migration, and most of the essentials - including the first Sales Letter I drafted in high school - have already been stored in the Cloud. I also started uploading music files to the server to see if the service works as it was promoted online. 

It does.

And while it will still take countless hours and massive amounts of bandwith to finish the task, (not to mention, my Personal Account grants me 10GB of storage space and 250MB maximum upload for a single file only) my need for redundant file protection has already been accomplished.