Think about all the songs, videos, movies, and documents you have on your computer right now. If you own one massive library of files, it won’t take long before you fill your laptop’s memory to the brim. If you thought about saving your stuff in external drives to free your device’s memory—good. Unfortunately, even that can be a risky proposition. Sure, you get to back up your files anytime with thumb drives and external hard drives, but what if something happens to the storage device? How about you try using the cloud instead?
What’s the Cloud?
Think of the cloud as just another hard disc drive, except that it’s only accessible online. The cloud is a virtual storage service that lets you save files online so you don’t need to bring your portable hard drive with you everywhere you go.
Although it sounds a bit complex, moving files to this kind of storage solution is straightforward and easy even for non-techies. Plus, it’s a practical option for anybody who owns a massive collection of files.
Why You Should Use Cloud Storage
While CDs, USBs, SD cards, and external hard drives may provide you with a cheap and portable way to save files, these can be easily misplaced, stolen, or damaged. When they do, you won’t ever be able to retrieve the data you stored in them. In the cloud, this vulnerability is of little concern because you save files straight to a secure virtual server.
Besides being able to store files with minimal risk for losses, another good thing about the cloud is that you get access to your files anytime, anywhere, as long as you have access to the internet. Regardless if you’re using a Mac, Windows, or Linux OS, you can readily save or retrieve data from any cloud storage service providers.
Because your files are on the Web, you can easily share your documents, photos, and even videos to anyone. It only takes a few clicks to send your digital files wherever you want them to go.
Despite the easy access and unlimited storage space, there are some people who avoid storing their files in the cloud.
Why You Shouldn’t Rely on Cloud Storage
A primary concern consumers have with using cloud storage is privacy. Users often fear that saving their files on the cloud may make their personal information vulnerable to spying server owners, hackers, and government agencies. In addition, cloud storage provides less control over data security compared to physical storage devices.
However, the biggest problem with saving anything on the cloud arrives when there’s a problem with connectivity. When you can’t access the web, there is no way to access your files on a virtual server.
From a practicality standpoint, using the cloud to backup personal data is a wise decision. You may not see its importance yet, but wait until your mobile phone gets stolen or your computer crashes. It’s often during those unfortunate circumstances when you realize how crucial it is to have backup files stored online.
Now, if you’re ready to take the plunge, here are some of the best cloud storage options.
The Best 5 Cloud Storage Services
For On-the-Go Busy Bees:
Google Drive
It doesn’t take much work setting up Google Drive, especially when you already have a Google account. Besides getting the first 15GB of storage for free, you also get a little bit of everything on Google Drive. You get a spreadsheet application, a word processor, and a presentation builder. Clearly, the fully functional, virtual office suite will come in handy to anyone working on the go.
For Your Business:
Box
Box allows any team of employees to collaborate and work on a project with ease, thanks to its comprehensive file privacy control and collaboration features. Made with business users in mind, you can leave comments on someone else’s work, share files with specific colleagues, assign tasks, and even get notifications when changes are made to a file.
For the Die-Hard Windows Fan:
OneDrive
When you’ve got a PC, tablet, and mobile phone running on Windows OS, using Microsoft’s cloud storage service may be a no-brainer. It’s easy to store and access your files, especially when most of your devices are already operating within the Windows ecosystem.
For the Loyal Amazon Subscribers:
Amazon Cloud Drive
If you’re already an Amazon Prime member, using the company’s own storage service gives you a great way to store all your videos, music, photos, and files in one place. This cloud storage option even lets you store an unlimited number of photos! If you’re using Amazon Fire tablet or the Fire phone, every photo and video (less than 2GB) you take gets automatically uploaded to the cloud.
Unfortunately, the Amazon Cloud Drive doesn’t let you view your files from a folder on your PC. If you want to view or edit your files, you can only do so on Amazon’s website.
For the Everyday User:
Dropbox
Easy to set up, reliable, and ease-of-use are some of the many reasons to turn to Dropbox for your personal storage needs. True to their name, Dropbox makes it so all you need to do to move files is to drag and drop them into a specific folder . It’s that easy.
With so many ways to save data today, you shouldn’t have to lose any important files when you lose your mobile phone or have your PC broken beyond repair. Simply tap the convenience that cloud storage services offer and all your personal data will be in good hands.