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What to keep on your laptop and what to keep in the cloud...

  • 20-01-2015 03:19PM
    #1
    Fabio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,304 ✭✭✭


    I am going through the process of doing a clean install of Window 7 and hoping to set it up with a Linux Mint dual-boot.

    The thing is the hard drive on the laptop I am doing this on is quite small, 120GB in all and I was thinking that, in these days of cloud storage, what should I keep on the laptop and what should be relegated to the cloud and thought it might make an interesting discussion for those of us with old hardware.

    Cloud:
    - Music (Google Play Music or whatever)
    - Pictures (Flickr, Google+ whatever)

    Cloud AND Laptop (synced):
    - Work and college documents (using Copy, Dropbox etc)

    What goes on the laptop itself then? Doesn't seem like much...


Comments

  • #2
    advertsfox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭advertsfox


    With Google, you can get 100GB for $1.99 per month. I have absolutely everything in here that I would generally store in "My Documents". Some of the content includes documents, photos, executables, software (large ZIP's), full websites, photoshop files and edits etc. The Google Drive folder is always accessible on my computer, you may create a Documents or College folder that only syncs to your laptop to save space (the rest can be in other folders accessible online or if you allow it) in Sync Options.

    google-drive-sync4-580-100.jpg

    Music - Google Music, 20,000 songs uploaded for free, I pay the €9.99 for All Access anyway so it's a bit redundant.
    Photos - Google Auto Backup, free if resized to 5MP or full size images using the 100GB or whatever space you have.

    Here's how mine is currently laid out. Even though you pay for 100GB, very little get's used unless directly in Drive.

    xKbkxc3.png

    I upload full size photos and have over 6000. If they come in at less than 5MP (I've a Moto G, only a 5MP camera), then they are still free regardless if you emphasise to upload full size in Google+ Photos.

    fullres.png?w=704


  • #3
    Fabio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,304 ✭✭✭Fabio


    That's pretty good going for less than €2 per month. If your average 500GB hard drive is €50 then we'll say 100GB is €10. You pay about €24 per year for the Google Drive storage of 100GB and that is available anywhere you've a web connection. Not bad at all.


  • #4
    advertsfox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭advertsfox


    Fabio wrote: »
    That's pretty good going for less than €2 per month. If your average 500GB hard drive is €50 then we'll say 100GB is €10. You pay about €24 per year for the Google Drive storage of 100GB and that is available anywhere you've a web connection. Not bad at all.
    It's excellent, I've used this since it's came out and it's always been fast / reliable (it's Google servers after all, 99.9% uptime) not to mention...

    * The 20,000 songs is worth about 80-120GB (if an MP3 is between 4 and 6 MB).
    * Unlimited photos to Google+ is free at 5MP - a large dent in most peoples files.
    * Once it's all uploaded, you have access to it on every internet device anywhere.
    * This storage space can't fall off your desk, suffer a power surge or faulty platter.


  • #5
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 29,740 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Use SkyDrive/OneDrive myself.. native integration into the OS and as I also have the Office 365 Home package, I get something like 1 TB cloud storage included

    Only really have music and photos up there so it's 99% free. Everything else is on the laptop BUT I have a home Domain so have roaming profiles/folder redirection enabled which means it's all living on the server too.
    It means that in the event of a problem or reload I can be back up and fully running in under an hour :)


  • #6
    unkel
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 60,136 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    Except when your house goes on fire, Kaiser. You'll lose the stuff that only exists in your house :(

    I have:

    -music / films etc. just on server (can easily be gotten again)
    -photos on PC, server and on two cloud accounts
    -documents and other important files on PC (two hard disks) and on two cloud accounts and on back up media

    "Make no mistake. The days of the internal combustion engine are definitely numbered" - Quentin Willson, 1997



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  • #7
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 29,740 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    unkel wrote: »
    Except when your house goes on fire, Kaiser. You'll lose the stuff that only exists in your house :(

    Covered.. backed up to external drive which sits in my office drawer :)


  • #8
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,683 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Pretty much all my files that would not be replicable if the computer fried. I have copy upon copy of my music library and tbh I use spotify so my music isn't even up there. All my documents and photos are. I am basically set up to where at any point in time I can freely decide to wipe the system without stressing out about backing up any lies at all


  • #9
    Ste-
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,751 ✭✭✭Ste-


    Overheal wrote: »
    I am basically set up to where at any point in time I can freely decide to wipe the system without stressing out about backing up any lies at all

    I'm guessing you mean files ;):cool:


  • #10
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,683 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    yes, posting from an iphone


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