As the amount of data we store continues to grow, figuring out where to put it and how to access it becomes more complicated. It’s not just that we need to find space for our increasingly large collections of photos, videos, music, and apps–we want it to be available whenever we need it, and be sure that it’s safe from hackers and thieves.
Jeff Carlson, my co-host on the PhotoActive podcast, has written a book with all the answers: Take Control of Your Digital Storage. After decades of working with Macs and accumulating massive collections of photos and videos, Jeff has pulled together a wide-ranging book about Mac storage that contains just the help you’re looking for. Among many other topics, this book covers:
- How to choose a new (internal or external) hard drive, SSD, or hybrid drive
- Determining how much storage space you need
- What you need to know about APFS, Apple’s new filesystem
- Formatting and partitioning disks using Disk Utility
- How to repair a misbehaving disk
- RAIDs: what they are and how different types compare
- What to do with a hard drive when it has outlived its usefulness
- When to use a flash drive or SD card
- How to create and use disk images
- Deciding among local, network, and cloud storage for various types of files
- What a personal cloud is and why you might consider using one
- Strategies for freeing up extra disk space
I strongly recommend this book; it helps you understand the differences between the various types of storage media, and helps you set up your own storage strategy. Get Take Control of Your Digital Storage.