Those might have been special deals at the time, all the ones I seen are like $50 for a small spindle of maybe 30 discs. In in Canada too so we get royally screwed on tech prices here.
Glad, that you are still able to buy games on optical media.
Optical drive bays are now the clear sign of a 'noob' or generally silly person, IMO.
Literally no use for one, unless you don't have internet, or have extremely slow internet.
:biggrin::thumbsup:
Good one. What makes you think 5.25" bays are -only- used for optical drives...?
I still have them in all my computers just because I usually buy windows on optical usually in case I get in trouble, like I used to for floppies long ago I guess.
I use USB for almost everything transfer related.
Still have a large hardware HDD RAID array on the main I use for storage.
Optical drive's are now the clear sign of a 'noob' or generally silly person, IMO.
Literally no use for one, unless you don't have internet, or have extremely slow internet.
You can download an ISO of windows directly from Microsoft, then use the product key from your windows purchase to activate it. Installing windows via USB3 is incredibly fast, compared to an installation from an optical disc.
Obviously a typo, though I guess you never make them huh buddy? ()
You can download an ISO of windows directly from Microsoft, then use the product key from your windows purchase to activate it. Installing windows via USB3 is incredibly fast, compared to an installation from an optical disc.
Optical drive's are now the clear sign of a 'noob' or generally silly person, IMO.
Literally no use for one, unless you don't have internet, or have extremely slow internet.
These days everything is available for download online, plus USB flash memory has far greater capacities/speed than any blu ray disc out there.
Also, backing up data onto optical media is simply a waste of time at this stage, it's so last decade! All the effort of labeling, storing, handling, inserting disc after disc, when you could simply backup to a cheap large hard drive, on your server/Nas/cloud.
Prejudiced attitude much?
USB flash drives are subject to "BadUSB" contamination, and the cheap TLC flash that they use, is very suspect for long-term powered-off data-retention.
And storing your data on a server's HDDs, leaves open the possibility of someone modifying your files on you without your knowledge if they have physical access.
Once burned to an optical write-once disc, they cannot be modified.
Plus, optical discs are still far cheaper per GB than even HDDs. And generally, more tolerable of vibration or dropping.
Your post is the clear sign of a noob knee-jerk response, for not considering all of the issues that might motivate someone to use optical media.
Storing data on multiple hard drives is quite inexpensive these days and far more convenient. Tell me, how might one steal your data from a hard drive when you don't have internet access on the server storing your data? hmm?
Optical media also has it's disadvantages. It can be easily broken, scratched, snapped, damaged in sunlight, easily stolen.
At the end of the way, if you want to spend your time handling loads of optical discs, labelling them all neatly, inserting/ejecting them every single time you want to access them, then have at it buddy. Knock yourself out.
Meanwhile, the majority will simply archive personal/sensitive data to multiple hard drives, with a simply click of a button.
You're advocating running an inexpensive server with no Internet access as a cheaper method of data storage than optical discs? Or is this you shifting the goalposts when you first advocated cloud storage then wanted to avoid VirtualLarry's argument about someone else potentially accessing your data?Tell me, how might one steal your data from a hard drive when you don't have internet access on the server storing your data? hmm?
No-one is claiming otherwise, nor has anyone said that optical media is the best method of data storage or anything like that. Every method of data storage has advantages and disadvantages, and a good few of those have already been mentioned in this thread.Optical media also has it's disadvantages. It can be easily broken, scratched, snapped, damaged in sunlight, easily stolen.
Most people here have talked about using optical discs as a method of backup (rather than a method of storing commonly-accessed data). If you have enough data, then you have to log/label backups (or 'live' data storage systems). I have a spreadsheet that includes logging info for my HDD, local server and optical disc storage. You also recommended flash storage, which would be quite difficult to label unless you want to start attaching tags.At the end of the way, if you want to spend your time handling loads of optical discs, labelling them all neatly, inserting/ejecting them every single time you want to access them, then have at it buddy. Knock yourself out.
Which majority is that? I check with every one of my customers to make sure they have a method of backup, let alone multiple.Meanwhile, the majority will simply archive personal/sensitive data to multiple hard drives, with a simply click of a button.
The electrical/magnetic only crowd [USB, hard drive, etc] believe that their way is only way.
I found out about M-Disc and am using it for my long term secure storage of essential stuff. Surprised that none here have mentioned it so far.
I have a main media server but then I also keep backups on more bare internal hard drives, those are kept offline and unplugged and in a fireproof vault room.
So long as one understands "fire-proof" is a relative term. Ideally you want (a copy of) your backups at another location entirely.
So if you need to mail a video of a family wedding you filmed to an elderly non-computer literate relative who was unable to attend, are you going to:-Optical drive's are now the clear sign of a 'noob' or generally silly person, IMO. Literally no use for one, unless you don't have internet, or have extremely slow internet.