Strategies for Safe Photo Storage

[Sonny]

Strategies for Safe Photo Storage
Having a back-up strategy can save your sanity -- and your images.
http://www.popphoto.com/photographyn...o-storage.html

[Allen]

Thanks. Another good reminder that I need to get off my rear and backup some of my many images of my kids. I've got a Mac full of pics and am always concerned about losing them, yet I haven't gotten around to doing anything about it.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by Allen

Thanks. Another good reminder that I need to get off my rear and backup some of my many images of my kids. I've got a Mac full of pics and am always concerned about losing them, yet I haven't gotten around to doing anything about it.

Until this past July I was rolling the dice too. I only had one 500GB internal drive I used to store all my family and business photos. I had plans to build a custom NAS server ($1200-$1500). Then I found this little godsend!

www.drobo.com

The Drobo and 3 500GB SATA 3.0/gb drives cost me 899 plus tax.

I absolutely love it!!!

[Ph0t0g]

I'm waiting for the Drobo to get firewire 800 or USB 3 its a great looking box, but until then I think I will stick with raid on a linux box.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by Ph0t0g

I'm waiting for the Drobo to get firewire 800 or USB 3 its a great looking box, but until then I think I will stick with raid on a linux box.

USB 2 works great! I know a network connection or firewire sounds better but I actually do most of my post processing straight off the Drobo. USB 3.0 will be ready in the first half of 2008, but peripherals realistically will not appear until 2009 or 2010. But when they do look to have speeds approximately 5Gbps which is faster then eSATA at 3Gbps.

Drobo is finally hitting the mainstream market. I've seen them on Photoshop User TV during Scott Kelby's Gonzo Holiday Gear Guide. Once the public realizes that a Drobo is so much easier to maintain than NAS server or 'homemade server', I think it'll catch fire.

I took a nice long survey that Drobo sent me. And they are interested in what current owners want to see for the next version. 6, 8, or 10 bay Drobo? Gigabit, firewire, or wireless connection? Hopefully sometime next year Drobo will release a bigger and better version.

[Ph0t0g]

Hopefully the price will come down a little too when it does catch on :) Its resonably priced as it is, still cheaper than my linux raid box :) And your right a heck of a lot easier to maintain.

[AndrewCCM]

Originally Posted by Allen

Thanks. Another good reminder that I need to get off my rear and backup some of my many images of my kids. I've got a Mac full of pics and am always concerned about losing them, yet I haven't gotten around to doing anything about it.

Allen,

It's a Mac... You cannot have problems or lose anything. Remember...They are perfect.
Wait...I sound like an ad...

Just kidding..

I actually like the drobo idea too... For now, I am just using external drives, DVDs and a Network file server. Also, my clients raw data is copied to a second photographers workstation at their home.