CLOUD VS USB
BY T. THÜMANN
ClOUD VS USB
18
We all used those "old school" usb stick, now most of us have a cloud based storage. but is it really better?
The storage of data has always been extremely important we don't want the wrong people to get your data but what if you needed to transfer some of this data. For a long time USB flash drive was the way to transfer data to other devices but ever since the cloud people are divided over what is more useful and more practical. First of all we will give a general explanation about the pro's and cons of both the USB flash drive and the cloud, secondly we will talk about which one is more practical and thirdly which has more potential to evolve into something much better and larger.
So to start of we will line up all the pro's and cons of both USB flash drive and the cloud. To start with the cloud. The cloud is quite new but is already very famous. Some pro's of the cloud is that it is easy to access because you can log in everywhere to get to your files. Also it is very easy to get because it is online of course. You can easily share the files that you want to share. However on the flip side of that important information that is on your cloud can easily be hacked which is harder to do to a USB flash drive. Also you are very dependent on internet. All your files and info is on the internet so without internet connection you can not reach the files you need to access. Besides that if you want to share something on your cloud you need to have good internet connection otherwise it will be extremely slow. It is also easier affected by viruses than USB flash drive.
For USB flash drive the pro's are as followed. It is less vulnerable to viruses and hacking. The USB flash drive also does not require internet connection so that makes it more reliable. The transfer speed is not affected by any means and always will have the same speed which also makes it more reliable. On the other side it is easy to lose your files because it is stored on something physical. For example you can lose your USB flash drive or you accidentally break it. It has limited storage so instead of buying extra storage you need to buy a completely new USB flash drive.
Now with all the pro's and con's displayed we got a good view of both the cloud and USB flash drive. If we look at the cloud we can clearly see that is open for expansion which causes it to be infected by viruses more easily. However it also gives you much more freedom to usage of your files. The USB flash drive gives you a more reliable way of transferring and storing data but is limited in its option. So to say which one is better is impossible because it is more personal that makes this topic so difficult. The cloud however is very helpful for most people while it allows you to send files to places abroad or people who need to store a lot. The drive is becomes handy when it comes to very important information because it is more reliable and you physical control over your data.
As we take a look at the USB flash drive we can conclude that it has limited space to expand into something greater. The option of USB flash drive must be changed in order to enhance it into something greater however looking at present time we see that people tend to look at the internet if we speak about expansion. If USB flash drive does change it will differ little from the cloud and thus making it useless to change USB. The cloud compared to USB does have the room to adapt and change a lot but it also brings in risks like safety expansion will often result in more freedom in using the cloud which makes it more vulnerable to viruses.
We can conclude that It both has major pro´s and cons but it still is a personal matter whether you want your files and information on the cloud or on a USB flash drive. The cloud may be more practical but it also brings major safety risks. USB flash drive will often only be used for highly important information and files that can not be trusted with the internet.