![]() Here's how various storage drives and systems compare to one another: Feature The cloud service provider ensures redundancy by distributing storage over multiple data centers, which means your files are safe even if a failure occurs in one storage unit. Files stored in the cloud can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection using the required credentials. In contrast to the rest of storage devices discussed here, cloud storage is a service allowing users to store data offsite on storage systems maintained by a third party, eg. Hint: you can also map your cloud storage as a network drive on your computer! In short, a mapped drive is not really a type of drive, just a faster way to access your network-connected or cloud storage. On Mac and Linux systems, this is referred to as mounting shares. ![]() the C:\ drive on your PC, only using a different letter). This means creating a shortcut to the drive, which will appear just like a local drive path (eg. If you often access certain non-local drives, you can make your life a little easier by mapping your drive to your computer. Usually, we are talking about a dedicated server unit or a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, but it can also be another computer or even an external hard drive connected to a computer in the same network. They use either the USB, Thunderbolt, or IEEE 1394 (FireWire) interfaces to connect to your computer.Ī network drive is any storage device accessed via a network (eg. External driveĮxternal drives are portable devices that come in various shapes and sizes, from small USB flash drive sticks to external HDDs. Some computers may have more than one local drive installed, often a combination of HDD and SSD. The disk itself can either be a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD). Local driveĪ local drive is any storage disk installed directly in your device, usually denoted in Windows computers with "C:\". Want to collaborate with colleagues on documents remotely? Sharing files using a cloud service will do the job.īut first things first - what types of storage drives exist, and what are the differences among them?Ĭlick here to skip the definitions and scroll down to the comparison table. Need to present some slides on a guest computer? An external drive may be the answer. There are many different options of storage drives available today, each featuring a mix of characteristics fitting a variety of different needs. When it comes to computer file storage, the main operating term (in a PC environment, at least) is drive: a component or device used to store data. Network drives, mapped drives, so many drives - what do all these file storage terms mean, and what's the difference between them? We compare physical storage media to cloud storage solutions to see what works best in different situations. Tech / Network drive, mapped drive, external drive, and cloud storage - what's the difference?
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