It amazes me how many people still do not have a good understanding of how valuable their data is. Many people will spend an inordinate amount of time agonizing over the purchase price of their technology, but spend almost no time or money securing their data. The ironic part of this is that usually the amount they are agonizing over is small compared to what their data is worth or the cost involved in recovering data. Which brings to light a very important detail that many people miss concerning their computer's warranty.
I know of no computer or storage device warranty that covers the data that is stored on them. The reason for this is simple. Data can be priceless. At the very least many times more valuable than the computers they are stored on. Technology companies could not be in business if they were expected to cover the cost of the data that their machines stored. Additionally, the cost of recovering data from a failed machine, if at all possible, can range into thousands of dollars.
The problem is that many people think that their hardware warranties cover *everything*. So when the hard drive in their computer fails, they don't worry too much because they think they'll get their computer repaired and back exactly the way it was. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case with hard drive failures. Sure, their computer will be fixed at no cost, but it will not contain any of the data that was stored on the failed hard drive. Since computer and hard drive manufacturers do not warrant the data or the cost involved in recovery, any costs involved in recovering data fall upon the user. And again, these costs can range into thousands of dollars in some cases.
When looked at in this light, the initial purchase price of either a computer or backup system is almost irrelevant. So unless the data on your computer is of no value to you, please make sure to incorporate the cost of a backup system into any new computer purchases. Or if you are currently without a backup system, stop what you are doing and call your technology consultant right now. It doesn't matter if you "only" use your computer for personal reasons. More and more individuals are keeping extremely valuable data on their computers such as irreplaceable digital photos or financial data.
Marcel Brown Technology Services and the company's retail store, The Tech Spot, was recently voted as the #1 Computer Sales and Service company in their area! For more great technology advice, contact Marcel or The Tech Spot today!
