Catching Up: Is bigger really better?

Is bigger really better? Is it even needed? Those are some of the many good questions being posed on David Morgenstern's eWeek article. As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the hard drive, it is worthwhile to stop and think about the many issues that larger drives bring with them. Not only are we constantly pushing the physical limits of these devices -- with the resulting negative effect on reliability -- but we are also affecting the data management equation at an unbelievable rate. Larger hard drives pose as much a problem for neophytes as it does for seasoned IT staff. Give someone a Super Sized Hard Drive and they will surely fill it up -- just like we gorge on the Super Sized fast foods that have so affected our health. And when that hard drive fails, then all that data tends to vanish with that dreadful "click-click" or metal-to-metal scratching sound. There go all the music, photos, letters, emails, tax returns, websites and everything else we entrust to the device. Backup? Yes, well, that's a whole other story, isn't it? Is bigger really better?