Portable Storage Then and Now

The generations of portable storage mediums have changed over the years, and it is interesting to contrast them with current innovations such as cloud computing.

Recall back 10 years ago when floppy disks were still heavily used for day to day portable storage needs. If you are were working on a document that needed to be ‘on your person’ for portability and ease of access, floppy disks, 10 years ago were the thing. Flash forward a few years and although USB Flash drives existed for a few years, they start making a stronger appearance as they become more affordable and more readily accepted. I can still remember the marketing pointing out that the standard 64 MB USB Flash drive was similar to carrying 60+ floppy disks in your pocket!

That being said… we currently are living in interesting times.

• MacBook Air
• Everex Cloudbook
• Increasing Wireless LAN density
• Google Docs
• Zoho

It is easy to find a wireless hotspot. Even rural communities are participating. Mobile devices and networks are also becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Our lives have changed forever. Floppy disks, while they rest in peace, are a good reminder of the humbler beginnings of most technology. The point where we are now, is far from where we will be 1, 2 or 5 years from now.