I used to imagine that all technology was cheaper in Japan. Unfortunately I now know that that's not the case, especially with the growing trend for ground breaking technologies to come from outside Japan (i.e. the US).
You'll often find things like camera or computer accessories cheaper on Amazon.com than on the shelves in Akihabara - and that's stuff made in Japan!
One thing that I really wish was cheaper is hard drives. The sweet-spot per GB seems to have now reached 1TB, but they're still pretty pricey.
I bought two 1TB USB models today, which set me back about ¥26,000 - much more than I was expecting. Still, shooting video several times a week means I'm burning through disk space - 200GB on Monday alone!
Whenever I buy an external disk, I buy another to match it - I then use SuperDuper to update the backup drives each night.
All hard drives fail, and I personally think that if I don't have at least two copies of something, I have to expect to lose it.
Ideally I'd love a Drobo (google it if you don't know what a Drobo is) - but the price here in Japan is still too high.
I'd love to know what other people do to store / backup data. What software do you use, and what's the cheapest, hassle-free way to get terabytes of hard disk space?
Anyway, time for bed now. I'll leave these disks plodding away through the night.
Joseph
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Slave
We have a several TB raid array hooked to a server we all use. Looking to upgrade it but it is EXPENSIVE. Nice and fast though. Not sure what the software is called....
Software Designer
well, a slightly cheaper option would be to buy internal HDDs and use an external case instead. You just pop an internal HDD into it and use it as if it were a regular external drive. I find that it's anywhere from $20-$200 cheaper than a dedicated external solution. plus you have more control over what kind of drive you're getting in terms of size, speed, performance, power consumption, etc. and if one of them ever does die, you only need to replace the HDD itself, and keep the case.
Star Gazer
http://vixums.wordpress.com/
I'm buying 1 TB hard drive myself, I have way too many files and I can never get enough space. I like having excess space instead of feeling constricted by the amount of space I have... *spoiled brat*
Castoffable figurines fan
Hmm iTB external HDD here only costed around 10-15k yen only...
I've been collecting various external drives for years but finally decided to consolidate my storage with the very capable Netgear ReadyNAS Duo. It's got two 1TB drives in a custom raid (raid X) configuration. I backup to it using the included NTI Shadow 3 software (functional, but not spectacular; not a joy to use like SuperDuper!). I've just ordered a second ReadyNAS to backup the first one using their built in Rsync function. I've hooked up several of the external drives to the ReadyNAS's USB ports and use them as networked Time Machine drives for the four users in the house. Yes, I am in fact a backup nut. Oh, and I backup my user settings to iDisk daily.
Boukenger
I noticed that prices for tech in Tokyo were high on my last trip when I went through several stores in Akiba including Yodobashi Camera. A TB drive can be had in the US for $85 shipped right now so that's quite a price difference.
IT Business Analyst + Test Analyst + Undergrad Uni Student
http://www.crepuscular.asia
I remember when I got my LX3, total price was AU$600 local stock after claiming the tax back @ the airport, when I went to some electronic stores to check out some cameras with my Japanese friend, because he was interested in getting a new camera. I was shocked, the price of the LX3 with the Yen converted back to aussie dollar was AU$800+, 200 more expensive than mine...
but... Hong Kong is the best, the only problem I can see is claiming the warranty if required...
I have a 1TB timecapsule from apple, working with timemachine on my MBP. So far it's working great, But I've heard rumours that the timecapsules break down after a year or so, so I have an extra backup HD for my photos and stuff, which I update manually.
The drives in the middle look like Cylons! :P