Reader Questions Answered: Hard Drives and Modems

TR of Savage asks: I don't use dialup anymore. Should I take my modem out?

If you're comfortable with the procedure, go for it. It can be as simple as removing one screw and pulling. You shouldn't have to do any configuration changes on the computer at all. An unused modem consumes a tiny amount of power and computer resources, but if something goes wrong with the hardware in the future, it could render your computer temporarily inoperable. If left plugged into the phone system, it can also provide a path for lightning related electrical surges, which could do more permanent damage. If you don't use it, I would strongly recommend unplugging the phone line.

EA of Burnsville asks: Are solid state drives a good idea?

For everyone that hasn't heard of solid state drives: They are essentially a very fast flash drive that you can use in place of a traditional hard drive. A solid state drive is a great alternative to a traditional hard drive, but only if you can live with the space constraints. I've been testing out a 40GB model which currently retails for about the same price as a 500GB traditional drive. The boot time on my primary desktop dropped from 29 seconds to 3 seconds, and I've actually enjoyed that the tiny drive keeps me vigilant with regard to backing things up to the cloud.  

The other advantage of solid state drives is their resistance to shock. By eliminating the moving parts, you eliminate the #1 cause of laptop hard drive failure. There have been some reliability concerns, but modern operating systems have special features that extend the expected life of solid state drives to nearly the same as traditional drives.

The recent shortage of traditional hard drives caused by flooding in Thailand has caused a significant price hike. While the increased demand affected solid state drive prices as well, it did so much less, so the prices are much more comparable than they were six months ago. Be careful, though: With any new technology, there will be some duds out there, so make sure you do a little research, and check out both the specs and reviews of any drives you consider.

If you've got a question you'd like answered, feel free to leave it in the comments section, or e-mail directly to patchblog@budsandbytes.com for use in a future post!