HardwareBanter - View Single Post - Comparison of the hundred dollar Costco Seagate 5TB USB & 8TB USB HDD on sale now

**Arlen Holder**

On Fri, 13 Nov 2020 08:12:02 -0600, wrote:

Which is more likely to work in a decade or two from now?

Neither. Rotating drives wear out over time. So do SSDs. If an SSD is
not used much, it could last longer--but I would not rely on it.
Expect to replace any drive (with today's technology) within 5-7
years.

Hi Jerry,

Thanks for trying to help, where I apologize that _time_ is the issue.
o Not rotation time.

The drives will likely have fewer than 100 hours on them in 25 years.

While I completely understand your answer, you have to remember these
drives are _external_ drives, connected via USB, for _backup_ purposes.

Hence, rotation time isn't an issue in and of itself.
o Elapsed time is the issue (and technology changes).

Given how standards change, and the fact the 2.5 inch "portable" drive
isn't the same mechanics as the 3.5 inch "hub", and given SATA connections
and other changes over time, the question is simply one of how to choose
between them.

I apologize for not being clear that rotation time is never the issue for
backup drives (which are only connected once every few months, and even
then, for only a few hours at a time).

What matters is the technology changes that may likely occur over time, and
the reliability of the equipment over long periods of elapsed time in
storage.

I'm not so much worried about spinning time as I am the basic stone cold
logic of which drive is most likely to be still working a decade or two
from now after being stored (and while technology changes over time)?