My MacBook is Disposable.
The value of my MacBook is low compared to the value of the data on it. Replacing my MacBook would cost about £1000, but i cannot replace my photos, media collection, work and other files at any cost. Finally, if i lost my business records, it could cost me everything.
This is a really important point when i think about how i manage my data. I need to manage my data in such a way that if my laptop was lost, stolen or damaged i would not loose my important files.
I have done this in the past using a backup service called Backblaze to backup my laptop. I have also kept a local time machine copy. This was okay, but it limited my storage space to 500gb. What i could fit on my MacBook.
I have outgrown that space now, so i had to think about what to do.
I could sell my MacBook and upgrade to a model with more space. The cost to get a new model with 1tb of storage was £1799. That’s a £1000 upgrade to get an extra 500gb of space. No way, too small for too much money.
External USB storage was an option, but i’m not keen. It ends up being a pain to backup and manage.
Finally, i could just go to third party services. Using iCloud or Dropbox etc as my main storage. I did consider this, long and hard but i just dont feel ready to trust all my data to other people. It’s worth too much to me.
My solution has been to sort out my own server. I have brought a little Mac Mini server and stuck a large 2tb drive in it. It meets my storage needs for now and i can add extra storage in the future if required. It’s cost less than 30% of the “upgrade” cost on a new MacBook, plus its doing far more than just being storage.
As it has a fast processor and lots of storage space, i have been using it to create optimised versions of my media for my other devices. This means i can use the space i have more effectively.
I am migrating and consolidating all my data there, then setting it up to have a healthy offsite backup and a local backup too.
Turning back to my MacBook. Once this is complete, i will format my laptop entirely and treat it like an iOS device. From a data perspective it will be disposable.