how cheap is a 1tb usb stick now?

The 512GB USB stick can be had for under 40 bucks now, which I like. I'm waiting for it to dive below $30...

...but I'm still waiting for the 1TB USB stick to drop below $50. Has it?

Not just yet, but oh, we're getting closer.

At the time I write this, you can find real-deal 1TB USB sticks for $65 new, but well known brands are still at $85 to $100.

The funny thing about USB sticks is that 1TB is as far as I can tell is the end of the line. When above 1TB, a USB stick is no longer a stick. It's a drive. Why? Physical size. When you examine 2TB sticks, you'll see what I mean. Those things are either longer and/or wider, which defeats the whole point of having a USB stick. You want that stick to be small and convenient, and you're just not going to get that when going over 1TB. The best you'll get is convenient-ish.

Another funny thing is that flash memory isn't the best choice for long term storage. It's cold storage shelf life isn't great. Supposedly, if you don't plug in a USB stick at least periodically, bad stuff can happen to the data on the stick just from not being used for an extended period of time, even if it sits for just one year. Not good.

Actual SSD (which for me would be 'full size' 2.5-inch) is supposedly better for long term storage, as is HDD provided it's the older CMR technology like a Seagate Barracuda Pro.

There is, however, another option.

Optical.

Two types, specifically. Archival grade DVD and M-DISC.

In 2023, I pulled a lot of data off a big pile of DVDs I had and put most of that to flash storage, swearing I would not go back to optical. I'm now rethinking that decision. DVD, even though it's only 4.7GB per disc, can be put in cold storage, not touched for a long time, and still be read years later easily. This is of course assuming good media was used...

...but if bog standard Verbatim DVD+R discs were used, even those could stay in cold storage for a long time and read just fine years later.

Will there still be DVD drives available in the future? Yes, I'm sure of that. How do I know? Just look at any "retro" vintage PC (and sometimes industrial computer) enthusiast YouTube channel. Some of those guys are recovering original data that was written over 50 years ago using media and file formats nobody has used for decades. How? From modern hardware specifically made to access the ancient stuff.

I am certain somebody will still be making new DVD drives even as far away as 2050 and beyond. If retro PC guys can successfully retrieve data written to 8-inch floppy diskettes from the 1970s (which they have), DVDs written today will still be able to be read successfully in 2050.

Published 2024 Nov 14