You can guarantee that technology is always changing and always improving.  This is particularly true for computer hard disk drives which provide the long-term storage for your files.  Not long ago, disk sizes of 250GB (Gigabytes) and 320GB would have only been needed by businesses (who could have afforded them), but now these sizes are accepted as standard for new home computers.

This increase in storage capacity has come from an improvement in the quality and cost-efficiency of the components and the driving consumer need for more and more storage space.  It's estimated that as much as 98% of all information that exists today was ‘born digital' i.e. it did not exist before someone created it in a digital format.  We've become a society that functions on emails, websites and documents and all of that information has to be stored somewhere.  And that's before you've mentioned entertainment, with digital photos, videos and music compounding our storage problems.  All of this is nicely supported by rising internet speeds, which now make it possibly to email a 10MB attachment without taking 3 days to deliver it.

Unfortunately, your 250GB hard disk doesn't give you a full 250GB anyway to store your own files.  The ‘operating system' (e.g. Microsoft Windows) takes its share first, then you need to allow some free space for temporary ‘swap' files and you may also have a portion of space allocated to a ‘recovery partition' (which contains a backup of specialist files for your particular computer hardware).

So, here are a few tips for keeping your file storage use under control:

In the past, the use of laptop computers was reserved for selected, special people in the corporate world, like executives and travelling sales managers.  These large and expensive machines were carried around by ‘road warriors' who completed their business duties from hotel rooms after a day of meetings. 

As portable technology has become faster, lighter and cheaper, laptops have migrated into small businesses, university lecture halls and even our homes.  Indeed, if your new laptop is faster than your old computer and can be placed wherever you need it in your home, office, or any other location, then why do you need a traditional ‘desktop' computer?  Most businesses now don't provide with you with a desktop computer at your office desk if your role warrants having a laptop.

The main downside of this is the increasing number of repetitive strain injury cases.  Quite simply, the laptop computer was never designed for long periods of use (especially not a full 8 hour or even 12 hour working day).  The main ergonomic design flaw of the screen being attached to the keyboard just does not work in harmony with the optimal positioning of our eyes, head, fingers and wrists.  So, the positioning of our laptop ends up being a compromise on both counts – with the keyboard close enough for us to type on, but the screen tilted back so we can read it.  Our bodies still end up in a compromised position, with hands navigating a smaller key layout and our necks bent down on an angle, throwing the weight of our heads forward.

If you can't live without your laptop, here are our tips to help it be nicer to your body: