Computers....

Computers are amazing things... when they work. They can also be very expensive piles of productivity-stealing rubbish when they don't.

Mine didn't work. For some time. I've learned many valuable yet painful lessons from this.

Let me help you:

1. When the magic box starts acting wonky, be concerned. Be very concerned. It probably won't self-repair. Ever.

2. If hard drives act wonky then act ok, they're considered wonky and unreliable. Don't trust the little bastards.

3. Consider un-edited and completed polished files equally in the game of back-ups. Either can reduce you to a blubbering pile of man-flesh if they're lost.

4. Think worst-case when planning your backup strategy. And when I say "worst-case" I mean motherboard goes bad AND internal drive goes bad AND external drive suddenly won't read. That kind of worst-case scenario. It happens.

Consider yourself warned; plan accordingly.