It is hard to imagine the world without computers. I often find myself wondering about how we survived in the pre-computer era. Just a few short years ago the general population used computers for much less than we do now. Sure, many of us used the computer to surf the web, maybe do a little research using online encyclopedias, perhaps send e-mail and play an online game or two. That was then.

In 2004 we are using our computers for so much more than we were just five short years ago. Many of us have put our entire CD collection onto our hard drives and have collected years of digital photos which we have organized in every manner imaginable. Some of us have used our hard drives to store YEARS of financial and tax records, spreadsheets from work and for personal business ventures, and hundreds (even THOUSANDS) of saved e-mails. This is now.

The bottom line is: Your data is your life!

Whether you like it or not the data we generate using our personal computers on a day to day basis is becoming more and more integrated into the fabric of our lives. Gone are the days when we had tiny hard drives storing meager amounts of OS settings and a few documents. Today