| Note: For fairness and due weight, strong benefits add two points, and strong shortcomings subtract a point rather than none, as marked in respective cells.
|
|
|
Internal storage
|
Memory card
|
USB On-the-go
|
Cloud storage
|
Home server
|
| Privacy
|
Local
|
Local
|
Local
|
Questionable – No hardware ownership, thus lack of technical control.
|
Home
|
| Dependence on Internet access and cellular data
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Dependent
|
Dependent if accessed remotely
|
| Transfer rates
|
High – only bound by technical limits.
|
Low – downloaded from someone else's computer – dependent on internet speed; may be additionally throttled by freemium services.
|
Moderate through local area network, otherwise limited by internet speed.
|
| Latency
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
High
|
High
|
| Mass storage access
|
Infeasible
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No physical access
|
Yes
|
| Handset ergonomy
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Compromised – protrudes from USB port (-1)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Backups
|
Difficult (-1)
|
Simple – disk imaging
|
Slow
|
Yes
|
| Defect retrieval
|
No
|
Removable
|
External
|
Remote
|
Home
|
| Data recovery
|
No
|
Mass storage
|
Mass storage
|
provider-dependent
|
Mass storage
|
| File transfer between devices
|
Relatively slow – Bluetooth/WiFi Direct/MTP through desktop OS computer
|
Immediate – modular
|
Immediate – modular
|
Relatively slow – downloading
|
Relatively slow – downloading
|
| Remote retrieval
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes (+2 for fairness)
|
Yes (+2 for fairness)
|
| Remote account termination
|
Infeasible
|
Infeasible
|
Infeasible
|
At provider's discretion
|
Infeasible
|
| Difficulty of installation
|
Pre-included (+2)
|
Low
|
Low
|
Low
|
High in comparison (-1)
|
| Verdict score
|
7
|
12
|
10
|
5
|
9
|
