CALSPro - California Association of Legal Support Professionals

Which Storage is Best? SSD or HDD

Posted June 20, 2015 in Education, Marketing, Technology

SSD or HDD: Which is best?

When searching for a new desktop or laptop computer, most people have certain criteria they look for besides just a good deal. Does it have ample storage, RAM (random access memory), touchscreen, USB 3.0 ports, HDMI ports and so on. What most people aren’t aware of is the importance of picking the right type file storage. For years now, the standard has been the HDD or Hard Disk Drive. Overtime, the capacity of the traditional HDD has grown significantly, from gigabyte drives to the now common terabyte drives. Newegg (www.newegg.com) sells a 12 TB HDD for a mere $1,700.00! Obviously, the more capacity you purchase, the greater amount of storage you have to save files, pictures and movies. The cost of the HDD has also significantly dropped and is still the most common drive, but with the benefits of an SSD or Solid State Drive, the HDD will eventually become obsolete.

There are considerable performance advantages of SSD over the traditional HDD that most consumers should consider. For starters, SSD’s are substantially faster…up to 100x faster than HDD’s.

With an SSD installed, computer boot up time can drop to a mere 7 seconds, users can achieve near instantaneous access to data and quicker file transfers. SSD’s provide an overall snappier and more responsive computing experience. SSD’s consume less power, which extends battery life and allows for a cooler computing environment.

HDD’s have various moving parts, that require more power but more importantly can fail or become damaged. With a non-mechanical design, SSD’s offer silent operation and superior durability. Although higher priced at the frontend, SSD’s offer long term cost savings for consumers by allowing for greater productivity and less energy consumption. One SSD can deliver the performance of 100 HDD’s.

Of course there are still a few perks to the HDD that some consumers will appreciate. Since the HDD has been the traditional and most common type of storage device, availability is far more abundant. The HDD currently has the largest capacity at 12 TB and counting. Since the HDD’s are more plentiful, they are also cheaper to purchase. So if you are looking for a large capacity, readily available and economical storage device…the HDD wins. If you are looking for speed, longevity, quiet and efficient computing, assuming price isn’t an issue…the SSD is for you.

Then of course there is the cloud…we’ll touch upon this next time!

Esteban Pujol, Vice President of Commercial Process Serving, Inc.

Process Serving Tips if attacked

Posted June 18, 2015 in Education, Membership

Helpful Tips for Process Servers in the Field

Tips on what to do if attacked while serving papers in the field:

• If you have never taken any martial art classes or lack any real self-defense training, here are some tips if you ever you find yourself in a situation where you feel an assault is imminent:
  Quickly size up the attacker to gauge level of aggression and look for any possible weaknesses.
• Do not lose eye contact and never turn your back. Not seeing the attack is the worst thing to do.
• Maintain a confident and calm demeanor, as you attempt to talk down the aggression. You want to avoid a physical altercation at all costs.
  1. If subject calms down, walk away slowly and leave the vicinity.
  2. If subject attacks…
• Stay alert, maintain your posture and keep your eyes on the aggressor at all times. Take a defensive stance- stay centered, balanced, dominate leg in front and most your weight on back leg, while staying light on your feet. Position your hands slightly below eye level, approximately 12 to 14 inches from your face and prepare for strikes.
• If you have martial arts training, great! If you don’t have martial arts training, continue to maintain your posture and do not fall down. If you fall down, get up immediately while protecting yourself. Serious injury can occur on the ground, especially if you are not looking.
• If you are struck, decide whether or not a proportional response is needed. If you can handle the attack, keep hands up, protect your face. But if you are getting injured, defend yourself by striking back. There are simple and effective techniques you can use to thwart your attacker, depending on severity. Strikes to the nose, throat, groin or solar plexus can stun the attacker long enough to escape. If attacker is causing serious injury, find or create a weapon. Keys, belt or anything close by can help avoid severe injury.
• Maintain your posture and composure long enough to either escape or until help arrives.
• Report the attack to the authorities.
• Seek medical attention.
• Report assault to CALSPro, NAPPS, and PAAPRS in order to raise awareness

Do not put yourself in the above predicament without any type of self-defense training. Enroll in a class as soon as possible to learn rudimentary skills and gain experience. It can make all the difference. There are a wide array of martial art disciplines to choose from including Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing, Karate, Judo, and Tae Kwon Do. Self-defense classes are regularly offered at many gyms, community centers, and community colleges. Perhaps take an early evening class during the week before going out serving? Remember we are never too old or too young to start training!

Esteban Pujol
Commercial Process Service
(Speaking from experience and from being physically attacked while serving)

Process Server Assault Guide

Posted June 16, 2015 in Education, Marketing, Membership, Process Service

CALSPro – Process Server Assault Guide and Checklist.

A complete guide on what to do if assault, while serving process:

• Get to a safe Place
• Assess Injuries
• Assess Damage to Property
• Contact the authorities
• Anything Missing?
• Document the incident
• Notify your employer or client
• Notify your State Association
• Report incident to PAAPRS

For more information, Click on the CALSPro Process Server Assault Guide to download.

Revised 3-19-15