As a keen photographer who shoots raw files, plays back music, records TV using Vista Media Center, and streams it all to a Vista media center extender in the living room (Linksys DMA 2100), my primary hard disk fills 500GB no problem at all.

To back up the whole primary disk using Norton Ghost (or similar) you need ANOTHER 500GB, then ideally some more space (either disks or another HDD) for a 'files and folders' type backup.

If you want to stream HD movies from your PC, then you'll need even more storage space! Not to mention, the extra 10-20GB of photos every year....

etc. etc...

Methinks the follow-up posters have missed the cultural reference here.

1TB's have been out for a year!

Hitachi's deskstar it $280 and the ultrastar is $330.

WD still using a chisel and stone?

When can I get 640Tb?

PS - We all know Big Bill didn't say that about 640Kb, but WHO WAS responsible for that architectural disaster? It has to be either IBM or Intel.