For my home setup, at least, it's simple: Put the OS on a dirt cheap 120GB SSD, and all the user data on a multi-terabyte hard disk. You can always selectivel

For my home setup, at least, it's simple: Put the OS on a dirt cheap 120GB SSD, and all the user data on a multi-terabyte hard disk. You can always selectively migrate other performance critical, but can afford to lose, stuff onto the SSD later. If it breaks, I just buy another one and reinstall the OS. On laptops that can only take one drive, the SSD is it, but so is awareness that the data on them has to be considered ephemeral. I've had assorted hard disks die over the years, from old age, and so far without exception they've been "mostly" recoverable - might have to give up on a few files that got hit by bad sectors, that sort of thing. And have been warned about impending failure by SMART diagnostics.