If you haven't already done so, you should consider purchasing a USB flash drive to use when moving files, pictures, etc. from one computer to another. And they can also serve as a very reliable backup media! Some of the manufacturers claim the data stored on a flash drive will be safe for as many as 10 years. While that is somewhat shorter than the life of a CD, it is usually quite sufficient for routine daily backups.
Flash drives are now quite inexpensive and are available almost anywhere computer parts or office supplies are sold. Most large retail stores like Walmart, Best Buy, etc. also carry them at reasonable prices. Here is some information about flash drives you might find helpful:
Flash drives have no moving parts. The data is stored electronically on a memory chip, but there is not actually a little bitty drive spinning around inside it! The data is actually stored on the drive in exactly the same way pictures are stored by your digital camera on a compact flash card, smart media, secure digital disk, etc.
While you might find some smaller 64mb drives in stores, most of the drives being sold today are 128mb or larger, some as large as 4 gb (4,000mb!). I always recommend you spend the few extra dollars and purchase at least a 256mb drive since you will probably find the smaller drives won't hold all your data. As of October 2004, you can expect to pay less than $30 for a 64mb drive and around $45 for a 256mb drive. If you need one of the really large capacity drives, they can cost several hundred dollars.
Be sure your computer has USB ports on it since that is how they connect to your PC. If you are running Windows 98 or ME, you will need to install the drivers bundled with the drive. Most of the drives are automatically installed by Windows XP. If you are copying lots of large files, be sure you have a USB 2.0 port available or the data transfer can take a long time. USB 1.0 transfers data at a maximum of 12 mbps (megabytes per second) while USB 2.0 passes data at a speed over 400 mbps!
Most flash drives are very small and lightweight. This makes them convenient to carry around, but also makes them very easy to misplace! I use a model made by Apacer for two reasons: it has a small cable which keeps the caps attached to the drive and can also be used to attach the drive to your belt, etc., and it has a double internal LED which blinks whenever data is being written to or from the drive.
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If your USB ports are on the back of your computer, using the flash drive can be a little difficult. You can solve this problem by purchasing a USB port extension cable or a USB hub, either of which can be had for less than $20. Using a hub will enable you to connect additional USB devices. For more information about USB ports, including pictures, click here.
For more detailed information from the usbflashdrive.org website, click here.
If you have a need for a similar portable, inexpensive backup device that is larger than 2 gigabytes, you might want to consider a "Pocket Drive" as pictured below.
Click on image for more details
These small drives are about the same diameter of a yo-yo and less than 3/4" thick. The USB cable is coiled around the drive case so it is always handy but stored conveniently for carrying and storage. The drive actually functions on the same principal as a regular hard disk drive in that they contain magnetic platters that spin at high speed while reading and writing data. They are usually somewhat faster than a flash drive, but since they have many moving parts, they will be subject to head crashes, etc. just like a regular hard drive. As of November 2004, the cost ranges from $130 and up, depending on the drive capacity. Look for these drives to become smaller in size, larger in capacity, and lower in prices as the technology continues to develop over the next few years.
If you need a very simple to use and inexpensive backup utility, you can download a fully functional copy of Second Copy by clicking here. If you decide to use it long term, you will need to register it within 30 days ($29).
Please contact me using any of the numbers below (or the email link at the top of this page) if you have questions or need assistance.
03/10/2008
