New Toy

[TB Roye]

Last week when I had a hard time sleeping I got up and turned on the TV. It was on QVC, from when LOML was watching prior to bedtime. It was on the electronics show. I watched it for a while and became interested in a Back UP device they were selling. So after all the years of giving LOML crap about QVC, you guessed it...............I bought the little mother. It is the "Clickfree" automatic backup system, 750gb HD external usb drive with preinstall software. It arrived a little while ago. Plugged it it and after the inital 4 or 5 minuet wait it started and backed up my computer. I have really become lax on doing that so now it will do it once a week automaticly. I can use it on other computers also so will back up LOML computer and my Netbook. Mainly pictures and stuff from this site and IAP pluss my tax files. I even fell for the 4 payment easy pay of $48 a month for 4 months. I have a couple of corupted HD that I can use as slaves and back up some of the file on them to sort out later. These were WD Hd that were on other computewr when the MB went south or the the HD started acting up. I got to say it was fast shipping for UPS from the North Carolina. I wan't expecting it untill Friday.

Tom

[BobSch]

Good catch, Tom.

And for everybody else... Remember: There's two kinds of people in the world — those who've lost a hard drive and those who are gonna.

Even if you don't use your computer for much more than web surfing I'll bet you've got some docs or pictures on your machine that you'd hate to lose.

I'll get off my soapbox now...

[germdoc]

Speaking of impulse buys I got a USB turntable on woot.com for $50. If I had thought about it for 10 mins. instead of 5 I wouldn't have gotten it but...

Now I know what I'll be doing for the next few weeks, just me and my 800 albums that need to be converted to MP3's.

Re' backup it's like flossing, no one does it as much as he should but at least you have the means to do it now!

[cabinetman]

LOML bought me a 500 GB EHD. I've also picked up several flash drives on sale at Comp USA, 2 GB for $5. This week there was a sale on 8 GB FD for $20. I haven't backed up yet, and don't know where to start. I'm thinking that the FD's may be easier to separate data. Decisions, decisions.
.

[Slik Geek]

I've also picked up several flash drives on sale 2 GB for $5. This week there was a sale on 8 GB FD for $20.

I'd recommend being cautious about very cheap flash drives (USB memory sticks). I seen a rash of inexpensive ones that fail unexpectedly and completely. If you are depending upon it for a backup, it may not work when you need it. Flash drives should be very reliable - I have several quality ones that have worked flawlessly for years. If you are depending upon them for data backup, I'd choose manufacturer's that have a reputation to maintain. (Even there, I've seen at least one "2nd tier" brand using the cheap flash drives that I've witnessed as particularly unreliable. They have a metal shroud that the plastic drive swivels into for storage, and a lanyard attached with a ring). Beware!

[cabinetman]

I'd recommend being cautious about very cheap flash drives (USB memory sticks). I seen a rash of inexpensive ones that fail unexpectedly and completely. If you are depending upon it for a backup, it may not work when you need it. Flash drives should be very reliable - I have several quality ones that have worked flawlessly for years. If you are depending upon them for data backup, I'd choose manufacturer's that have a reputation to maintain. (Even there, I've seen at least one "2nd tier" brand using the cheap flash drives that I've witnessed as particularly unreliable. They have a metal shroud that the plastic drive swivels into for storage, and a lanyard attached with a ring). Beware!

The 2 GB drives are Super Talent brand. Any details on them?
.

[cgallery]

The 2 GB drives are Super Talent brand. Any details on them?
.

Super Talent is a brand owned by MA Labs in CA. They are one of the largest components distributors in the industry.

They (MA) do much of their own final manufacturing of memory products. Basically, nothing cutting edge, they simply buy chips from different vendors and package them in USB flash drives. They're middle-of-the-road dependable.

About 1/3 of the USB flash product failures I have seen have been due to the units being dropped, at which point that rather delicate crystal oscillator goes bad. A very simple fix. Other units suffer problems w/ the connectors. Still others suffer from some surface mount component failure (which can be a PITA to diagnose). And about 1/3 suffer a failure in the flash memory itself.

My advice: Use multiple flash drives. They're cheap. I also suggest buying a couple that you can rotate off-premises. If you tend to go over to a family member's or friend's house for dinners on Sundays, take the fresh flash drive and rotate it with the last one you took over there.

[poolhound]

As a few other posters have already mentioned while flash drives are very useful I would not rely on them for backup.

$20 for 8GB is pretty good if you need it in flash but is still way higher than HD pricing. If you do any imaging or other digital work 8GB wont go very far I have a few single images that are nearly 2GB and of course if you are into video then that just eats HD space

Keep you eyes peeled for deals on an extra hard drive or external unit. I picked up a 1TB internal drive earlier in the year for $99 and also got an external one for a similar price.

Having a good automated back software really helps. There are quite a few options but I use Acronis and it automatically takes a whole system image backup once per week.

[TB Roye]

Click Free is a 750GB External Hard Drive that is connected to the computer by a USB cable. No thumb drive involved. It has built in software and is powered by an AC adaptor. www.goclickfree.com

Tom