Mele20
Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI | reply to JTM1051
Re: [Tip] Make the most of your USB drive
That was confusing as I thought you were talking about USB ports at first. I don't have a USB Flash drive and see no reason to have one. Why would I want one? What would I need it for? |
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howie
Premium,MVM
join:2003-04-08
Little Falls, NJ
| said by Mele20  :That was confusing as I thought you were talking about USB ports at first. I don't have a USB Flash drive and see no reason to have one. Why would I want one? What would I need it for? You wouldn't want one and don't need one. 
I find them extremely useful for transferring pictures from my digital camera to my PC. Plugging the camera into the PC works but I find it awkward and slower than just popping my CF card into the USB2 reader. I also find it extremely useful for transferring files/programs between PC's.
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"I'm as sure as I can be... without any, you know, proof!" - Adrian Monk |
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vukodlak75
Nisam Ti Dude
Premium,MVM
join:2001-10-27
Beachwood, OH
clubs: 
| I have 2 1GB "thumb" drives. I keep a bunch of security apps and pc utilites on one. I use this when I need to fix family pc's.
The other I use to transfer data between pc's at home and work, much faster and easier than always burning a cd then erasing and burning again.
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Never living, always surviving. |
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Keizer
I'M Your Huckleberry
Premium,MVM
join:2003-01-20
| reply to howie
said by howie :said by Mele20 :That was confusing as I thought you were talking about USB ports at first. I don't have a USB Flash drive and see no reason to have one. Why would I want one? What would I need it for? You wouldn't want one and don't need one. I find them extremely useful for transferring pictures from my digital camera to my PC. Plugging the camera into the PC works but I find it awkward and slower than just popping my CF card into the USB2 reader. I also find it extremely useful for transferring files/programs between PC's. I agree with Howie! I too use a USB CF card reader to transfer my photos.
Just look how quick I was able to grab the progress shot of my 73 Camaro!
Keizer |
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JTM1051
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-08
Moorpark, CA
| reply to Mele20
Before USB Flash/Thumb drives I used Zip disks for years to transfer files between work and home.
The majority of new desktops and notebooks don't come with floppy drives due to the popularity of USB Flash/Thumb drives. Most brands of 128 MB USB Flash/Thumb drives are $19.99.
By your questions/comments does not appear that you read through the article. |
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Mele20
Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
1 edit | I read the article. I still don't see why most users would need this. When I bought this Dell Dimension 8300 in 11/2003, I made sure to order a floppy drive. That drive has had to be replaced already due to high rusting of the ones currently used by Dell. I will have it replaced again in six months probably due to the rusting. I just also replaced a floppy drive on my older Dell. That Dell had a well made floppy drive that didn't rust for over 5 years.
I see the usefulness of the USB Flash drives if you transfer files between home and work and if you find that the easiest way to put digital photos on your computer. I am not interested in digital cameras so that is irrelevant me. I like the camera I have just fine but I do understand that lots of folks like digital cameras and this might be useful for them.
I have seen USB flash drives in Walmart and they are all at least double the price you mention and most are higher than that.
One other thing? Can you boot from a flash drive? You still need a floppy drive for that I would think.
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Around 2005 a sudden spark will catalyze a Crisis mood. The very survival of the nation will seem to be at stake.Sometime before 2025, America will pass through a great gate in history. The risk and promise will be very high. The Fourth Turning Wm. Straus |
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NyQuil Kid
8f The Nyquil Kid
join:2001-01-06
Brick, NJ
 ·Comcast
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| No, you can boot from a USB key as well - in fact your Dell 8300 supports that (so long as it has the latest BIOS) - there are numerous tools to make a USB key bootable.
Floppy disk is going the way of the dinosaur - simple as that.
[8F] The NyQuil Kid
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[8F] The NyQuil Kid comes into town not looking for trouble...n00bz gang up, but he ain't seein' double,...pulls and draws, his deagles two...n00bz litter the ground you know it's true. |
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PhoenixAZ
Joshua
Premium
join:2004-01-04
Phoenix, AZ
1 edit | reply to howie
said by howie :said by Mele20 :That was confusing as I thought you were talking about USB ports at first. I don't have a USB Flash drive and see no reason to have one. Why would I want one? What would I need it for? You wouldn't want one and don't need one. I find them extremely useful for transferring pictures from my digital camera to my PC. Plugging the camera into the PC works but I find it awkward and slower than just popping my CF card into the USB2 reader. I also find it extremely useful for transferring files/programs between PC's. said by Keizer :said by howie :said by Mele20 :That was confusing as I thought you were talking about USB ports at first. I don't have a USB Flash drive and see no reason to have one. Why would I want one? What would I need it for? You wouldn't want one and don't need one. I find them extremely useful for transferring pictures from my digital camera to my PC. Plugging the camera into the PC works but I find it awkward and slower than just popping my CF card into the USB2 reader. I also find it extremely useful for transferring files/programs between PC's. I agree with Howie! I too use a USB CF card reader to transfer my photos. Just look how quick I was able to grab the progress shot of my 73 Camaro! Keizer said by Mele20 :Yeah...guess I don't need one.  I don't have a digital camera. I hope you guys know that hes talking about USB thumb drives, has nothing to do with digital cameras, and USB CF card readers/MemoryStick/etc.
said by Mele20 :Yeah...guess I don't need one. I don't have a digital camera. I'm disabled so I don't need to transfer files between home and work. I can transfer files between my two real computers and my virtual and real ones without a USB drive. I can see where though in certain instances they would be very useful. For me though, I can think of many better ways to spend my money. (I need more RAM ....1024 is not enough to run a host box and two virtual PCs at the same time  and that's going to be $150 for two 512 sticks). I find USB Thumb drives to be easier to use than burning CDs, or using floppies. But I think the best way to transfer files, a network of course I lost my 1GB thumbdrive at school, so I find those small things easy to lose. |
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DFWDraco76
Premium
join:2001-02-21
Plano, TX
clubs:
 ·Verizon FIOS
| I "lost" mine for a few weeks too... but it turned up, I had just accidentally tossed it in the wrong drawer after work one day. So they are definitely easy to misplace!!!
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my website: »www.utdallas.edu/~bal023000 |
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JTM1051
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-08
Moorpark, CA
| reply to Mele20
said by Mele20 :I read the article. I still don't see why most users would need this. The majority of PC users I know use USB flash drives, hence the purpose of the article is provide some tips for those that use USB flash drives.
..replaced already due to high rusting of the ones currently used by Dell. I will have it replaced again in six months probably due to the rusting. I just also replaced a floppy drive on my older Dell. That Dell had a well made floppy drive that didn't rust for over 5 years. Doubt you have to worry about a USB flash drive rusting.
I would think that the cost of a USB flash drive would be less than a floppy drive plus cost of disks to provide the same amount of storage as a single USB flash drive.
... if you find that the easiest way to put digital photos on your computer. ... I believe you're confusing USB Flash Card Reader with USB flash drive. Again, the majority of PC users I know that use USB flash drives use them as a convenient portable storage device for their data files.
I have seen USB flash drives in Walmart and they are all at least double the price you mention and most are higher than that. I guess the the price you pay to live in Paradise (HI).
Can you boot from a flash drive? You still need a floppy drive for that I would think. If someone has a older PC that cannot boot from a CD optical drive, then yes, they would need a floppy drive. My Dell 4550 I bought Dec-02 can boot from a CD optical drive, and I've never used the 3.5 floppy drive except when I first received the Dell just to make sure it worked. |
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boog
Premium
join:2000-07-24
Trenton, OH | reply to DFWDraco76
I'm good at forgetting to take things out of my pockets, I have washed both my thumb drive and a compact flash card.
The both still work just fine! |
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