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| TX50 64mb USB Drive |
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| Written by Mikhail Ivanenkov | |
| Saturday, 16 June 2007 | |
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Though people will argue this until it either happens or doesn't, I believe that USB drives are the next floppy. CD-R media is cheap (or free, if you look for the MIR deals), but it's not quite as convenient (Mount Rainier technology is still in its prime) and not nearly as durable. Floppy disks are all but gone. I know of only two real uses: startup disk/format utility and Norton Ghosting, both of which can be solved. It's now possible to boot with a lot of USB drives (a lot also depends on the motherboard) and major corporations (Dell) are already beginning to phase out the FDD, leaving it as an optional add-on. Generally speaking, the USB flash drive is lighter, smaller, more durable and in one word, better than a floppy. Though I've never actually seen the inside of one, I would venture to say it's nothing more than a TSOP/BGA memory module with a USB port. With 2gb capacities (though at a Bentley premium), it's also capable of storing more information than even the new 100minute/900mb CD-Rs. As for DVD drives, there are still way too many formats and only recently did Sony introduce the "ultimate" drive that's capable of using four of the more prevalent ones. Media isn't the cheapest though and not as readily available. Not to mention the fact that not nearly as many people have DVD-ROMs as they do USB ports, something that's now as common as the floppy drive. Only two major issues still exist with flash USB disks: they're still pretty expensive for larger capacities (64-128mb is the sweet spot) and only a select few are USB2.0 compatible. True, only now are laptops appearing with such a commodity (Dell's upcoming 8500 for instance), but it's quickly becoming the standard, one which needs to be adopted as soon as possible.
According to the package, you're supposed to receive a USB extension cable, though the line stating this has been crossed out with a black marker, probably because you don't actually get one. If you were to, it would reside in the lower portion of the retail-shelf package. But it doesn't. Tough luck. The only time this becomes a problem is if you're trying to plug the drive into a port while there's something else in the adjacent one (assuming they're in motherboard-like orientation). The back of the package has some specs on it along with a "quick step" installation list.
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 16 June 2007 ) |
