New portable storage options eliminating floppy disks
Gannett News Service
A floppy disk that holds a bit more than 1 megabyte of information is often too small to hold a research paper or a digital photo, let alone a PowerPoint presentation or a digital music file.
Some computer manufacturers have taken steps to eliminate floppy disk drives. In February, Dell Computer said it would stop making floppy drives standard equipment on higher-end desktop PCs. Buyers would have to order them as an option. Apple Computer eliminated floppies years ago.
Here's a look at two storage devices that connect to a computer's Universal Serial Bus (USB) .
Data Traveler
Kingston's new Data Traveler is a tiny flash-memory device. It comes in a case about the size of a pack of chewing gum. When plugged into a USB port, a computer treats it like another hard drive.
The Data Traveler devices have a silvery plastic case with rubber grip strips on each side. A little slider switch lets you lock or unlock the data inside, and there's a small opening at one end of the case if you want to attach a ring or lanyard.
If your PC is running Windows XP or Windows 2000, the computer will automatically recognize the Data Traveler when it's plugged in. For older versions of Windows, you must install the driver that Kingston provides on a CD. The Data Traveler also works with Macintosh computers.
The device comes in three capacity sizes: 32, 64 and 128 megabytes. The smallest version costs about $35, the jumbo about $85.
The 128-megabyte version is the best buy. It provides plenty of space for Word and Excel documents, PowerPoint presentations, reference files, a few MP3 music files and photos.
Iomega HDD
The Iomega HDD is an external hard drive for moving files or backups. It's ideal when 128 megabytes isn't enough storage for a large music, image or video collection.
The Iomega is a slim little hard drive that can hold 20 to 120 gigabytes of data. The drives snap into an adapter that attaches, like the flash-memory devices, to a computer's USB port.
Transfer speed isn't much of an issue if you're just moving a few megabytes. But when you're talking gigs of data, speed is important.
Because USB ports on some desktop computers are the older — and slower — version 1.1, moving a large volume of files can be time-consuming. With a newer USB 2.0 port, copying files to and from the drive is more than twice as fast.
The HDD is well-built for travel. It comes in a rugged plastic shell that's about the size of a personal digital assistant. It's a little beefy for a pocket, but can slip easily into a briefcase or backpack.
The 60-gigabyte HDD, Iomega's latest version of the drive, costs about $380 with a USB connection or about $400 with a FireWire adapter. The company also sells versions in 20-, 30-, 40-, 80- and 120-gigabyte capacities.
All models come with two very useful programs. One is Norton Ghost 2003, Windows software that will back up your entire system, including applications, data and system files. It's a blessing should you ever need to quickly reinstall Windows from scratch.
The other program is Iomega's own Automatic Backup software, which lets you designate files and folders for incremental backups.
The combination of speed when using the drive with a USB 2.0 or FireWire connection, and its capacity and portability makes the HDD an attractive option for large-scale file transfers or convenient backups.
