On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 13:38:37 -0400, "Arny Krueger"
wrote:

dave weil wrote:
On 30 Apr 2004 16:58:41 GMT, in rec.audio.opinion you wrote:


The first problem most people run into while doing backup, is
dealing with files that are larger than the media that you are
using. You didn't identify your operating system, but all varieties
of Windows and DOS since DOS 3.0 or so have included some kind of
a program that will break large files up so they can be spread over
several pieces of media. The Backup program that came with DOS 4
and every subsequent version of Windows has also included some kind
of file compression facility.


My operating system is Windows XP Home Edition. The computer is a
Dell Dimension 8200 with separate drives for floppy disc, CD, and
DVD. The computer did come preloaded with Roxio software for disc
copying.

You know, I was just thinking that a 512 mb Compact Flash card might
work well for backups of large and varied files. Anyone think of a
reason that might make it not such a good idea?

Compact Flash media basically requires that a Compact Flash reader be
attached to a desktop computer like Bruce's Dimension 8200.

Is this a real problem though? Wouldn't *any* drive have to be
connected in order to do backups? Of course, you could use something
like a remote connection between that computer and another "off-site"
one, but I don't know if that's worth the trouble, plus, you lose the
portability unless you're dumping the data onto a removable drive of
*some sort*. Once you back up the card, you remove it to a remote site
anyway, right?

Not a problem as CF readers are widely sold for very low prices. Of course,
the readers are typically USB devices. Why not just get a USB flash memory
device and save the bother of the reader?

Isn't that just (as my mom used to say) 6 of one, half a dozen of the
other? You wouldn't have to necessarily use CF, but capacity doesn't
become an issue like it does with other formats. Or are you talking
about some sort of device that doesn't use a reader of some sort (even
if it's permanently built in to the desktop or laptop)?

The answer to this depends on whether or not you have some other device
that can use a CF card. Flash memory formats are proliferating so fast that
I despair at the thought of ever buying another device that would use the
two CF cards I own.

Well, for instance, if you have an Olympus camera, you might want to
use *their* format. That would be logical. You might not want to use
Sony's format because of the 128 mg limit (I think that they've been
working on that though...) It just seemed to me that CF, being very
widely used with cameras, would be the logical choice, especially with
the large capacity that they offer. And the price is pretty reasonable
as well.

The USB flash memory devices are so convenient for moving data around with,
that we ended up with one of those, too. When you're playing sneakernet, its
nice to not have to carry a reader around.

I might be missing something, but don't you *still* need a reader of
some sort?