Spring Break
The Tech Factor: Friends don't let friends use floppies
by Jon Melenson
Forum | 3/18/03
Posted online at 6:40 AM EST on 3/18/03
Zip Disks: One popular alternative to the floppy drive that has been used for quite some time is the Iomega Zip Disk. They're bundled with many computers these days, particularly the Dells that you can order through Brandeis. At a first glance, they may seem appealing with their 100 to 250 megabytes of storage space, but don't be fooled: Thirty percent of all Zip drives fail within their first year of use. Also, despite their popularity, many computers are still not equipped with Zip drives, making them an unreliable means of transferring data from one machine to another.
CD Writable/ReWritable: Another popular method of storing data that has emerged within the last few years is the writable CD. Newer CD's are capable of holding up to 700 megabytes of data and are much more reliable than floppies. Discs are cheap too, costing less than $1 each when bought in bulk. ReWritable CD's, like writable CD's, are also good for storage, but are best suited to transferring small files back and forth from computer to computer. The discs are, however, not as reliable for long term storage due to their rewritable nature, and should not be used to make important backups. Other disadvantages of burnable CD's are that some older CD-ROM drives may not be able to read the discs, and they can get scratched fairly easily.
USB Memory Drives: USB drives are the latest craze to hit the computer industry, the trend having begun in Asia. These tiny little devices are fast and incredibly compact, able to squeeze up to a gigabyte of memory into a space roughly half the size of a credit card. They're also much more durable than floppies, since they don't contain any moving parts. And, although a little pricey, they're only going to get cheaper and better, making them a good choice as a floppy alternative.
Your UNet Home Directory: Another great, yet little known way to backup or transfer files when on campus is to use your UNet file space. Your file space is your own personal space on the school's computers that you can use to store files or host a webpage. In order to take advantage of this resource I highly recommend downloading a handy little program called SSH. You can get it by going to http://web.brandeis.edu/pages/view/Support/SSHSecureShell.
Follow the instructions on the page to download and configure the program. Once you're set up, moving your files is a matter of merely dragging and dropping them from one location to another. Apple users can find instructions on http://web.brandeis.edu/pages/view/Support/UNetHomeDirectoryMac.
Remember, there are many alternatives to floppies, so the next time you need to save a paper, make the right choice and put down that floppy. And if you happen to see a friend or stranger about to make what could be a disastrous mistake, take away his disk and inform him of the error of his ways. He'll be glad you did.
-- Jonathan Melenson '04 is a UNet consultant. Feel free to send questions, comment, and marriage proposals to him at techcolumn@brandeis.edu. The Justice is not to be held responsible for the consequences of following the advice printed in this column.
CD Writable/ReWritable: Another popular method of storing data that has emerged within the last few years is the writable CD. Newer CD's are capable of holding up to 700 megabytes of data and are much more reliable than floppies. Discs are cheap too, costing less than $1 each when bought in bulk. ReWritable CD's, like writable CD's, are also good for storage, but are best suited to transferring small files back and forth from computer to computer. The discs are, however, not as reliable for long term storage due to their rewritable nature, and should not be used to make important backups. Other disadvantages of burnable CD's are that some older CD-ROM drives may not be able to read the discs, and they can get scratched fairly easily.
USB Memory Drives: USB drives are the latest craze to hit the computer industry, the trend having begun in Asia. These tiny little devices are fast and incredibly compact, able to squeeze up to a gigabyte of memory into a space roughly half the size of a credit card. They're also much more durable than floppies, since they don't contain any moving parts. And, although a little pricey, they're only going to get cheaper and better, making them a good choice as a floppy alternative.
Your UNet Home Directory: Another great, yet little known way to backup or transfer files when on campus is to use your UNet file space. Your file space is your own personal space on the school's computers that you can use to store files or host a webpage. In order to take advantage of this resource I highly recommend downloading a handy little program called SSH. You can get it by going to http://web.brandeis.edu/pages/view/Support/SSHSecureShell.
Follow the instructions on the page to download and configure the program. Once you're set up, moving your files is a matter of merely dragging and dropping them from one location to another. Apple users can find instructions on http://web.brandeis.edu/pages/view/Support/UNetHomeDirectoryMac.
Remember, there are many alternatives to floppies, so the next time you need to save a paper, make the right choice and put down that floppy. And if you happen to see a friend or stranger about to make what could be a disastrous mistake, take away his disk and inform him of the error of his ways. He'll be glad you did.
-- Jonathan Melenson '04 is a UNet consultant. Feel free to send questions, comment, and marriage proposals to him at techcolumn@brandeis.edu. The Justice is not to be held responsible for the consequences of following the advice printed in this column.
