New use for USB flash drive

[KarlMarx]

A USB flash drive is a small device, about the size of a stick of gum that you plug into one of the USB ports on your laptop or desktop. They don't require batteries, and don't have to be recharged.

You can buy a 1GB size USB flash drive for about $40, and a 2GB flash drive for about $89.

I used to use a palm pilot for my personal to do list, contacts and calendar and an iPod to hold music to listen to while I was at work.

That is until my brother told me that I could export Outlook contacts, tasks and so on to a USB and update it from there. I then decided to try copying music files over as well. Not only did that work, but I can play music off of the USB flash drive using Windows Media Player.

I now use only a USB flash drive (it's password protected) at work. I can keep track of my personal contacts, calendars and things to do, while listening to music.

The downside is that the capacity is limited, so I can only store about 20 hours worth of music, and unlike an iPod or a palm pilot, I can't update it without a computer. Of course, for me, these aren't problems, I always used my palm pilot and my iPod at work.

On the plus side, it's cheaper than having a palm pilot ($199) and an iPod (about the same price), it doesn't need batteries, doesn't have to be recharged and doesn't have to be synced with Outlook.

 

[Bullypulpit]

A USB flash drive is a small device, about the size of a stick of gum that you plug into one of the USB ports on your laptop or desktop. They don't require batteries, and don't have to be recharged.

You can buy a 1GB size USB flash drive for about $40, and a 2GB flash drive for about $89.

I used to use a palm pilot for my personal to do list, contacts and calendar and an iPod to hold music to listen to while I was at work.

That is until my brother told me that I could export Outlook contacts, tasks and so on to a USB and update it from there. I then decided to try copying music files over as well. Not only did that work, but I can play music off of the USB flash drive using Windows Media Player.

I now use only a USB flash drive (it's password protected) at work. I can keep track of my personal contacts, calendars and things to do, while listening to music.

The downside is that the capacity is limited, so I can only store about 20 hours worth of music, and unlike an iPod or a palm pilot, I can't update it without a computer. Of course, for me, these aren't problems, I always used my palm pilot and my iPod at work.

On the plus side, it's cheaper than having a palm pilot ($199) and an iPod (about the same price), it doesn't need batteries, doesn't have to be recharged and doesn't have to be synced with Outlook.

I also set up flash drives with copies of medical histories, medications, physicians and emergency contact info for my mother and my aunt. Had the cases engraved with EMERGENCY MEDICAL INFO.

Most every ER has PC's with compatible USB ports.

 

[KarlMarx]

I also set up flash drives with copies of medical histories, medications, physicians and emergency contact info for my mother and my aunt. Had the cases engraved with EMERGENCY MEDICAL INFO.

Most every ER has PC's with compatible USB ports.

That's good to know! Thanks!

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Install linux on it

 

[MrJim]

A USB flash drive is a small device, about the size of a stick of gum that you plug into one of the USB ports on your laptop or desktop. They don't require batteries, and don't have to be recharged.

You can buy a 1GB size USB flash drive for about $40, and a 2GB flash drive for about $89.

I used to use a palm pilot for my personal to do list, contacts and calendar and an iPod to hold music to listen to while I was at work.

That is until my brother told me that I could export Outlook contacts, tasks and so on to a USB and update it from there. I then decided to try copying music files over as well. Not only did that work, but I can play music off of the USB flash drive using Windows Media Player.

I now use only a USB flash drive (it's password protected) at work. I can keep track of my personal contacts, calendars and things to do, while listening to music.

The downside is that the capacity is limited, so I can only store about 20 hours worth of music, and unlike an iPod or a palm pilot, I can't update it without a computer. Of course, for me, these aren't problems, I always used my palm pilot and my iPod at work.

On the plus side, it's cheaper than having a palm pilot ($199) and an iPod (about the same price), it doesn't need batteries, doesn't have to be recharged and doesn't have to be synced with Outlook.

Aren't they advertised to provide broadband?

 

[PoliticalChic]

Those are great. I was thinking about getting a external harddrive, but from the reviews they didn't seem as reliable.

We have a whole bunch of those laying around and we back up as much as we can with it. Nice to know that you can install software too on it

 

[MrJim]

A USB flash drive is a small device, about the size of a stick of gum that you plug into one of the USB ports on your laptop or desktop. They don't require batteries, and don't have to be recharged.

You can buy a 1GB size USB flash drive for about $40, and a 2GB flash drive for about $89.

I used to use a palm pilot for my personal to do list, contacts and calendar and an iPod to hold music to listen to while I was at work.

That is until my brother told me that I could export Outlook contacts, tasks and so on to a USB and update it from there. I then decided to try copying music files over as well. Not only did that work, but I can play music off of the USB flash drive using Windows Media Player.

I now use only a USB flash drive (it's password protected) at work. I can keep track of my personal contacts, calendars and things to do, while listening to music.

The downside is that the capacity is limited, so I can only store about 20 hours worth of music, and unlike an iPod or a palm pilot, I can't update it without a computer. Of course, for me, these aren't problems, I always used my palm pilot and my iPod at work.

On the plus side, it's cheaper than having a palm pilot ($199) and an iPod (about the same price), it doesn't need batteries, doesn't have to be recharged and doesn't have to be synced with Outlook.

I probably got hooked, but I just ordered a 4gb for $12. Guess it won't be too big a waste when I find out what I'm doing and get the right thing.

 

[MrJim]

I probably got hooked, but I just ordered a 4gb for $12. Guess it won't be too big a waste when I find out what I'm doing and get the right thing.

I got the 4gb drive, and I'm amazed. For my useage, that's plenty big, and cheap enough. I'll never understand how they do it, though.

 

[waltky]

Granny waitin' fer `em to buy out dat abacus company she got stock in...

Western Digital to buy SanDisk in $19 billion deal
Wed Oct 21, 2015 - Hard-disk drive maker Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) agreed to buy SanDisk Corp (SNDK.O) in a $19 billion deal that will increase its ability to make flash memory storage chips used in smartphones and tablets.

SanDisk shares hit a high of $78.50 on Wednesday, but closed nearly $10 below the offer price of $86.50 in cash and stock, a fact that analysts attributed to the deal's complexity. Western Digital said the value of the transaction hinges on the closing of an investment in the company by Unisplendour Corp Ltd, a unit of China's state-backed Tsinghua Holdings Co Ltd [TSHUAA.UL]. Unisplendour said in September it would buy 15 percent of Western Digital for $3.78 billion, a deal that is likely to face regulatory scrutiny amid national security concerns.

Western Digital Chief Executive Steve Milligan said in an interview that the Sandisk acquisition will ultimately dilute Unisplendor's stake and that he was highly confident it would be approved by regulators. "There's always a risk and you're not done until you're done, but we were careful and consulted with U.S. government experts," he said. Western Digital's move to buy SanDisk is the latest in a flurry of deals in the U.S. semiconductor industry, which has been hit by a supply glut and cheaper products from China that have driven down memory chip prices.

Earlier on Wednesday, semiconductor equipment maker Lam Research (LRCX.O) agreed to buy rival KLA-Tencor Corp (KLAC.O) in a deal valued at about $10.6 billion. Research firm Gartner said in October that worldwide semiconductor sales are expected to fall for the first time in three years in 2015, due partly to increasingly saturated market for smartphones. Western Digital, a major player in the traditional storage industry, needs access to SanDisk's NAND technology to better compete in the market for solid-state drives used in cloud computing, data centers, smartphones and laptops.

MORE

 

[Dajjal]

I used a USB flash drive to copy all my text files over from my old computer. I used to write everything to CD disks, but the flash drive is far more efficient.

 

[Ringel05]

Damn Waltky, you gotta be kidding, this thread is from 2006.......
Did you see the friggin' price on a 1 and 2 GB stick???!!!!!!!!