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In article , says...
In message , Paul Mc Cann=20
writes

CPC (see FAQs) do a 512meg USB memory stick for about =A350

You can probably find them a bit cheaper elsewhere, but that's what I
use for backing up my company database every day

It's no way big enough for backing up a hard drive, but for transporti=
ng
data it's the canine gonads

Forget memory sticks at al. Get a CF card, now up to 5gb (yes Gigabyte,
we're talking reals mans storage here) in certain guises, or an SD card.
You will need a card reader with it. That way when you get that new
multi megapixel camera you can use the same memory cards.
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No - for several reasons
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1/ What does the average person need so much backup memory for ?
5 gigs is a lot
=20

The latest snap shot digital cameras have 5 megapixels and=20
correspondingly large files. These are only going to get bigger.=20
Digital images, (those precious, uggh , memories) eat up storage space=20
and these are the very ones you are going to want to back up/transfer .

Also given that even the most modest computer has a 60gb or thereabouts=20
hard drive 5 gb is not going to go that far doing a back-up, whatever=20
128mb will do.=20

512mb and 1gb cf cards are now very cheap and offer a lot more=20
versatility than the average memory stick =20

2/ How long before you (or rather I) lose it, carrying it about from=20
home to work?

Well I carry CF cards regularly and have yet to lose one, apart from=20
theft. Besides, whats to stop you from losing a memory stick ?
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3/ You can't just plug it into a computer unless you carry a card reader=
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around with you all the time

Memory card readers are very small and are available with the connector=20
built-in so its not even necessary to carry a cable. They plug straight=20
into the same socket as the memory stick. Besides how many computers=20
does the average person interface with? 2, 3 ? Its a lot easier having a=20
cf card reader attached to each one and sitting atop the cpu or=20
somewhere convenient than having to pull out the cpu to plug in the=20
memory stick if your computer doesn't have a usb socket on the front=20
panel.=20

4/ Err ...
=20
Exactly. 128mb memory sticks are very restricted in what they can do. CF=20
/SD cards being usable in cameras, MP3 players and some of the newer=20
mobile phones are much more versatile devices IMHO.
--=20
Paul Mc Cann