Path: csiph.com!weretis.net!feeder6.news.weretis.net!panix!.POSTED.panix5.panix.com!not-for-mail From: jeffj@panix.com (Jeff Jonas) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage,comp.sys.mac.hardware.storage Subject: Re: How many USB flash stick drives do you have right now? Date: Mon, 1 May 2023 09:53:04 -0000 (UTC) Organization: ferretronix.com Message-ID: References: Injection-Date: Mon, 1 May 2023 09:53:04 -0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: reader2.panix.com; posting-host="panix5.panix.com:166.84.1.5"; logging-data="26360"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@panix.com" Summary: I have many: new and vintage. Xref: csiph.com comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage:8370 comp.sys.mac.hardware.storage:1700 I lost count how many I have. I put them in ziplock bags sorted by capacity. Verbatim 16 gig "paper clip" drives were $1.77 at Brandsmart (Florida appliance store), so I bought maybe a dozen from 2019-2022. I load them with spec sheets and projects notes and put them in the parts bag or project box. That way, I can always find the notes or even hand it to someone else. As to oldest: - my Kingston 256 megger is the smallest in size and capacity. It looks like a 1x2 Lego piece! - my green 512 meg PNY Attache is the ONLY one with a real write-protect switch. I still use it for presentations to be ABSOLUTELY SURE my files are never corrupted! [in the early 2000s, PNY was often on sale at Staples or BJ's warehouse. Each size/capacity was a different color] *** I still use many old flash formats such as "smart media" (for embedded systems) and "Compact Flash" cards. *** WARNING: Microcenter's purple 256 gig flash drive LOVE TO FAIL :-( I have 3 dead ones right now. 1 gives read errors, 2 won't even enumerate. I've had several no-name show-swag flash drives fail on me, but real brand-name ones (Sandisk, PNY, Verbatim) tend to work well. *** Now that flash drives are commodities sold everywhere (CVS/Walgreens), "value engineering" has taken away just about everything: - no more lanyard - no more colored sleeves But taking away the activity LED and write-protect switch means they cannot be used responsibly :-( -- Jeffrey Jonas jeffj@panix(dot)com The original Dr. JCL and Mr .hide --