[NTLUG:Discuss] USB Memory Sticks

[Robert Pearson]

On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 10:19 AM, Stan Gatchel <sgatchel at psltech.com> wrote:
> Ralph,
>
> Thanks for the great response.
>
> Stan
>
> Ralph wrote:
>> Howdy,
>>   I am a little behind in my email, but I wrote something about this
>> recently.  Emphatically, I can say do not use a 32 GB USB flash drive as
>> archival media.  32 GB flash drives are MLC flash memory and are
>> unsuited to archival storage, even with multiple copies.  If you don't
>> know what MLC memory is, google it or read a short article I wrote on
>> the local unix user group site recently.
>>   http://www.dfwuug.org/wiki/Main/FlashMemory
>>
>>  SLC based flash drives are getting harder to find and 4 gigabytes seems
>> to be the maximum size available as of the end of 2008.  I just bought a
>> couple of drives that meet most of your specs, other than the size.
>> They were "MEMOREX 2GB M Flyer Travel Drive USB 2.0 FlashDrive".  I may
>> take one of them apart when they arrive to see if I can confirm that
>> they are really SLC based flash.  If you want to talk about it, look for
>> me on the #dfwuug channel on irc.freenode.net.  It is new for the Unix
>> group.  If it gets popular, then NTLUG ought to think about starting
>> one.
>>   I don't trust any one medium for long term storage.  No digital medium
>> is good enough, and MLC flash is not even in the running.  I'd trust MO
>> disk as much as anything, but renewal of your archives is an ongoing
>> process.  There is lots of information on this subject online, and I
>> think we have a couple of members locally who know a fair bit about the
>> subject(not me, I'm a beginner at long term archival).
>> Good luck,
>> Ralph
>>
>>
>> On Sat, 2008-10-04 at 09:58 -0500, Stan Gatchel wrote:
>>
>>> I am looking for a good 32GB USB 2 Memory Stick that works well with Linux:
>>>
>>> 1. Rugged
>>> 2 Fast (12MB+ write?)
>>> 3. Stable (stores data for a long time without loss)
>>> 4. Retractable connector (optional but preferred)
>>> 5. Reliable
>>>
>>> Any suggestions as to brand, model, and where to buy?

Take a look at this article:
"Fast, tough pocket storage" Posted by Robin Harris @ 11:17 pm
http://blogs.zdnet.com/storage/?p=358

[Article excerpt]
I've owned a couple of dozen flash drives starting back when they were
a dollar a megabyte. Several of them have broken - usually when most
needed.
But I've found a flash drive that not only handles the rigors of my
car-keys-and-change pocket, but has also survived the washing machine.
And looks good enough for a business meeting - not scratched and
chipped like painted or hard plastic thumb drives - after 6 months of
use.
And it is fast - something I hadn't appreciated until I tested it.
That is important with a 16 GB thumb drive. Just last Friday I loaded
it up with 12 GB of HDV video files to drop off to my editor and it
only took about 15 minutes.
So what is this wonderful gizmo? The 16 GB Corsair Voyager GT USB flash drive.

[rdpcomment]
As of the September 2008 time frame the street price of this drive was ~$60.
This has gone up to $70-$90. Probably due to demand.
I could find no mention of archival properties on the manufacturers web site.
http://www.corsair.com/products/voyager/default.aspx
or the product data sheet:
http://www.corsair.com/_datasheets/CMFUSB2.0-8GB.pdf


>>> Also, how do these stack up against DVD's for backup/archival purposes?

There seems to be a lot of misinformation about CD/DVD archive life.
People like to compare them to their audio and video disks which seem infinite.
There is a big difference in the physical properties of these disks.
AFAIK, commercial "for resale" audio and video disks are made the same
way as vinyl records.
They are pressed from a mold made of a master CD/DVD. AFAIK, the
master is recorded using very expensive recording equipment and
extended life CD/DVD blanks. This improves the archive properties
beyond what a home PC CD/DVD can do.
There have been some improvements in PC burners and CD/DVD media.
This article is a little dated but I haven't seen anything better:

"Storage expert warns of short life span for burned CDs"
And don't count on hard disk drives for long-term storage, either
John Blau - January 10, 2006 (Computerworld)
<<http://computerworld.com/hardwaretopics/storage/story/0,10801,107607,00.html>>

Who is Kurt Gerecke of IBM Deutschland GmbH?
http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Gerecke_Kurt_910165594.aspx


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