Question about USB drive?

[trueman]

I would like to get an external USB drive to back up clients data but at over $400 Aust its a little out of my budget. I was thinking of trying out the small USB thumb drives as I can pick up a 256mb thumb drive for $119.00.
I know that 256mb isn't much but I only deal with small business and home users and only want to offer the back up option to save their important data such as accounting files, e-mails favourites etc whilst I perform the work on their computer.
Their porn and MP3's is their problem although I could back up 256mb at a time and then take it home and burn it to disc I suppose.

Anyway my question is do these thumb drives work okay for doing this type of thing and will 256mb be enough for most users data?

[crouse]

I'd invest in an external cd burner instead, for what your doing. That way you can store 600 mbs of data per cd and charge them for doing it. (they do get to keep the cdrs) ...... USB external cd burner. 256 might not be enough room.

[shahani]

They work but you can pick up an external 80GB USB 2 drive for under $100 at Staples.

[trueman]

Shahani,

For some reason you are on my ignore list. I don't know why as i have never put anyone on my ignore list and I don't think you have ever replied to any of my posts before.
With regard to your reply I am in Aust so we don't have Staples and an 80gb external drive here in Aust is around $300.00. (Thats about $270.00US)

Crouse,

I might check out that external cd burner option but I thought they would be just as expensive as a usb external drive anyway.

[trueman]

I can get a Iomega external USb cd-burner for $248.00 from Dick Smith. However this is only $50.00 short of a USB hdd and $128.00 more than my 256mb thumb drive. With four kids and chrsitmas just around the corner its not in my budget. As long as the thumb drive will do the job that will have to do for now until I can eventually afford to buy a large 40gb USB drive.

[shahani]

The ignore list is a problem that occurred with the Forum a while back. I don't know how you can correct it.

External burners are under $75 here. Australia seems an expensive place. But with what you say, the USB will certainly work but may be tedious if files are over 250MB.

[trueman]

Originally posted by shahani
The ignore list is a problem that occurred with the Forum a while back. I don't know how you can correct it.

Hopefully a mod will see this post and can fix it. I used to see your name on the ignore list of other posts and thought that a lot of people don't like you for some reason. Now I realise that you were on my ignore list.

External burners are under $75 here. Australia seems an expensive place. But with what you say, the USB will certainly work but may be tedious if files are over 250MB.

The problem with Australia is that we are under populated. We are the same size as the USA but have a population of only 20 million. Therefore due to the scale of economics and extra costs involved with exports etc unfortunately things cost more.

[MDS]

"only want to offer the back up option to save their important data such as accounting files"

if you plan to backup accounting files it better be to cdr and let them keep them or you could be held in account for any accounting info. leaks. What would be best is a external burner and ghost image there drive and leave the image with them to keep safe, that way you will not have there business info. to be held liable with.

BTW I use an external sony DVD-R/+R drive to do client backups.