Vince wrote:cthia wrote:You don't have to tell me about the vulnerability of the "paper cuts" versions. One of my brothers was playing with sparklers and the ignoramus (my sister called him that LOL) lit one in his library. All was fine. Then he let a 1-yr-old neighbor's daughter hold one in her hand while he lit it with his (she quickly became afraid (they light so quickly that way and she wasn't quite prepared, already being nervous) while holding it and threw it in the air. It got lodged in the fire sensors and initiated the sprinkler system which did over 3 grand of damage to his library. Oops.
This is the information age. I am a staunch supporter of it. I love e-books. I just want my first read of my favorite authors to be replete with paper cuts and the rustling of pages. Especially in the winter snuggled by a crackling fireplace on the sofa. Although my fireplace doesn't crackle like my parents' did - gas powered.
I currently only purchase 128GB sd cards and thumb drives. I have thousands of ebooks on that card too, as well as the complete 50GB English version of Wikipedia, 5GB Wiktionary, wikibooks, etc., etc., etc. Casual research can be effected anywhere now.
Current digital technologies make a trip to the doctors' office an enjoyment. I'm actually a bit sad sometimes when they call for me while sitting in the waiting room, for that annual checkup.
That's another reason I don't like E-readers, they have an external memory card storage limit - if they even accept external microsd cards. Most do not accept an external card of 128GB. Most are limited to 32GB, at least they were.
Perhaps external storage capacity has improved. But E-readers would have to be able to handle ALL of my reading needs. Wikipedia, and Java capability is a must.
For long term storage, don't use flash media (SSDs, SD cards, USB flash (thumb) drives for
unpowered, offline backup storage, or even regularly accessed storage. The electron charges will slowly discharge over time (the more bits you store in an individual cell, the less margin for error you have when you attempt to read it, meaning the smaller the flash drive/card and the higher the capacity, the faster the electron charge dissipates), rendering the data on the media either corrupt or unreadable over time. When an
SSD flash drive* is powered on, it will occasionally read and rewrite the data as part of its behind the scene housekeeping, restoring the charge in the cells.
* By SSD flash drive, I mean one that is connected to a personal computer using a SATA (serial ATA) or later bus (and the PC is regularly powered on). USB flash drives (not USB hard disk drives), and SD flash memory cards+ do not have this automatic rewrite capability, it has to be done manually by the user.
A flash drive manufacturer on
USB - How long will data stay valid for on a USB drive ?+ I think of Honorverse data chips that are physically handed from person to person to transfer information as these.
By definition, any complete Wikipedia download is out of date the second you start the download. By the time you finish the download, it's even more out of date.
Absolutely Vince! In fact, I wish Microsoft would license this post from you. Obviously, they are too busy to include something like this along with their "BACKUP" software. "Windows Backup" allows you to make a complete system image of your PC and store it on an external media for later reinstallation in times of emergency. So many of my friends, colleagues and casual acquaintances ask me (resident nerd) "Why does the Microsoft Backup/Recovery program not allow me to save my backup system image to my huge flash drive/sd card?"
After all, I do understand their reasoning because the numbers work. For instance, they may have a 64GB tablet and that 64GB houses their current Windows 10 OS, all of their installed programs and all user data - documents, photos, movies, etc., ...
"My expensive 128GB microsd card (or thumb drive) is twice the capacity of my system. So please tell me, Microsoft, why I can't backup my 64GB system to my 128GB flash media!!!"
Well, denizens of Earth, Vince's post is why! It isn't that it
can't be done, but that it shan't be done - because it
should not. Which is why they won't allow it. They're protecting the idiot in us. Afterall, it
is supposed to be a backup. And by the very nature of the technology, it is dying a slow death as soon as it's made. And by the very nature of when it will be needed — perhaps a long time in the future, makes it worse. A more traditional hard drive should be used for backup — one that actually has moving parts.
"Oh you mean one of the old-fashioned hard drives?"
"No, it isn't old-fashioned yet. Traditional hard drives have remained the backup media since their inception. They are labeled as true backup devices for a reason and they haven't yet been superseded by any other technology. They're still the "It Girl."
Again, just too bad that Microsoft doesn't try to educate in this regard when people try to pull it off anyways, instead of the cryptic "Backup to this media is not allowed," or whatever the current cryptic version is. Because people can sometimes spend days or more trying to accomplish something that they can't do no matter what they may try because they think it is just a matter of them doing something wrong.
Nevertheless, knowing these facts going in makes things much easier as long as you eat a bit of caviat along with your caviar. Personally, I look at flash drives as throwaway devices. Disposables. We are in the age of throw away electronics like razors.
If I may add to your post Vince. It's perfectly fine to use flash media as long term storage devices. 10 years or more carrying around my book collection and the very practical wikipedia is pretty long term enough. It just isn't practical for backup. In fact, the operative word which cannot be stressed enough is BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP! And not just any old BACKUP regimen will do, but PROPER BACKUP i.e., the correct media. Which Vince has just explained.
If you are in the habit of effecting proper backup, then "Alls well, that ends well." My aforementioned 128GB microsd card that houses the full 50GB English version of Wikipedia, 5GB Wiktionary and my thousands of ebooks rarely changes. Except when I add a new book or if I decide to upgrade Wikipedia. So this file has been backed up on the proper media which is less than 100GB - which can now be easily reinstated without hair loss.
Now, if I may be allowed to follow your lead and get a bit technical. The average person is not going to babysit their flash media and reformat&repopulate (how some geeks refer to it) in a timely fashion. I do! Yet my OS of choice is LINUX which has built-in utilities which accomplishes it for you. You can even choose the frequency of these unattended special type of (maintenance) backups. As of late, the capability is included in "some" wear leveling sofware as an addition. So, I always make sure that my flash media has been watered properly like garden flowers.
As for "wear leveling." Another even more serious limitation with flash media is its limitations on the "write" cycle. Theoretically, there is no limit on the number of reads. But there is a limitation on the number of writes. This limitation, depending on how the media is used, may be reached long before the 10 yr "normal" life of the media. It is important to employ a proper wear leveling system. It is a bit tricky with SSD's so read up. Again, LINUX has the capability built-in.
http://us.apacer.com/business/technology/wear-leveling=======================================================
This is why I purchased several cases of the IBM/Hitachi microdrives. Foresight.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicrodriveThey are invulnerable to this problem. I love my babies. In fact, they've proven to be invulnerable themselves. I purchased several cases of 8GB drives in 2006. I've only used two of 'em thus far and they are still going strong. I've intentionally tried to crash one. It just won't break. It has survived my dog having it in his mouth, a skateboard accident, and it is still carrying the Olympic torch. They are workhorses without the limitations of flash media.
Anothet word about backup. Laziness and inconvenience has been the main stumbling block preventing common habitual worldwide backup regimens. Backup oftentimes had to be effected by actually connecting an external device to your machine in the case of laptops, which are more prevalent now. It is inconvenient to have to sometimes disconnect a physical device currently in use because it is occupying the only existing port, to temporarily connect your backup device to effect the latest backup. This requirement affords too much opportunity for laziness to creep in. And it always does.
Enter the latest in Wifi backup afforded by some of the recent technology drives. This was the last piece of insignificant tech that brought the convenience to the
necessary computer backup
requirement full circle — made it whole, complete. There really is NO excuse now. Seemless, practical no muss and no fuss user scheduled backups.
So, Earthlings, get your backup on! Courtesy of the occupants of the Roswell crash.
P.S.
Vince, many people are quick to point this out. My friends as well.
By definition, any complete Wikipedia download is out of date the second you start the download. By the time you finish the download, it's even more out of date.
Nevertheless, for convenient research it remains indispensable to me. The information that I need in Wikipedia doesn't change. Physics equations, proofs, formulas, etc. For less version specific data, preliminary research can be effected offline while inside a "radio-free" cabin in the woods, then rechecked later.
Besides, "The Encyclopedia Britannica" publishing method was far more out of date by press time, yet we all somehow still managed didn't we?
.
