Wednesday, June 20, 2007

computer geek advice needed

I might as well rename my blog "So I'm moving...", since that seems to be the impetus for 3 out of every 4 blogs these days (the impetus for the other 1 seems to be "hilarious videos from 15 years ago").

So I'm moving, and one of the special challenges is figuring out what to do with my computer files. Dick and I recently bought a shiny new Mac, which will be our computer for home and mine for school. I've still got my 1999 Compaq desktop, and there are many files I wish to keep on my Dell laptop from work, including all of the digital photos related to my future grad school work. The Compaq and all the trimmings is going to the highest bidder ($15? Anyone? Anyone?) once I've cleaned off the hard drive, and the Dell, natch, will reclaimed by Southern Private University when I cease to be their employee.

Thus, I need to transfer all the files I want to keep from the computers I will no longer have to the computer I do have. I have a thumb drive, which could do the trick, but I'm also starting to think I may want to take this opportunity to create a more permanent backup/storage solution for the stuff that, if lost, would cause a great wailing and gnashing of teeth. It's likely that in school I'll be doing digital photo and video stuff, meaning I'll need a pretty hefty storage limit. I'm also kind of poor.

I was thinking online backup/storage, but that shit is too expensive (unless you know of something cheaper, dear reader). Now I'm leaning toward the external hard drive solution, but I haven't a clue what to get. I want something for around $50 that is smallish but not so small I'll lose it, durable, 80ish gigs or so, and cheap. Did I mention cheap?

2 comments:

Lisa B. said...

Cheap is relative, but you're probably not going to find a much more economical solution than this: http://www.pcconnection.com/ProductDetail?Sku=6670945

You will probably be able to find a slightly better price on eBay if you're willing to work for it.

Anonymous said...

I have a really lovely 60 gig Firelite external drive. It's wee and light, but sadly it retails for $109. But I get to keep a mirror of both my home and work computers, photos, music and all.

There's always your 100 Gmail invites. Right now that comes out at 280 gigabytes. But sending all those emails could be tiresome.