[SLL] backup to Windows, restore on Linux

[Glenn Stone]

On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 06:58:54PM -0700, Bill Campbell wrote:
>As others have suggested, you could also use a USB stick, but that's going
>to be considerably slower than a hard drive, and probably not as useful
>when you're done.

Disagree here.  It *does* depend on the USB-stick, though.  An el cheapo
stick is USB 1.1 at best, which is 12 megabits/sec.  Ssssllloooowwww.  But
most of the new ones are USB2, which is 400 megabits, or somewhat upwards of
40 mega*bytes* per second.  ATA133 hard drives run at 40 to 45 MB/sec; SATA
1's (does a quick test) run at 68, which is a little faster but not a huge
difference on the dataset we're talking about (2 minutes vs. a minute
fifteen on 5GB - biggish percentage-wise but if you're already waiting one
minute for a data transfer an extra one is gonna be well-nigh unnoticeable;
either way when you get back from the coffeepot it's done. :).  Flash also
has the advantages that they're (a) cheap, (b) small and (c) solid state and
thus resistant to percussive damage.  I'd throw you a USB stick.  I'd *hand*
you the hard drive.  

I carry a bunch of USB sticks with me most places.  Some have OS's, some
useful data, some just blank for moving stuff.  I don't carry random hard
drives around. :) 

-- Glenn