The Portable Freeware Collection Forums

I am using a USB HDD for all my apps. USB memory sticks are just too slow in writing, plus they have a lmiited number of write cycles.

I use a 160GB Freecom Tough Drive Pro. The reason I went for that is that it has a built in USB connector which saves having to remember to carry an additional cable.

When I first discovered this excellent site I was using a Sandisk 4GB U3 flash drive, but decided to get a USB HD for the extra speed and storage. Initially I got a 160GB drive in a 2.5" enclosure from ebay, but had issues with it losing it's connection to the PC. I believe that the drive needed just a little too much power than it can get from a USB port. So I decided to get a branded drive instead and the Freecom has proved to be very reliable so far. No power issues at all, and the added convenience of the inbuilt connector.

Jason.

right now im using a
Lexar 360 2gig
before i used a Seagate pocket hardrive 5gig but super slow so i got the lexar

I'm using a 10GB Toshiba 2.5" laptop drive, taken from a now defunct Sony Laptop (it bit the bullet long before I removed the HD sadly). Although, it is a minor irritation to have to carry a cable around, I find that the superior capacity convenient, meaning that I have no worries about not having enough space for all my apps/games/crap. As Andrew pointed out, I also have concerns about the longevity of flash drives used daily, with repeated accesses. Using the HD, I don't have to worry so much about such issues.

I also use a USB HDD for most portable work. However, I also have a 2 GB TravelDrive thumbdrive and have that in the school backpack, loaded with apps appropriate for schoolwork (incl. OpenOffice) and my school documents and such are in encrypted folders using Remora DiskGuard...for school, I find the thumbdrive a little more convenient.

For my thumbdrive, once I have it more or less setup how I like it, I burn it to a DVD-RW so that if I am out somewhere and the drive dies, I can recreate my setup quickly after buying a new drive.

Mainly I have an used 80 Gb HD (3,5") with external alimentation... Like Darkbee, I have planned to resume a 2,5" unit (40 Gb) from a dead laptop... I already have the box and the cables...

I also have a 512 Mb Key (slow) and I am thinking to buy another SD Card reader/writer (6$) with a fast SD card.
My reader (Hama) looks like a stick and, with my SD for the camera (SanDisk Ultra II, 1 GB) the copies run at 6Mb/sec. (including HD Writing time). It would be nice to use it with a 2GB Ultra III (I guess it copies at 9Mb/sec) but it costs even 100$...

Does someone know about limited writing cycles on SD cards?

I don´t know how much they are projected to last...

I use a 200x ATP ToughDrive rated at >100,000 read/write erase cycles, which is about 10x more cycles than typical flash memory. Amazingly fast...

I am presently using for daily work a 4 Gb USB 2.0 pendrive (=30 euro) that ensures to me to have my preffered programs, some Linux stuff (modules or extensions) to be combined with some Live Linux filesystems (DSL, Puppy and Slax) after booting, plus enough room for trials and to build my bootable ISOs, and a copy of the last versions of my builds.

It is a little slow compared to a USB-HD, but it is very comfortable due to its small size.

For the source programs, security copies and backups and for a bigger repository of 'all' the programs, I have a 2.5 ' 80 Gb USB-HD, that is very fast but naturally bulky than the pendrive.

*JT.

My employer upgraded my laptop and I talked them into getting the Apricorn case for the old 40GB 2.5" HDD. Works like a charm!

I mainly use a Western Digital 120GB USB drive which I can attach to any of a Work WINXP laptop, a Personal PCLOS/WINXP laptop, and several personal (various linux) desktops. I also use a Staples Relay 512MB USB drive for 'front pocket' emergency situations. And I carry a couple of other USB sticks of various sizes and ages (from 32MB to 2GB) for data transfers (I work in IT).

Edit: Since others are adding Linux comments;
I also have an old 10gb laptop drive in a $20 Compusa enclosure with a bootable PCLinuxOS 2007. I use it mostly to demo linux to associates when I only have my work laptop.

newsomer wrote:My employer upgraded my laptop and I talked them into getting the Apricorn case for the old 40GB 2.5" HDD. Works like a charm!

Update: My wife stole my 40GB laptop/Apricorn drive so I went out and took advantage of a rebate sale at Office Depot on a WD 120GB Passport at $70. Faster, smaller, lighter, steal from me will she?

Heres the stuff I am using

For most of my apps I am using a 4GB Patriot Xporter (about 40$$) for the rest (ISOs and other junk that I cant think of...) I am using an old Western Digital 120Gig that was sitting in my old PC for 2 years...with a 20$ enclosure
Hey...120 Gigs for 20 bucks (out of pocket)....I don't care that its a little bulky
I also have a 1 Gig with a Install of Knoppix Linux on it as well as a few important apps

Using a TakeMS Easy 8 GB drive.

It came with a software suite, but I actually deleted it, in favor for my own set of tools. at the moment is is sunning 750 mb of tools all managed by pegtop.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was using a 1GB Kingston DataTraveller which regularly corrupted everything on the drive. So I snapped it into many little pieces.

I'm now using my 8GB 2nd gen iPod nano, with portable apps menu to manage my various software (mostly developer/diagnostic based, but including yamipod for ipod management straight off the ipod )

I'm currently using a kingston datatraveler 256, a samsung 4GB flash pen (which runs loads faster than the Kingston) and whatever flash cards I have lying around.

I'm saving my pennies though for the Western Digital Passport 160GB.
My Fiancée has one and it runs like a dream.