Flash drive?

[myxpykalix]

You can tell its getting closer to arrival time cuz i'm asking tons of questions! I recall talk in the shopbot class about a "flash drive"? to take files created on your pc in the house out to the shop...can anyone elabotrate on what specifically it is called, and what where the best place is to get one? thanks

[myxpykalix]

did some digging, found its called a "flash drive" and found this one: PNY Attaché 512MB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Model: P-FD512U20. Is 512Meg big enough for what we do? Don't have my bot yet so don't know average workfile sizes.

[mikejohn]

Jack
512mb is enormous!
I have just looked at a 9000 line file and it is 310kbs.
I'm one of these odd guys that run on DOS on an old laptop, with a broken CD reader, so I transfer via floppy!!!
I am upgrading (promise) and intend to use a flash drive.

They are not expensive items, so go for whatever one you are comfortable with.

Welcome to the club!
Keep posting.

................Mike

[frank_hav]

Jack
I use a USB memory stick all the time.(128MB)
File size depends on several factors, however I do alot of complex 3D work and my largest file to date is less than 10MB.

I also run from the USB stick but depending on computer speed and age, you may want to copy the file to your hard drive. Then run the file from there.

Frank

[dhunt]

128Mb is more than you'll usually need.

A 'RAM-stick' is what's it's sometimes called,
but I believe the correct terminology(at the computer store) is 'USB Key'

Looks like a cigarette lighter,
and about the same size,shape,proportions

Dirt cheap these days, for the smaller capacities..

[dhunt]

Mike,
hard to believe that, in August of the Year 2006
you are still writing .sbp cut files TO A FLOPPY!

Good Grief, man..
I'm stuck here on a lil Caribbean island,
and we've been using a USB Key for cut files for some time now.

Please,please, Mike, come forward to the rest of us, here in the future!
If you give me your Postal Address, I'll even buy you one locally(equiv. of US$15)
and mail it to you.

We converted when floppies started giving too much inconsistencies, silly errors,etc.

[zeykr]

Jack, Office depot has a 1 gig memory stick that is $19 after mail in rebate. Bought another yesterday - I now have three and carry them on my key ring. I run the .sbp files directly from the memory stick and 1 gig is big enough to keep lots of .sbp files on. You can buy them at walmart, radio shack, or any office or computer store.

[mikejohn]

David
Thanks for the offer, but we still run the computer on coal!

I actually have a PC to use, just need to make the change over.
Then, do I stay with the DOS I know and love, or do I go to (gulp!) Windows?

..............Mike

[gerald_d]

What Mike calls a floppy, is called a stiffy here. Apparently we are the only country that all have stiffies


(google stiffy if you don't believe me)

Also, here a popular name for a "usb flash drive" is "thumb drive". Today's local price for 1 Gig is $48.

[mikejohn]

If you think, for 1 second I am going to get into a conversation about stiffies at my time of life!!!!!

[dhunt]

Mike,
funny you should say what you did, about your hesitance to switch from the older DOS software(2.39 last I remember?)
to the new fangled, multi-windowed Windoze 3.4.25
a switch I'm making right now, for the last month or so.

I'm grateful I learnt so well, so many of the 2-key commands,
coz if you don't know that stuff, you have quite a bit of mousework to do with the new control software.

At times I think I really should go back to 2.39(just this morning, in fact)
- either that or does anyone have a 3.4 version that can interface with me
via a single full-screen DOSlike display??
I'm still trying to figure out why the X Y and Z co-ordinates need to be kept on a separate red window to the operating commands section,
the two often annoyingly overlap each other and have to be clicked on,
or dragged aside
(no, I don't have a 19 inch screen like you)...stuff like that.

Honestly? My advice would be to stick with 2.39 as long as you're getting decent results,
even though I'm sure 3.4 has all sortsa cute tricks up it sleeve, yet to be 'revealed'(discovered)!

One such trick is NUDGE, but then with your smaller cogs on the motor shafts, Nudge wouldn't be that necessary(although nice)...

It's your call..