I have a box of assorted 1GB and 4GB USB drives.
Funny how stuff you’ve had for years just feels “normal” even when it’s highly unusual.
I just have boxes of defunct cables.
Oh, I have one of those too, but I suspect that’s more common even amongst non-computer users.
Is this ironic? They have been very common gadgets and regularly become trivially cheap gadget at increzing sized through the years.
It’s a fair bet virtualy everybody have those lying around.
Most people aren’t heavy computer users like the average Lemmy user.
I have my usb in a cute little semi transparent sack.
It makes me feel like a fairy, but instead of start dust I pour unknown linux distros (because I don’t label them).
wrong social media dude. linuxfags probanly have a ton of pendrives.
Those make me strangely nostalgic. I really want sticks with single digit GBs. I have one 1GB stick left, none with 2 or 4, one with 8 and then we’re at 32 already…
Oh and I remember my very first one with 64MB
Shoot I had some that were 4 to 16 MB. Might still have in a drawer?
My favorite was a tiny steel one that was 32 MB. Tough as nails and small enough to keep in a back pocket.
I still have megabyte usb sticks lol. I think I have one 32gb and a 64gb but the rest are all megabyte sticks.
How else can I have live ISOs of various Linux distros at the ready?
I just download whatever i see that is interesting off distrowatch and drop it on my ventoy usb, alongside whatever I need backed up (also on google drive just in case, since idk how reliable a usb with ventoy on it is for data)
Ventoy is pretty cool.
Can you do a live os with ventoy? With like, persistence^? for data after restarts?
No it only does live ISO. Persistence requires install to USB, not live ISO which would all be stored in RAM.
Some live ISOs like TailsOS do allow persistent storage without installation, which was (probably?) what they were trying to ask.
You can do a live OS, but I’m not sure how it handles persistent storage, sorry.
It’s annoying, a lot of them are more than 4GB now :(
Well yeah, because why would you need boxed of them?
I have 512GB on my key chain.
I remember using 512MB MP3 player for storing files next to the music before pendrives got reasonable prices
EDIT: Found it! Creative MP3 Player MuVo TX FM
It was so cool to own one of these. You could listen to your music anywhere. Only had to rip the CD into MP3sholy shit I think I had that same one! It held like 5 albums. I loved it so much!
You don’t NEED them you just have them and have no reason to throw them away. I use them for two things:
- isos, which you can do with just an 8gb one
- small file copy which you can do with a 1 GB one
- giving files to a friend and not caring if you get the drive back
Nah. For those kinds of things I prefer sending over some platform. There is no need for a drive.I only use them when both computers ante near by and it’s easier
I guess the storage space of the box isn’t an issue there is no acute reason to throw them way … but it feels like hoarding. I see no good reason to keep them.
They are not reliable long-term storage. Any file that I want to retain long term goes on a redundant disk array with data scrubbing and a proper backup.
But even if I want to store something temporarily on an USB stick, I’d just use my single 512GB stick (which costs $40 these days) instead of having to potentially plug in dozens or hundreds of low capacity sticks.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me, I throw them away as they break, and I’m not planning to replace them. I just find them incredibly handy as a means of quick and easy data transfer without pissing around with network shares.
pissing around with network shares.
What? Why is that a concern when we have tools like Transfer, Mozilla Send instances, etc.? I literally even just use Bluetooth at times.
I once had a USB flash drive break because the exterior detached from the rest of the body in the housing by, like, 1mm while pulling it out; all the files on it were instantly, permanently lost. I will never again use physical file-transfering that involves frequent insertion and removal if I can avoid it, because you’re physically stressing the unit every time you pull on it (a drive that is always connected is totally fine, by comparison).
I just find them incredibly handy as a means of quick and easy data transfer without pissing around with network shares.
Yep, that is why I have one on my key chain. But there is really no need to have more than that.
You do know they have limited write cycles, right? Not getting at you or anything. Just checking. I’ve had a handful flip over to read-only mode over the years, would hate for that to happen to anyone else unexpectedly.
Doesn’t larger storage mean that it lasts longer since it can better balance wear on the cells?
You do know they have limited write cycles, right?
If you ever reach that limit, well done. You got a hell of value out of that device.
I have SSDs that are in use 24/7, writing up to 200GB per day and in constant use for 3 years. 99% drive health.
Whoa, what could you possibly be writing that much?!
Never know when you’re going to need one on a new moon on the ides of march formatted to apple_HFS to update the firmware on your cousins 2004 pioneer in-dash dvd player
also it has to be 4 gig USB 1.1
I feel attacked! I have a ziplock bag of assorted USB thumb drives!
I needed an SD card for a new recorder I picked up and only probably needed a 32GB. Smallest option at the store was 128 for $25 and $30 for 256. I went with the 256 just because I could.
Storage is practically free these days. I’m sure you could find an eBay listing for like 100 of the cheap ones for $10.
Not in the entire world, unfortunately :(
I have an old dbrand phone case sitting in my dresser that holds all my flash drives. They’re all various sizes from 4GB to 32GB and are filled with different Linux and Windows ISOs. They were supplanted by a 128GB drive with Ventoy.
I never get rid of usb drives. Small ones are still great for docs.
I have more SD cards than USB drives.
I’m not most people. 😎
… most do. USB drives have been handed out like candy at every professional conference I have been to for decades.
Most people do not go to professional conferences, though
Yes they do
Not anymore, and anyone who does should be disciplined.
Users disciplined? BWAHAHAHAHAHA
Have you ever actually worked in IT Security?
