Subj : Re: Bluetooth To Ethernet To : Barry Martin From : Ky Moffet Date : Fri Apr 10 2026 09:54:00 BARRY MARTIN wrote: > > KM> And some cloud backups charge you to download the data. The > > KM> charge can be quite stiff. > > So a form of ransom to get your data back! ...I wouldn't mind being > KM> Bingo. And I've seen as high as $5/GB for the download fee. > > That can add up really quickly! ...I've set aside a GB of RA< just for > a ramdrive (as a scratch pad area). I need to set up a RAMdrive on Zombie, so the browser isn't using the M.2 drive that was then $60 and is now $370. Commandline for Chrome to force cache location: chrome.exe --disk-cache-dir="X:\Cache" Tho mine really looks like: C:\Internet\Browsers\Supermium\supermium_132\chrome.exe --disk-cache-dir="S:\ChromeCachee" and I left the typo because it was funny. > > KM> My old old floppy backups are mostly incremental versions of my > > KM> novels, but other random junk as filled up the disk. > > As expensive as floppies were may as well use every byte possible! > KM> That was my thought! > > Back in the old XT days (my pre 'Super-XT') I had a 20 MB hard drive > (no, any young readers, that is not a typo) and would spend time editing > out extra spaces, etc., in files to get them to no larger than 2047 > bytes. 2048 was the block size, so file=2049: one crammed-full block > and a second block with a lonely piece of data spinning around. Yeah, I did the same thing!! > KM> I'd never bought a loose Green, tho there might be one or two in > KM> the Box of Old Drives of Uncertain Provenance. > > Some of us don't have access to offices tossing out post-warrenty items. > OTOH I did get some really good deals at the store where I worked on > customer returns. I have a lot of salvage in those boxes.... > > Nah: buy the case and put what you want inside! But yes, last I > > looked the commercial external drives contained decent drives but not > > the upper lines. > KM> Except right now best price 8TB in a WD Black is $279 (and that's > KM> NewEgg so much risk of DOA) or $297 at Best Buy or $475 on > KM> Amazon, and an external WD Easystore is $225, up from $210 a > KM> month ago. > > Yes, sometimes better to go down a step to save the money for something > else. The Easystore current has a Red inside, which is a good storage drive. Not as fast as a Black, but reliable (designed for datacenter use). 8GB are out of stock at the manufacturer level, so grab now if you're going to. > KM> And to think about a year ago I bought a 4TB Black internal for > KM> something like $60. > > Right now looks like $180 - $300 -- dependant on the cache and possibly > age -- maybe a merchant bought a pallet when a lot cheaper. Best Buy here is down to, count them, ONE. > KM> Note that the "WD Black external gaming drive" is NOT a WD Black > KM> HDD at all, rather has an enterprise HGST drive inside, and it > KM> runs so hot in that case that people put external fans on 'em, > KM> and still can't get 'em below 50C. > KM> The Easystores max out around 38C even when busy. > > So do you still need that coffee mug warmer?! LOL, I could use the HGST drive I've got, if it wasn't in a drive bay. > > KM> I needed to do something about the fact that my everyday storage > KM> and backup drives are all older than dirt (8-9-10 years old) so I > KM> became suddenly very aware of current pricing. Ugh. > > Yes, you don't want to be scrambling at the last minute for a > replacement as usually that will be the worst time to buy. And it's always when prices go up. They can see you coming with that desperate gleam in your eye. > > As for age, I have the same thing: I will re-use drives, which is one > reason why I've learned to overbuy in capacity: a 2TB drive now might be > only half-used but the update project in two or three years that 2 TB > might be almost filled. Yeah. Always buy the largest practical size, not the current-used size. > KM> And even the externals are scarce. WD is out of stock. > > Due to the sudden expansion of data centers? Yep. Datacenters buy the externals and shuck 'em to get the drives. happened back about 15 years too, when bare drives ran short. > > > I will eventually toss old electronics but I pretty much have to prove > > > to myself it is not worth of being retained. OTOH I sometimes have that > > > part I need in stock! > > KM> I have regretted some I'd parted with, so.... > > No More Regrets!! > KM> One hopes not! > > I tend to keep unless absolutely of no use to me. And then as soon as you throw it out... dang, now I need this weird thing I'd never used.... þ RNET 2.10U: ILink: Techware BBS þ Hollywood, Ca þ www.techware2k.com --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com (454:1/1) .