Date:         Wed, 28 Jan 2004 09:22:34 -0500
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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Sender:       Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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From:         Miriam Meislik <[log in to unmask]>
Organization: University Library System
Subject:      Re: USB flash hard drive as archive storage
Comments: To: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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I have one of these drives and I really love its portability and its 
flexibility. I would, however, never use it in an archival capacity or 
consider it a permanent storage medium. They are too new to the market, 
in my opinion, and seem a little transient to me. That is to say, they 
will most certainly be replaced by something better or significantly 
altered as the technology used to create them evolves. They are also 
untested as to their longterm capabilities. Since I tend to be fairly 
conservative when it comes to storage, I would stick with the reliable 
storage methods currently in place.

Jos Van Dyck wrote:

>What are your thoughts and expectations re. the use of so-called Pen
>drives,
>solid-state USB2 Flash memory sticks? No more mechanical problems with
>drives!
>Would these (or other solid-state storage devices) become a viable and
>reliable
>long-term storage alternative to CD-R, hard disk, tape or other
>storage media?
>What is their life expectation and vulnerability?
>
>Cheers,
>Jos Van Dyck
>NGM
>  
>


-- 
Miriam Meislik
Associate Archivist
Photograph Curator
Archives of Industrial Society
7500 Thomas Blvd.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412)244-7075   voice
(412)244-7077   fax
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http://www.library.pitt.edu/libraries/archives/archives.html
http://digital.library.pitt.edu/pittsburgh/index.html
                               
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
--Steven Wright

When your mouth drops open, click the shutter
--Harold Feinstein, November 11, 2001

Photography does not create eternity. . . it embalms time,
rescuing it simply from its proper corruption.
--André Bazin (1918–1958)