# USB memory stick vs. external hard drive



## Lisa (Jul 8, 2006)

I have a lot of stuff on my laptop and people keep telling me I should invest in an external hard drive. Just a minute ago I bought an 8GB USB memory stick on ebay for next to nothing really.

Would an external hard drive be safer to store data? Wouldn't the USB stick do?

Lisa


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## ANCIENT (Aug 9, 2005)

8 gb is really nothing. i bought a 500 gb external hard drive for $120. i don't know witch one is safer, but i think they are the same thing.


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## Qolselanu (Feb 15, 2006)

Also depends what you are using it for. For example I'd take the the USB stick over the much bigger hard drive if I was using it for school.


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## MouseWithoutKeyboard (Oct 18, 2007)

USB sticks = 1000 writes = dead

Go with the harddrive.


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## Lisa (Jul 8, 2006)

ancient master said:


> 8 gb is really nothing. i bought a *500 gb external hard drive *for $120. i don't know witch one is safer, but i think they are the same thing.


lol, that's huge!


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## Lisa (Jul 8, 2006)

Qolselanu said:


> Also depends what you are using it for. For example I'd take the the USB stick over the much bigger hard drive if I was using it for school.


It's just personal stuff and some work stuff. Nothing too huge.


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## Lisa (Jul 8, 2006)

MouseWithoutKeyboard said:


> USB sticks = 1000 writes = dead
> 
> Go with the harddrive.


If I get one, I'll come back here and post a lot of questions about how to set the thing up :lol


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## eagleheart (Jun 14, 2007)

Yeah see it depends on what you want it for too. I have an external hard drive too, but I have a ton of junk and I don't need to lug it around anywhere.

Oh, and the hard drive I got wasn't any trouble whatsoever to set up.


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## Lisa (Jul 8, 2006)

eagleheart said:


> Yeah see it depends on what you want it for too. I have an external hard drive too, but I have a ton of junk and I don't need to lug it around anywhere.
> 
> Oh, and the hard drive I got wasn't any trouble whatsoever to set up.


I think the USB stick will see me through this year. After that I will need a new computer anyway and then I will get an external hard drive too.


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## jab_au (Oct 9, 2006)

Lisa said:


> I have a lot of stuff on my laptop and people keep telling me I should invest in an external hard drive. Just a minute ago I bought an 8GB USB memory stick on ebay for next to nothing really.
> 
> Would an external hard drive be safer to store data? Wouldn't the USB stick do?
> 
> Lisa


The best way to compare the two is that one uses solid state flash chips the other is a mechanical spinning disk.


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## gorbulas (Feb 13, 2004)

yeah i think an external drive will be good. use that to backup all your stuff and then buy a bigger notebook drive


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