[ale] usb drives suck

[Lightner, Jeff]

Also USB 1.0 is slower than USB 2.0.  It's important both the port and the device be USB 2.0 to get USB 2.0 rates.  If one is USB 1.0 that's the best you'll get.

This page has some nice info including rates:
http://www.addonics.com/products/interface_cable/usb_tutorial.asp

Also it depends on what you're doing.  I once saw an issue trying to use a USB drive to backup an OCFS (1) filesystem.  This had more to do with the way that filesystem is designed than anything else.  If you were trying to ftp from a slow site to a USB drive the speed of the ftp could be more of a factor than the USB.

-----Original Message-----
From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of Richard Bronosky
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 2:00 PM
To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts - Yes! We run Linux!
Subject: Re: [ale] usb drives suck

You are correct. There is a reason why all camcorders with tape media
use Firewire for connectivity. Firewire has static throughput in the
specification. That's really important when your tape is going to be
turning at a constant speed. USB however has a "burst rate" and the
"average/guaranteed/reliable rate" is very poor as you have
discovered.

For anything external and important you want esata or firewire.

On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 1:52 PM, Geoffrey <lists at serioustechnology.com> wrote:
> Maybe I don't have a good understanding of these things, but every time
> I try to write a substantial amount of data, gigs of data, it seems to
> take forever and the load average is through the roof.  Mostly it's %wait.
>
> Am I expecting more then these things are capable of?
>
> --
> Until later, Geoffrey
>
> "I predict future happiness for America if they can prevent
> the government from wasting the labors of the people under
> the pretense of taking care of them."
> - Thomas Jefferson
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-- 
.!# RichardBronosky #!.

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