The potential problems with technology

[eveglass]

After debating long and hard with myself, I decided to buy a USB key to keep my computer backups, because I found that backing up to CD took up too much time, too much space, and too many of my computer's resources while it was happening. In fact, I hadn't backed up my computer since last July (I know, I know... bad technie, no cookie).

So today I bought a Kingston 2 Gig USB DataTraveller USB key. The guy at Concordia's computer store assured me it was a good brand. I've used USB keys before, and I remember them being quite fast, at least in terms of downloads onto my computer.

So why is it that it's taking nearly 2 hours to upload 2 gigs worth of data onto this USB key?

That's about 20 k a second, when my computer (and the packaging) assures me it should be able to do up to 480 meg a second in my high-speed USB drive.

On the one hand, I'm only going to be using this once a month, and I can still do other stuff on my computer while it's uploading. On the other hand, it's somewhat vexing that my brand-new toy isn't living up to expectations.

Edited to add: Hm... it seems the download rates are as speedy as I remember from my friend's USB key; it's just the upload speeds that are hellishly slow.

Comments

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

I've got one of those 2GB Kingston keys too. I discovered that my laptop has one and only one USB 2.0 data port, if I plug the key into a different USB port it goes much more slowly.

Also, USB 2.0 can do 480 mbit/sec, which in fact is only 60 MB/s. Just so you know.

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

fyi, a USB 1.1 port has a theoretical maximum speed of 12 mbit/s, which would transfer your 2GB in 1365 secs, about 22 mins. USB 1.0 is even slower, theoretical max speed of 1.5 mbit/s, which would transfer your 2GB in about 180 mins.

[blazingmoogle.livejournal.com]

As above; maybe it was in a non 2.0 port.

[swestrup]

USB keys write an order of magnitude slower than they read. Its their main fault.

[eveglass.livejournal.com]

Good to know. Thanks.