It must have been something in the USB interface as it wasn't detectable by any system I plugged it into.

USB Flash: Fairly robust and small size. Small capacity, High cost/MB
Removable Magentic Media such as Floppy, LS120, Zip, Jazz: Small capacity, unreliable, many differeing and propritary formats.
Spare Hdd: Fast, Easy, Good Cost/MB. Vulnerable to drop (removable or external) or virus, OS error/corruption.
CD/DVD-R: Decent capacity, low cost/MB. Vulnerable to scratches, melting.
Tape: Low cost/MB, good capacity, Slow and drives are $.
Internet service, gmail drive, etc: Good cost/MB sometimes free, slow, potentially unrelaible (most list they are not resposible for data loss), possible privacy issues.
There are many more.
Basically don't rely on just one. I have my most important files in a flash drive that stays in my wallet with my house key so I have to take it with me, then CD's with documents backed up and then an external HDD for quick dumps of the whole hole folder, though I need to get another drive, I've grown over 20G of data (the 20G drive that came with my laptop I put in a $12 external case when I put the 60G drive in my laptop). Also have a few pictures on my website so that makes 4 methods for me.

I use a Memorex 1gb USB drive. I back all my important stuff as well as work, and personal odds and ends. I have carried on my neck, keychain, bottom of a book bag and it keeps on ticking.......i think they are worth every penny they cost........rugged , plenty-o-storage, and reasonable price.........the best way to go for "simple" data backup for your EDC, or B.O.B.

Man, I thought I got a sweet deal through my grad school at $27 for 256 Mb...then again, Best Buy was selling the same stick for $45 so... <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Is that a PDA you're talking about?

I use a PDA all the time, and if there were a way to easily sync that info to a flash drive... hmm

I read recently that it's a good idea to have at least three copies of your work. Some suggestions were the hard drive, CD, Zip or Jazz drive, flash drive and hard copy.

If you wanted to have multiple methods, you could get mini CD-RW's (if the 128Mb will hold what you need backed up) and then you could use the same mini RW to back up things time and again, and they are a lot smaller to carry than standard CDs.

Thumbdrives are nigh on indestructable and almost impossible to loose data on. That being said, a transient EM signal or static shock on the pins could toast your data. That can be prevented by using the cap. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I like a bigger cap, like the SanDisk MiniCruizers have. I usually put a wrap of electricians tape around the body to make it VERY snug, and go with it. MAYBE an xray machine could do it, a medical xray probably would.

CDs are cheaper in terms of MB/$, and are almost impossible to scramble in term of loosing thier data. Sure, a big enough EM signal could do it, as anyone who has ever microwaved an AOL CD can tell you, but pulses that big are pretty hard to find unless you are right under a really big radio antenna or in a microwave. And the former is unlikely; if you are in the latter, you have other problems.

If you want really stable long term, go hard copy with archival inks on rag paper, hermetically sealed in a nitrogen atmosphere. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

FOr what you are talking about, I'd say use mini-CDs. They hold 185 or 210MB, depending on the brand and style you get, and the fit in the little, inner ring area of you CD drive. Use universal formats for your documents, and any machine that SHOULD be running can read them. They also take up no room in your BOB.

For the stuff you send away, regualr CDs are much better buy.

But for day to day, USB-based flash memory trumps all the others.

Steadler alcohal pens. Staples has them, Office Max should ahve them to. They come in a clamshell that has a black, red, green and blue. Pricey, but they are all I use on my CD archives and DVDs.

You see the same pens being sold at Brigade Quartermaster and (IIRC) Ranger Joes for writing on acetated maps.

No, its a regular old USB flash drive. Every USB device has a vendor and product ID (sort of like the mac address in a network card). Any of your open source OS's have a simple table where you put in the device id and a script to call, so I just looked up what my drive reported and plugged in a simply script that copies the files to it every time I plug it in. That was my most important backup is automated completely.

I use those mini cd's a lot. They are handy because you can still get 3.5" floppy cases for next to nothing now. Pages to hold them in a notebook or day planner, small hard or soft cases for singles, etc.
Avoid zip and anything else by Iomega as much as you can, I've seen way too many people get burned by them.