USB DEVICE HELPS RESTART COMPUTER
One of the few remaining useful functions of the vanishing floppy disk is that it can be used to start a crashed computer. Inserting a floppy that holds a bootable copy of DOS offers a chance to access the unresponsive hard disk and see of you can effect repairs. But now there's something that can do the same thing, and even do it better.
 You remember the 3.5 inch floppy disk, don't you? Well, if you have a Mac, you may not, since Apple was the first computer company to produce a computer without a floppy drive. And if you still have a floppy drive on your PC, it's probably an older model although some still do include it. But more and more PC makers are either not including a floppy disk drive or are at least making it an option. Well, another nail in the venerable floppy's coffin may have been hammered in by M-Systems, the makers of a USB flash memory storage device called DiskOnKey. M-Systems has announced that the latest 4th generation of their device (their 3rd generation can be upgraded) can now start a PC's boot-up process. M-Systems said that if users plug their DiskOnKey flash memory device into the USB port of a computer that has crashed and turn on the power, the machine will initiate the boot up process from the flash memory device, assuming it contains what is necessary for the PC to restart, such as a bootable copy of DOS.
Booting up a computer is the beginning process where the computer loads an operating system into its main memory. In this case, the DiskOnKey functions as a flash drive which appears to the computer as a drive with a letter. But unlike the floppy disk that can only store a meager 1.44 megabytes of data, the DiskOnKey comes in versions that store from 16 megabytes to 1 gigabyte. Given the capacity of the DiskOnKey, it could contain a complete version of Windows along with a disk utility such as the Norton Utilities from Symantec.
Another plus of a floppy disk is that's it's small and can fit in your pocket. But the DiskOnKey beats it to the punch in that category as well. The DiskOnKey flash drives are small enough to fit on a key chain. Plus unlike the floppy, they have no moving parts that can be damaged and cannot be erased by magnets.
One caveat. Your computer's Basic input Output System or BIOS must be able to be configured so that the computer will not only boot from a USB device, but configured so that it will try and boot from a USB device BEFORE it attempts to boot from the internal hard disk drive. Generally, only newer computer models contain a BIOS with this required ability. Check with your computer's manufacturer to see if its BIOS complies or if the BIOS is flash upgradeable to meet that requirement. If not, the DiskOnKey will still prove to be a valuable storage device as flash memory retains its data without power, needs no batteries and is an ideal way to transport data between computer systems.
DiskOnKey's new 4th generation flash memory device comes in five sizes. The 64 MB version retails for $59.99. The top-of-the-line 1 gigabyte model goes for $419.99. If you own a previous 3rd generation model, M-Systems says it can be upgraded to support the new boot feature. As the DiskOnKey is also sold through other outlets, check with your older unit's seller to inquire if there are any charges for the upgrade.
In the past, floppy disks have been used to reboot a computer when a PC experienced a severe crash and would not boot up automatically. This was one of the few remaining features where a floppy disk had some unique value. But with M-System's latest generation of their DiskOnKey , you can now reboot with a flash memory device.
So did M-Systems just hammer a final nail into the floppy's coffin with this one? Maybe not. Floppies still make great coasters.
www.diskonkey.com |
