Re:Digital Books wear out faster than Physical Books
by robinsonb5 on Wednesday November 16, 2022 @05:39AM
(#33621129)
Have you tried to read a 5 volt smartmedia card recently?
I came across a few 2 megabyte 5v cards when going through my Dad's stuff a few years back. I stuck them on EBay because it was better than just throwing them away, and was astonished when they fetched £30 a pop. I can only imagine they're used by some classic synth gear or something like that.
Re:Digital Books wear out faster than Physical Books
by vel0city on Wednesday November 16, 2022 @11:00AM
(#33625298)
I have not recently but I think the card reader attached to my monitor supports the 5V cards. I don't think I've touched a smartmedia card since 2003.
They were really popular back in the day though. They seemed so futuristic, this ultra thin plastic chip seemingly storing your data on these etched gold patterns. It definitely seemed like something out of science fiction. SD cards are so plain in aesthetic comparison.
There's a listing on eBay right now for a USB 750MB Zip Drive. I imagine you could get it working in Windows and Linux without much trouble.
I've got a monitor that supports something like a dozen different memory cards. Memory card readers are incredibly cheap.
All those digital mediums are not lost, and all of those digital files can be transferred to more current storage mediums without any loss in resolution.
You're right that storing important files on your MacBook isn't a good archival strategy. It is a recipe for certain disaster. Its essentially storing your books loosely in the trunk of your car along with your gym bag and every now and then an open case of beer. It's not the place to store things long term, just a place to put things while you're working on them. If your logicboard dies, it'll take the storage with it.