I bought a new computer!

[SueD]

My daughter came and picked up her Quad Core last week so hubby's back to using his old Plll...he's not a happy camper. Since I had money left over from the purchase of my banjo, I thought I'd put it down towards this. Living in the boonies, I probably won't see it for a couple or three weeks. First, PLEASE tell me I didn't make a mistake. Second, the Celeron I'm currently using has 2 HDDs, both EIDE while the new one uses Sata. I have no problem with wiping sda from the old computer and giving the whole drive to Mandriva for Steve's use but sdb has all my images, music and photos on it. Can I transfer that onto the new computer? If not, how would I copy everything over to the new HD? And how would I partition the new HD so that I could keep all that at in the last partition? Sorry if I'm not making sense...I'm not sufficiently coffeed up yet.

[Urmas]

I would buy a USB 3.5-inch hard drive enclosure (one that can "do" both PATA and SATA). A very useful and relatively inexpensive gizmo.A random example: http://www.amazon.com/Acomdata-Samba-3-5-I...p;s=electronicsMistake? Dell's bells, you'll go WEEEEEEE! with that machine – just remember to brake before curves.

[SueD]

The daring Samba features a precision-extruded aluminum case in a seductive satin finish

Ooooh, it sounds so sexy, doesn't it?LOLThis sounds like a good thing to have. So is everything transferred onto it or does it act like a bridge?

[securitybreach]

Looks like a decent machine Sue. Of course you could build one with those specs for about $300 less.

[SueD]

Looks like a decent machine Sue. Of course you could build one with those specs for about $300 less.

I thought about that but decided to go this route. The price listed isn't what I'm paying for it so it's just a little more than what I could get a bare bones kit for from Newegg or Tigerdirect.ca.

[Urmas]

So is everything transferred onto it or does it act like a bridge?

It's a do-it-yourself (USB) external hard drive. You take any 3.5" ("internal") HD – in this case that "sbd" of yours – throw it into the enclosure, plug in the power and data cables... power on, connect the USB cable to your new puter, and you have a "USB HD icon" sitting on your desktop. With all your images, music and photos on it. Just move them onto your new puter. (OK, it's formatted as ext3, non? Gotta mount it first – permissions shermissions – but you get the big picture, right?)So... the simplest solution, methinks – sexy ad talk here or there. And the good thing is, the next time this comes up with another drive/puter (and it will, trust me, I know what I'm talking), just throw that "another" disk into the enclosure... eh?

[SueD]

Cool! I can see a lot of use for it in the future. Thanks Urmas!

[Urmas]

Or... a more compact, albeit a wee bit more expensive method:Kingston DataTraveler 310 - USB flash drive - 256 GB - Hi-Speed USB$800? Maybe we'll wait a bit...

[SueD]

Oh geez, is it solid gold???I don't think that's for me. I've already lost 2 USB drives and they only cost me about $15 apiece. I'd go mad if I lost something that expensive.

[Tushman]

My daughter came and picked up her Quad Core last week so hubby's back to using his old Plll...he's not a happy camper. Since I had money left over from the purchase of my banjo, I thought I'd put it down towards this. Living in the boonies, I probably won't see it for a couple or three weeks. First, PLEASE tell me I didn't make a mistake. Second, the Celeron I'm currently using has 2 HDDs, both EIDE while the new one uses Sata. I have no problem with wiping sda from the old computer and giving the whole drive to Mandriva for Steve's use but sdb has all my images, music and photos on it. Can I transfer that onto the new computer? If not, how would I copy everything over to the new HD? And how would I partition the new HD so that I could keep all that at in the last partition? Sorry if I'm not making sense...I'm not sufficiently coffeed up yet.

Congratulations on your purchase Sue. It's not something I would buy personally - but it's a fair deal. A 23.0" full HD monitor comes with the package? That part I like. :)I'm sure the computer will come with an EIDE connection. Depending on your preference, you may go with Urmas' suggestion of the external enclosure or you could simply hook up your current hard drive to the new computer using a EIDE cable. Once you've moved all your personal data over to the new PC, you can remove it and give it your husband like you mentioned in your post. Edited April 3, 2010 by Tushman

[SueD]

Congratulations on your purchase Sue. It's not something I would buy personally - but it's a fair deal. A 23.0" full HD monitor comes with the package? That part I like. :)I'm sure the computer will come with an EIDE connection. Depending on your preference, you may go with Urmas' suggestion of the external enclosure or you could simply hook up your current hard drive to the new computer using a EIDE cable. Once you've moved all your personal data over to the new PC, you can remove it and give it your husband like you mentioned in your post.

Thanks Tushman! I don't mind leaving that drive where it is when I give this computer to my husband...oh who am I kidding? It's mine and I want what's on it!LOL

[zlim]

Ah, the smell of a new computer. Nothing like it! Congrats!

[SueD]

Thanks Liz. I've never had a brand new, all ready made computer before. Well, not really. I had this one made, but only parts of it. I scrounged around for other parts to make it whole.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

New 'puter? COOL! Are you going to FINALLY reinstall Slackware, sister?

[amenditman]

I love the smell of a brandie new computer in the morn... well, just about anytime.

[lewmur]

My daughter came and picked up her Quad Core last week so hubby's back to using his old Plll...he's not a happy camper. Since I had money left over from the purchase of my banjo, I thought I'd put it down towards this. Living in the boonies, I probably won't see it for a couple or three weeks. First, PLEASE tell me I didn't make a mistake. Second, the Celeron I'm currently using has 2 HDDs, both EIDE while the new one uses Sata. I have no problem with wiping sda from the old computer and giving the whole drive to Mandriva for Steve's use but sdb has all my images, music and photos on it. Can I transfer that onto the new computer? If not, how would I copy everything over to the new HD? And how would I partition the new HD so that I could keep all that at in the last partition? Sorry if I'm not making sense...I'm not sufficiently coffeed up yet.

You always make a mistake if you don't ask me first!! But seriously, you can't make a big mistake buying Dell if you get a deal that has the stuff you want. Sure, I could DYI a computer with the same stuff for less, but unless you live in Metairie, LA, I couldn't provide one to you for less. Can you transfer stuff? Are the two computers connected to the Internet via the same router? If so, then all you have to do is set up a Home Network. The new computer's network wizard should guide you through doing this. If not, give us a shout when both compters a working and give us the details of your set up.BTW, if you get hassled by people who say you should never buy a Dell, don't pay any attention. There are people who'd tell you to never buy a Rolls Royce. Edited April 4, 2010 by lewmur

[SueD]

New 'puter? COOL! Are you going to FINALLY reinstall Slackware, sister?

You betcha!

I love the smell of a brandie new computer in the morn... well, just about anytime.

LOL!

[SueD]

You always make a mistake if you don't ask me first!! But seriously, you can't make a big mistake buying Dell if you get a deal that has the stuff you want. Sure, I could DYI a computer with the same stuff for less, but unless you live in Metairie, LA, I couldn't provide one to you for less. Can you transfer stuff? Are the two computers connected to the Internet via the same router? If so, then all you have to do is set up a Home Network. The new computer's network wizard should guide you through doing this. If not, give us a shout when both compters a working and give us the details of your set up.BTW, if you get hassled by people who say you should never buy a Dell, don't pay any attention. There are people who'd tell you to never buy a Rolls Royce.

LOL! I had a couple of coupons which brought the price down a lot. The price for a barebones kit was only about $50 less. Besides, as I said before, I never had a whole new computer before so this is quite exciting to me. I've thought of doing the home network bit but never went past that. It's something I really should look into doing. Thanks! :)Oh, and I have been hassled before about staying away from the Insperon and going for the Optiplex before but I just couldn't justify the additional cost.

[securitybreach]

LOL! I had a couple of coupons which brought the price down a lot. The price for a barebones kit was only about $50 less. Besides, as I said before, I never had a whole new computer before so this is quite exciting to me. I've thought of doing the home network bit but never went past that. It's something I really should look into doing. Thanks! :)Oh, and I have been hassled before about staying away from the Insperon and going for the Optiplex before but I just couldn't justify the additional cost.

Well it sounds as though you researched it and made a smart buy

[SueD]

Thanks SB.

[tommyj12]

About what lewmur said Sue don't you have a computer with a spare partition to just move the files over the network before you format the drive you are planning on giving to Steve?

[SueD]

About what lewmur said Sue don't you have a computer with a spare partition to just move the files over the network before you format the drive you are planning on giving to Steve?

Well, sda on this Celeron is 250GB...more than enough for Steve. I'll reformat it and just install Mandriva on it. He likes it and it works very well, mostly , with this computer. I'd leave sdb where all my images, music et al are on it but I have the much better speakers. I have no intention of formatting sdb. I do like the idea of using a hard drive enclosure, as Urmas suggested, and I'm kind of leaning that way. But I may try setting up a home network first, as Lew suggested. I've never done that before but if I learn something in the process, I'm all for it. And if it works and I save a few bucks, that's a bonus!

[amenditman]

SueDI am a little paranoid about my music and picture files. Not quite to the point of naming the folder, "I'd die if I loose these pictures" (A quote from a data recovery client's hdd), but still don't want to loose all my photos and 300 GB of music files.I use both the methods mentioned. I use a portable HD enclosure to clone the DATA partition to, and I have a spare partition which I clone my DATA partition to. I tell all my clients, the computer is hardly worth spending anything to fix, it's a commodity item with very little intrinsic value. Value is associated with your ability to accomplish work with the tool and in the data stored on the machine.I'm all for saving money where you can, but when backing up your personal files, penny wise is definitely pound foolish.BlessingsBob

[sunrat]

+1 to amenditman's advice. Backup your music and picture files. You never know when a format will go wrong or a hard drive will die. Computers are great, but don't trust them. I just put a new 1TB WD hard drive in my computer, and bought another 1TB drive which I put in an external case which connects via eSATA, and duplicated all my music and data with rsync.

[securitybreach]

Great Advice amenditman!!! I backup my /home directory everyday using rsync. The problem is now I had to buy another terabyte just for the backup and now they are both at around 60%. I think I might have too much media.

[Urmas]

I've thought of doing the home network bit but never went past that. It's something I really should look into doing.

That's what the router is there for. Among other things.

[SueD]

Thanks Bob, that's great advice! Sunrat, I'm already thinking about the future and am considering buying another 500GB HD to do that very thing. I'm really, really bad at doing backups but as I collect more and more, especially pictures of my granddaughters, I really shouldn't take the chance of losing all that. The music library can be rebuilt but those photos could be gone forever.

That's what the router is there for. Among other things.

I know. And I will get my printer networked one of these days too. I just never seem to be in a hurry to get things done until I actually need something.

[amenditman]

The problem is now I had to buy another terabyte just for the backup and now they are both at around 60%. I think I might have too much media. whistling.gif

Too much media, there is no such thing. Please tell me there is no such thing.There's a reason there are like 7 internal 3.5" expansion slots in your computer case.When you run out of internal slots, they sell these really cool external enclosures that stack and look great on your desk. http://www.compusa.com/applications/Search...&CatId=2780How do you think Page and Brin started Google? Why do they build their server hardware out of consumer components? They started in their parent's garage with a few old desktops just like Paul and Bill.

[securitybreach]

When you run out of internal slots, they sell these really cool external enclosures that stack and look great on your desk. http://www.compusa.com/applications/Search...&CatId=2780

That is pretty nice and the price is right. I think I will be buying one of these for future use

[zlim]

As soon as I come home from a trip, I pull the cards from the cameras, attach them to the computer via a USB gizmo and burn the unaltered pictures to a CD. That way, if the card dies, I still have those pictures archived. It may take me months to edit the pictures and post a few at flickr. It may take me a year before I decide if I want to print any of them out but I know they are safe on a cd even if I do not get around to doing anything with them.