[Marketing] USB stick failures. Some observations.

[Walter Bender]

On Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 8:26 AM, Thomas C
Gilliard<satellit at bendbroadband.com> wrote:
> Caroline:
>
> I have been using the following USB Sticks extensively in my testing and
> have NEVER had a failure with them....: )
> *Toshiba (2,4,8,16 GB)- [V fast]
> *Lexar firefly (2GB) -[v fast]
> *Lexar 2GB (the silver ones with a capacity indicator on the sides) [fast]
> *Cruzer micro 2 GB (with the slide out usb plug) [fast]
>
> Most of my testing is for VMware Appliances but I also test standard Sugar
> on a stick USB's about 30% of the time.
>
> I have done over 20-30 reformats on some of them with Ubuntu Partition
> editor and /or
> dd install of raw files (openSUSE)
>
> I use a strawberry firefly 2GB (created with the install script) for my
> normal daily access with the EeePC900 to see the F1 Neighborhood wirelessly.
>
> <Are you sure you are using the correct brands for reliability?>

We probably made a mistake in purchasing Microcenter store brand
sticks for this experiment.

>
> The Toshiba and Lexar firefly models are the best.
>
> I also tried and stopped using a PNY 16G mini attache' which is junk and
> very slow.
>
> I have noticed that some USB Sockets are loose fitting and can cause a
> momentary failure if wiggled. Are your students bumping the sticks while
> using them?

This one we have covered: We use USB extension cables.
>
> Notes:
>
> 1. When you use a VMPlayer USB Appliance, you CAN write to the same USB the
> appliance is on to write from the sugar clipboard to the frame USB Icon.
> This is then accessible from windows or linux after you stop the Soas
> Session. (In strawberry Soas1; NOT available in openSUSE)
>
>  ie: you can then print the saved files or open them in Open Office......
>
> 2. With VMPlayer you can install students VM Appliances serially and/or
> simultaneously on the same  PC without rebooting.
>
> Regards;
>
> Tom Gilliard
> satellit
>
> +1
>>
>> My gut feeling is we don't want a LiveUSB, we want a bootable USB with a
>> regular install on it. Ideally being installed from a LiveCD, that can
>> either directly boot and demo Sugar, install to a USB stick, or install to
>> a
>> hard-disk. Once booted we'd want the minimum of file writes to maximise a
>> stick lifetime, and reduce the chance of a write landing as a child
>> unplugs.
>>
>> Regards,
>> --Gary
>>
>>
>
> +1 except I think that we need it sooner not later.
> It is the most likely suspect on most of our stick failures. We will have
> upset teachers and kids if its not more reliable plus added expense and time
> costs.
>
> It is a blocker on:
>
>    - Reading things you've created on your Sugar Stick on a Windows or Mac
>    machine.
>    - Createing a VM that can switch stick based users without rebooting out
>    of the native OS- This will help usability quite a bit on the Mac Laptops
>    the GPA will be using next year.
>
> I'm going to try to create a spec and publicize our need for help to my
> network. I'd love help with both parts of that.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Marketing mailing list
> Marketing at lists.sugarlabs.org
> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/marketing
>
>



-- 
Walter Bender
Sugar Labs
http://www.sugarlabs.org