An update from the previous entry …
I found a USB2.0 PCI card at Fry’s for $18, $2 shy of the minimum budgeted amount. It looks like its works because Acronis True Image told me it would take only 2 hours to compress the main partition of my old computer, rather than the 7 hours it took using the USB1.1 ports.
Unfortunately, the 80GB partition of that same drive with 65GB worth of MP3s required 6 hours of processing time. At first, it predicted a compression size of 30GB. Little did Acronis True Image know that MP3s don’t compress very well. I only ended up with about 2GB of savings.
I bought a stick of RAM for $54, but it was the wrong type. The correct type would cost me $70, so I passed. I’ve been tempted to bite the bullet and shell out of extra $20, but the thing that keeps me back is the fact I just plain don’t use the machine. I don’t want to spend more than $50 on any one component to upgrade it.
I also struck upon the idea of leveraging my night class to get an academic discount on Windows XP. Were I to order it from a retailer specializing in academic discounts, Windows XP would cost $96 instead of $215. I’d wait for the performance bonus at work before I’d consider it, though.
I did drop $32 on a hard disk enclosure for a bunch of EDIE drives I have collecting dust. I formatted two old drives with it and discovered a third was beyond all hope. The capacities on these drives are pretty paltry — to think back in 1998 15GB seemed spacious! — but they might come in handy for something or other.
One of them, however, is going into an old computer that I plan to donate. I’ve lazy to bring it anywhere because it’s heavy, and I didn’t want to lug it till I’d gotten rid of any personal information on the drive. I wish I knew about enclosures a year ago.
I need to find out where I can dispose of a broken drive.