Any mention of data transfer stirs dark memories for this reviewer, who’s earliest misadventures in this arena hark back to Windows 95, with serial cables (because USB did not exist then) and fledgling versions of a DOS-based program called Laplink.
True, you could transfer chunks of data between two PCs’ but it literally was an overnight task to migrate amounts of data that would seem trifling by today’s standards. The other problem with Laplink was that later versions fell over when confronted with the two different file formats of FAT and NTFS.
So it was with a mixture of wry scepticism and wild anticipation that the Targus Mobile Data Sync USB Cable was unpacked.
The device looks like a USB cable with a memory stick at one end, which is essentially what it is. The data transfer software, EasySuite, is contained inside the device and requires nothing more than the normal “installation” process seen on standard USB Flash drives when first plugged in. Advertised data transfer speed is 480 Mbps.
One thing the handbook fails to mention – probably because it quickly becomes evident – is that whichever PC is first connected to the cable automatically becomes the “local” machine while the second PC is designated “remote”. To copy or move files and folders, simply drag from one pane to the other. In addition to copying and moving data, it synchronises e-mail.
For our test we transferred 458Mb of data from a high-spec Toshiba laptop running Vista Business Edition to an ageing Dell Pentium III running XP Pro and using the much slower USB1.1 standard. Transfer time was fractionally over 15 minutes. Transfer would, of course, be much faster between USB2 machines.
We liked the intuitive two-pane window and the drag-n-drop simplicity. Mac fans may be disappointed that the device only supports OS X 10 and above.
Available from: www.memorybank.ie
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