Is There An Easier Way?
Q. I Can’t be arsed to fiddle with all this..is there an easier way?
A. Yep. Apparently. You want details?
Hmm…OK..well..I haven’t tested this yet..but IF you have USB ports on both PC’s and they both have AT LEAST Windows 98 on them, then this may be worth a go.
Trust do a couple of nice products. I’ve only just run across them myself, so this is very much a preliminary review.
TRUST F12M FILE TRANSFER CABLE
I recently bought for £10, a TRUST F12M USB File Transfer cable. Basically you plug one end into 1 PC’s USB port, and the other end into the other PC. You put the CD supplied with the link cable in each PC as they ask for it, and it installs everything for you.
The File Transfer software then gets installed, and that’s it. Seriously simple. It looks like Windows Explorer, but it has your PC on the right, and the second PC on the left. Simply drag and drop files from one to the other at will. Once set up once, it’s a simple matter of plugging the cable in at any time and running the software to do more copying-you don’t even have to turn the PC off, open it or anything. REAL Plug ‘n’ Play.
It copies data at roughly 12 Megabytes per Second..slightly faster than a 10 Megabyte network link. This is a nice product..and it makes my job SO much easier in the field. Literally “install drivers and forget”.
It IS only a file transfer cable though..nothing else. If you want to have a network, share printers, games and the internet, then you need:
TRUST N12M USB NETWORK CABLE.
Yep…I was delighted to find one of these for £15 too..but didn’t have the funds to buy it. Next time I will.
It’s exactly the same in looks, literally a cable with 2 ends and a “sweetie” shape in the middle. I will assume it’s as easy to use as the F12M cable. Connect, drop the CD in, answer a few questions, sit back and let the CD do the work.
Apparently it lets you do the full network thing…share your printers and files, share internet access, play network games..the full monty. It again runs at 12 Megabytes Per Second..but that’s still as fast or faster than a normal 10base2/10BaseT 10 Megabyte network link. Plenty quick really.
It has all the same advantages too….plug in and go, no fiddling, no cards, no hardware to worry about, full plug and play and automatic setup.
My only question is…WHY has it TAKEN SO LONG?!?!?
(Note from Jem: On Karl’s original website this page was called “cbarsed.shtml” - meaning can’t be arsed. Heehee, I found that funny. :p)