Thread: seperate drive for GPS

I wouldn't think it would matter but it might. Is the HDD USB powered? If so it might be more difficult to run if you want to use it in the bush.

I would tend to worry about it when the HDD is full... Save the external drive as a backup device.

Yep it runs USB 2.0.
Have an inverter in the vehicle to run the laptop at mains power.Is there another issue that effects USB "in the bush" laptops are new to me.
Andrew

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

Yep it runs USB 2.0.
Have an inverter in the vehicle to run the laptop at mains power.Is there another issue that effects USB "in the bush" laptops are new to me.
Andrew

If you can power them I can' see why you couldn't do it. However it's more hassle, more power cables, more wires, more things to bump. I really would just install it on the computer and worry about it when it's internal hdd fills.

Keep it at home as a backup incase the laptop gets damaged.

I'm assuming that the drive is USB powered and doesn't require a separate power supply. In that case you need to note that it will drain the laptop battery quicker, so I'd use it for backups and for storing data you may not need (e.g. RAVE).
As far as using in the bush goes the only things to remember are heat and shock, just like the laptop. It's a disk drive so don't leave it in the sun and don't store it somewhere its going to get knocked around or covered in dust or moisture.
I have a 250GB WD Passport which I got over 12 months back and it is brilliant. I use it to store backups of photos, RAVE and general files when travelling.
Access speeds are fine for RAVE, but I'd suggest if you want to use it for any frequently used applications or data then install this on your laptop's drive.

I would leave your gps business on the main drive and use the external drive for more everyday stuff at home. Or just use it for backing up seeing your main drive is probably big enough for most things anyway.

If you keep all your music on your computer then it would be that sort of stuff which I'd put on the external drive.

Xav

Put all your apps on the main drive - it's one less thing to connect and have go wrong. Plus, if you have something else like a memory card plugged in, and then you connect the USB disk, it might get allocated a different drive letter, which will confuse the GPS program looking for it.

Use the USB disk for backups, and keep copies of the GPS install files and maps there too.

With my new Asus EEE 901, I have limited hardrive, so.
I installed all of my digital maps onto my desktop PC for safe keeping and
so that I can plan trips etc, at home.
I installed the OzyExplorer software on the 901 hardrive, its not all that large.
Then I put all of my maps and Rave onto a 4gig usb stick, which I carry
in the vehicle. I use an old lined eye glasses case to carry usb sticks in,
placed in me buggery box.
When travelling, just download the required map onto the hardrive and use it untill the end of the trip and then delete.
If you have added info or trip routes etc, to this map, you save it all back to the usb stick untill you might need it again.
This way you are not wasting hardrive space or have sticks and stuff, hanging off the laptop while you are on the road.
Cheers.

PS: These little EEE 901's are beaut little things !!!!

What I do is have all the programmes on the laptop. As said before the USB hard drive's letter could change and leave your shortcuts broken for a while.
I have all the maps I use regularly plus some I might want to refer to one day and then store all the others on a USB hard drive as well as DVD backup.

If I was really short of hdd space then I would do this.

Originally Posted by olbod

Then I put all of my maps and Rave onto a 4gig usb stick, which I carry
in the vehicle. I use an old lined eye glasses case to carry usb sticks in,
placed in me buggery box.

I use a PDA in the car though so I only have the maps I really use on there and change them occasionally depending on where I'm going. Only has a 1gb SD card which also has other mapping stuff on it too.

I have RAVE on the hdd all the time along with Microcat. For RAVE just do a straight copy onto your hdd and make a shortcut to the desktop. Very handy.