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Data Transfer – Computer to Computer, Hard Disc to Hard Disc
The original method of transferring data from one PC to another was to use a floppy disc. The limitations of this are the capacity of the disc and that the data must be copied to then copied from the floppy disc to the hard disc.
Technology has given us a variety of methods, each with advantages and disadvantages.
Type |
Maximum Transfer Speed |
Connections |
Comments |
| Serial cable | 115.2 Kbps |
2 |
Slow but common to most PCs and operating systems |
| Parallel cable | 500 Kbps |
2 |
Slow but common to most PCs and operating systems |
| Infra Red | 4 Mbps |
2 |
Requires line of sight. Used mainly for laptops to printers, remote controls, wireless keyboards and mice. |
| USB ver 1.1 | 1.5 Mbps, 12Mbps |
127 |
Common to PCs from 1998, modern operating systems. Has slower speed for mice, keyboards, joysticks, etc |
| USB ver 2 | 450 Mbps |
127 |
Introduced May 2002. Fully compatible. With ver 1.1 |
| Firewire, IEEE1394 | 100,200,400 Mbps |
63 |
Used for video editing. Commonly fitted to late model Macintoshs and some PCs. Add-on card costs £15 appx. |
| Ethernet | 10Mbps |
2+ |
Previous type of network. |
| Fast Ethernet | 10/100Mbps |
2+ |
Most common type of network. Cards cost from £7 |
| Gigabit Ethernet | 1Gbps 1 billion bits |
2+ |
Fast and Expensive. Used for network backbones but is future standard. |
| Bluetooth | 720Kbps, 10Mbps |
2+ |
Wireless networking, commonly for small devices: PDA, mobiles, etc |
| Modem | 56Kbps |
2+ |
Commonly used for domestic e-mail and Internet |
| ISDN | 64Kbps |
2+ |
Telephone line rental costs appx £40 per month, plus £200 connection |
| ADSL/Broadband | 1.5 Mbps downstream.64-640 upstream | 2+ |
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. Availability subject to location. Speed limited to distance from supplier central office. |
| Satellite | 500Kbps |
2+ |
££££££££!! |
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