(Approx. 419 words)

The Tornado – A Review

By Sharon Walbran, Editor, The Digital Viking, Twin Cities PCUG, MN

www.tcpc.org

SQWalbran(at)yahoo.com

Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.

Transferring files to a new computer is a task that’s become common with people replacing their computers every few years or so. A product that can make the transfer of files and settings less painful is “The Tornado” from Data Drive Thru, available online at <<www.datadrivethru.com>>

The lightweight device which fits in the palm of your hand houses two USB cables. One cable is connected to the old computer; the other USB cable is connected to the new computer. No software needs to be installed if the computer running the software has Windows XP installed. When the USB cables are connected, built-in software automatically starts up, displaying a split screen with the folders and files on the old computer in one half of the screen and the folders and files from the other computer in the other half of the screen. Copying files from one computer to the other involves dragging the files from one half of the screen to the destination folder in the other half. The computer you are using for the transfer is identified as “This Computer”; the other as “Other Computer.”

Transfer of files can be made from computers running versions of Windows back to Windows 98. If both computers are running Windows 98, the company provides drivers for Windows 98. What makes this device particularly attractive is the speed of transfer. The company claims a transfer rate of 25 MB per second and my experience confirms the speed.

The span when the USB cables are fully extended is just 4 feet, but that can be expanded by using a USB extension cable. However, as a result of the limited range, the device works best when computers are placed in close proximity to each other.

No mention is made on Data Drive Thru’s website as to whether this is one of the transfer devices approved by Microsoft for transfer of files and settings from Windows XP computers to computers running Microsoft Vista.

The current price is about $60 but discounts have sometimes been offered to user groups. The company also offers the Eraser product which is touted as removing all data from a hard drive

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).