[filmscanners] Slightly, somewhat OT

["" <HMSDOC@aol.com>]

I want to purchase an external HD to back up my my scans as well as to back
up my entire system including the OS.  I just had a hard drive with the OS
crash and have lost all my preferances, patches etc and don't want that to
happen again and  so the extra HD externally seems to be a good idea for back
up as well as burning my scans to CD.

I just want to make sure I understand Firewire correctly as it pertains to
getting a back up drive.  I have a FireWire card installed and working with
my Polaroid SS 4000+.  It has 2 ports.

Do all devices that function with Firewire have an In and an Out port so they
can be
put in a chain?  If put in a chain do all the devices in the chain need to be
turned on ?  Is there any downside to putting them in a chain?.

Finally, if I were to only use the external drive infrequently for back up and
used the second port for a different peripheral, can I unplug the peripheral
and plug the hard drive to that port and use it or is a specific port somehow
dedicated to a specific peripheral?

Thanks

Howard


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