Loy,
The best way and most accepted way may be a network, but with my limited experience, I have had problems networking. For transferring files, I have been using a USB "bridge" cable for years. My first was a USB 1.1 version and I now use a USB 2.0 version. They have come with very easily installed CD software. Just install the software on each computer you wish to work with. Then connect the cable to the respective USB ports and start the software on each computer. You can move files and folders between computers just as you do using Windows Explorer between drives on your single computer. It's very inexpensive and absolutely foolproof. Here is an example of the device from Tiger, but I have seen many brand names over the years. You can't use an ordinary USB cable, you have to get one made for the purpose. Try to use a USB2 device and have USB2 ports on each computer, or transfer will be much slower. You can get a USB2 PCMCIA card for the laptop if necessary to speed things up. 
Good luck, Bob Lendrim
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=935363&CatId=445
  

-----Original Message-----
>From: Loy Pressley <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Jul 6, 2006 8:53 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [PCBUILD] Laptop Hook Up to Desktop
>
>Good morning,
>
>I have acquired a laptop computer, a gift from my son, and I am not very 
>familiar with laptops.  I want to hook the laptop up to my desktop so I 
>can transfer data files between the two computers.  How can I do that?
>
>The laptop uses Windows 2000 Pro operating system.  It has a 40 gig hard 
>drive with almost nothing on it and has 512 megs of memory.  It has all 
>kinds of ports on the back including a telephone jack for the internal 
>dialup modem and two RJ-45 network connections.
>
>My desktop is a Dell L800r with at least 100 gigs of free hard drive 
>space, 512 megs of memory, and Windows XP Home operating system.  It has 
>an RJ-45 network connection in the back.
>I don't need or particularly want a LAN setup.  The best I can get here 
>is a dialup modem connection so there is no possibility of sharing  a 
>high speed internet connection.  I just want to hook up the two 
>computers periodically so I can transfer data files between them.
>Thanks...
>Loy

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