Why? The issue is the source, not the destination. If he is getting radically different times for Network->USB vs. Harddrive->USB, then it's probably not a USB

Why? The issue is the source, not the destination. If he is getting radically different times for Network->USB vs. Harddrive->USB, then it's probably not a USB issue. As for the different OS... I mean, he isn't posting this to HN, so he may never have even used a different OS in person (most "normal" people I know haven't. Yes, including OSX).