USB FLASH
DRIVES
USB Flash drives are portable memory
devices, which are used to transport data between computers. These
drives are used by attaching them to a USB port on the computer. Data
is read and written to the memory on the drive by an on board
controller. The
flash memory device appears as another drive on your computer, so all
of the
instructions you normally use to; move, copy, drag and drop, and
delete data, can be used.
The drive
is about the size of a pack of
chewing gum, and weighs about 4 or 5 ounces. It does not have an on
board
power supply, but, draws its power from the USB port which it's
connected to. Many people carry them in their pocket or purse, while
some carry them around their neck.
These devices are relatively inexpensive starting
at around $5.00 and going up to about $200.00, depending on data
capacity and
read/write speed. The data transfer rate is controlled by the USB port.
USB 2.0 is considerably faster then USB 1.1. With a USB 2.0 port the
read/write speed is limited by the drives memory
itself. Data transfer speed is only noticeable when reading or writing
large files. USB 3.0 is expected to become available in late 2009 or
2010, and it's going to be a screaming fast device.
You don't have to worry about some stranger
accessing your files if you
lose your flash memory, as most drives allow for password protection,
and some even
offer file encryption. The data in memory is protected from heat and
humidity while carrying the drive in your pocket. Also, the unit can be
shaken or dropped without any memory loss.
These devices come in sizes up to 64
gigabytes, and bigger drives are coming. The most popular flash drives
are in the 1 to 8 gigabyte sizes.
In order to better bring this information into focus,
review the flash drives at your favorite online computer store. You
will find hundreds of devices with varied features that will satisfy
your needs.
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For
additional information about the Flash drives.
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