What is a USB flash drive?

Buy a USB Flash Drive

A USB flash drive is a small, lightweight, storage device that can be plugged in to any computer with a USB port/socket.  The computers USB port can be either USB 1.1 or 2.0 compatible.  Do not worry, because all USB 2.0 flash drives are backwards compatible with USB 1.1.  But what is this USB 2.0?

Note: Other common names for USB flash drives include "Jump Drives", "Pocket Drives", "Pen Drives", and "Thumb Drives"

What is USB 2.0?

USB 2.0 is an overhaul to the Universal Serial Bus input/output bus protocol, which allows much higher speeds than the older USB 1.1 standard.

• USB 1.1 allowed a maximum transfer rate of 12Mbits/second.  This standard is commonly labeled by manufacturers as "Full-Speed" or "USB".
• USB 2.0 allows 480Mbits/second.  This new standard is labeled as "High-Speed" USB.  Please note that these throughput rates are misleading and are not actual speeds that the devices attain.

As an aside, USB mice and keyboards need only 1.5Mbits/s to function.  That performance level is also named "USB", or "USB Low-Speed".

As a consumer searching for a USB flash drive, make sure it is labeled "USB 2.0 High-Speed" for starters.  Note that the vast majority of USB 2.0 devices will work on older PCs and Macs.

USB 2.0 Flash Drives Vary

Is that all you have to worry about?  Well, not quite.  You have narrowed down your selection to a few eye catching flash drives with the USB 2.0 High-Speed standard, now what?  Obviously, USB flash drives vary by storage capacity (noted as 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, etc.).  But they also vary by read and write speeds.

• Read speed - the speed at which the flash drive retrieves your data (retrieve files).
• Write speed - the speed at which the flash drives can write the data (save files).

If you will be transferring large files or moving gigabytes of photos around or are a stickler for performance, then these are EXTREMELY important attributes to you.  Otherwise, any old USB Hi-Speed flash drive will do the trick.  I have seen the read speed of flash drives vary from 5.5Mb/s to 38Mb/s, and they keep getting faster.

High Performance Flash Drives

1. Memina Rocket 1GB; 30Mb/S read, 24Mb/s write
2. Lexar JumpDrive Lightning 1GB; 22Mb/s read, 15Mb/s write
3. Kingston Data Traveler Elite 1GB; 24Mb/s read, 14Mb/s write

Small Flash Drives

1. Sony Ultra Mini Micro Vault 256Mb; 12Mb/s read, 7Mb/s write
2. Iomega Micro Mini 256Mb; 8Mb/s read, -
3. SanDisk Cruzer Micro 256Mb; -

Common Features

USB flash drives come with common features, accessories and extras.  These can include items such as:

• Neck strap with quick release - for those paranoid of loosing their USB drive
• USB extension cable - certain computers have usb ports in the back, so these cables may be convenient
• Write-protect switch - same concept as with floppy disks
• Security/password protection
• Low power support, boot support, and warranty

File Synchronization

If you will be working with the same files (documents, picture editing, programming, etc) on multiple computers, make sure you have file synchronization software that will automatically sync up your files with different folders, as specified.  The Lexar JumpDrive Lighting 1GB comes with software to accomplish this task.

What Else Can USB Flash Drives Do? Enter the "U3 Smart Drive".

U3 Smart Drives are USB flash drives co-developed by SanDisk and M-Systems, allowing users to take their applications and data with them to any USB-equipped Windows PC and to launch them with as little as two clicks.  True, while applications have been tweaked by users to run directly off a flash drive, applications written for U3 smart drives do not require a vast knowledge of computers to set up, and are 100% legal to operate.

USB flash drives, such as the Memorex U3 Smart Mini TravelDrive released Sept. 2005, offer a rich set of mobile features that transform it from a simple storage device into a convenient experience.

• Data Storage - Stores data and files as other flash drives plus...
• Stores PC Preferences - carries an entire computer profile from one PC to another.  Migo displays data files, folders, IE settings, desktop wallpaper and icons on the host PC.  Changes are synchronized each time the U3 USB drive is plugged into another PC.
• Email - an email client makes emailing safe, fast and easy to use with features such as intelligent spam filters, built-in RSS reader and quick search.  Users can read email stored on the USB flash drive.
• Anti-Virus Protection - U3 Anti-Virus Powered by McAfee is the first anti-virus software for USB smart drives.  It helps to ensures that all data stored is secure from malicious threats.
• Passwords and settings - enabled all data to be kept safe from unwanted eyes.

Consumers can also download additional software applications.

Summary

I would recommend purchasing a USB flash drive with at least a 8mb/s read speed, or more.  It saves a decent amount of time waiting for large amounts of files to transfer.  Please remember that eBay limits the types of hyperlinks and references included within this guide, so for additional information please Google it.

I hope you have found this information useful in your purchase.  Good luck and enjoy the convenience of a USB flash drive!