User talk:Eseesky

What is a USB Flash Drive?

USB flash drivesare compact and easy-to-use flash memory data storage devices integrated with a USB interface. The term "USB flash drive" is a generic term used to describe these products without specifying a particular manufacturer. USB flash drives are sold by many different companies under a variety of different proprietary product names such as JumpDrive, DataTraveler and Attaché, to name just a few. The term "USB flash drive" is used in the same manner that the term "DVD" and "CD-RW" are used; to describe the technology in generic terms. Other common names and terms are pen drive, memory stick and thumb drive.

They're virtually universally compatible with all Laptop and Notebook PCs running Windows 98SE and higher, as well as many MAC OS systems that have a USB port.

USB flash drives sales in 2006 are forecasted to reach 150 million units, with that number growing to 340 million in 2008, consisting of approximately 75% smart drives, according to Web-Feet Research.

Why do I need a USB flash drive?
There are many uses for a [USB flash drive], including for personal data storage and for portable desktop computing. The small size of USB flash drives makes them ideal for personal, portable and powerful computing. From mom carrying around picture of her kids, to business travelers carrying their files and desktop with extreme ease and convenience, a USB flash drive is a personal, portable and powerful device.

What are the advantages of USB flash drives?
[Flash drives]for storage offer several advantages over competitive devices:

Optical storage (CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW),: USB flash drives are more robust and portables than optical storage devices, coming in smaller packages and not susceptible to surface scratches, which can damage the stored content. USB drives can be re-written many times, unlike some of the "-R" varieties of optical storage that can only be written once Floppy Discs: USB flash drives are generally faster and can hold more data than floppy discs. They also do not require an internal drive- just a USB port.

External hard drives: these are best suited for back-up and storage of large amounts of data, up to several hundred GBs. USB flash drives are substantially smaller and because they have no moving parts, tend to be more durable than HDD-based solution.