The new power of USB flash drives caught me by surprise. I've used smaller ones for years. But they've exploded in usefulness thanks to (1) much larger storage capacity and (2) the addition of portable applications. Read on.
| Nicknames and brand names |
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USB flash drives are also known as "thumb drives," "jump drives," "USB keys," "pen drives," and a variety of other names.
Some familiar brand names (at this writing) are:
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This post begins a series discussing:
- What USB flash drives are & how they work
- How they'd be used by displaced workers in a flu pandemic
- How they compare to CDs, external hard drives, & floppy disks
- How they compare to remote computing (GoToMyPC)
- Benefits of the new U3 software platform
- Where to get portable applications
If employees are temporarily forced to relocate offices or work from home
About the size of a pack of gum, a flash drive is a great way to quickly and reliably shuttle data between USB-enabled computers - desktops, notebooks, Macs, PCs. You can carry data files from your office computer to your home computer, for example.
USB flash drives simply plug into an empty USB port on your computer and instantly become another "hard drive." (The computer automatically recognizes the flash drive; no configuration required.) You can copy any computer files to the flash drive, then unplug it and plug it into another computer.
In terms of storage capacity, USB flash drives can hold up to several gigabytes of data. And they're fast - they transfer data quickly.
A flash drive has no moving parts. It's rugged.
USB flash drives get their power from whatever computer they're plugged into; no cables or external power supplies are needed.
Using USB flash drives in a pandemic
With USB flash drives, you don't need to take a computer with you, because there are computers with USB ports everywhere you go. You just take your work with you, ready to plug into any computer you happen to be near. (You do need access to a computer!)
In the event of a flu pandemic, this might be very helpful for telecommuting. However, it's not the same as actually using your own computer remotely, as with GoToMyPC. Plus, you don't know ahead of time how long you might be away from your office, what data files you'll need while away, etc. And you'll need to synchronize files between the flash drive and the office PC when you return. (For more, see "USB flash drives vs. GoToMyPC".)
However, if USB flash drives fit your needs, you can pack a lot of data in your pocket. At this writing, flash drives with capacities up to 4 gigabytes are readily available (even larger, if money is no object). And the portable applications generally don't take a lot of space.
Tomorrow, I'll talk about portable applications for regular USB flash drives. (The next day, we'll look at portable apps for "U3 smart drives.")
| Where to buy USB flash drives: |
| Kingston |
| Crucial Technology |
| Buy.com |
Amazon.com - USB flash drives page |
| Local computer stores; other retailers |
- What USB flash drives are & how they work
- Portable applications for regular USB flash drives
- Portable applications for "U3 smart drives"
- USB flash drives vs. CDs, external hard drives, & floppies
- USB flash drives vs. remote computing (GoToMyPC)
- What size USB flash drive do you need?
RELATED:
Wikipedia - USB flash drives
USB Implementers Forum, Inc., creators of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology. USB is a high-speed data interface allowing up to 127 peripherals to be simultaneously connected to a personal computer. USB devices (including USB flash drives) are "hot-swappable" - they can be added or removed without turning off the computer.
FOOTNOTES:
* USB = Universal Serial Bus. For more on the USB specification, visit http://www.usb.org/.
** Flash = "Flash" isn't a snazzy marketing term. It refers to a type of fast memory chip that can retain stored information even when its power is turned off. Flash memory is used in digital audio players, digital cameras and mobile phones, as well as in USB flash drives.
