| USB Drives Flash Drives Keys | | | | connection and an associated chip reader which |
| A Flash Drive, Sometimes called a USB Key is | | | | removed the need for a USB Hub. |
| manufactured using a "NAND" type memory data | | | | Many manufacturers try to differ their product by |
| storage device. | | | | using varied designs and styles sometimes making |
| This device is then mated to a universal serial bus | | | | the drives bulky and annoying however some styles |
| jack which can be easily plugged into any PC or | | | | offer more compact even further miniaturisation |
| electronic device with the appropriate ports. Offering | | | | making them a choice fashion accessory for the |
| many potential advantages over other portable | | | | modern geek! |
| storage devices, particularly floppy disks they are | | | | Fact: In Windows Vista and the upcoming Windows |
| more compact, operate a lot faster and facilitate file | | | | 7, the Ready-Boost feature allows use of some flash |
| transfers in a more efficient fashion. | | | | drives to augment operating system memory |
| Improvements in data retention have made Flash | | | | Companies that are really clued up are using these |
| Data drives the choice for document carrying, some | | | | thumb drives for marketing, they simply hire a |
| drives allow for up to 1.5 million write and erase | | | | printers or promotional firm to make USB drives with |
| cycled and have a data retention of 10 years without | | | | their logo printed to the drives, they then use them |
| corrupting. | | | | as giveaway items. The usability of the drive makes |
| The year 2000 saw the first publicly available Flash | | | | them the perfect advertising beacon for any |
| drives released by IBM and Trek Technology of | | | | organisation. Due to the increasing size and |
| Singapore. Trek dubbed its new device the "Thumb | | | | technology improvements the drives are becoming |
| Drive". IBM called its new innovation "DiskOnKey". An | | | | cheaper to produce and purchase by the dozen! |
| Israeli manufacturing company supplied the facility for | | | | Keep in mind if you do purchase a bulk run of |
| producing the new wonder product. Shortly after this | | | | Promotional USB Drives that the components come in |
| Lexar introduced their own spin on the usb drive | | | | 3 standards, A, B and C with A being the best quality |
| called the CF or "Compact Flash" with a usb | | | | guaranteed not to corrupt within a short time. |