Tutor Tips from ... the Computer Tutor

22 January 2006

Flash Drives

The flash drive, commonly called a USB memory stick, may become the floppy drive of the future … or will it? Since virtually every desktop computer manufactured in the last five years has a USB port, flash drives provide a convenient method for transferring data between systems. Just plug one into your PC, and it shows up in My Computer as another storage device. To transfer the data, just open My Computer and look for the newly-added drive. Treat it as you would any other hard disk or floppy disk.

Despite the different brands and names you've heard for USB flash drives – JumpDrives™, Pocket drives™, Pen drives™, and Thumb drives™ – they all pretty much operate the same way. The difference is mostly in price, capacity, design, functions, and features (for example, some have built-in MP3 players).

What is Flash Memory
 Flash memory has been around for a number of decades. Although memory is technically any form of electronic storage, it is used most often to identify fast, temporary forms of storage. If your computer's CPU had to constantly access the hard drive to retrieve every piece of data it needs, it would operate very slowly. When the information is kept in memory, the CPU can access it much more quickly. Most forms of memory are intended to store data temporarily. When the power is removed from the computer, the contents of the memory is lost.

Your hard drive, CD's, and DVD's are forms of permanent memory. They retain information even when the computer is not running. Flash memory is a hybrid that allows high-speed access to information that is not lost when power is removed from the system.

Here are a few examples of Flash memory:

  • Your computer's BIOS chip
  • CompactFlash and SmartMedia (most often found in digital cameras)
  • Portable mp3 players and iPods
  • PCMCIA Type I and Type II memory cards (used as solid-state disks in laptops)
  • Memory cards for video game consoles

USB flash drives weigh about the same as a car key and are about the size of a stick of gum. Currently, they can hold up to two gigabytes of data – that's over 650 three-minute songs (33 hours) recorded as MP3s or about three times the content of a standard compact disc.

Wht not use Flash drives for everything? The lightweight design is one of its major drawbacks. It's fragile – easy to lose, easy to break. The cost per megabyte is drastically more and the storage capacity is substantially less than a hard disk.

Do Flash Drives Have a Future with You?
The best use I have found for a flash drive is data conveyance. If you are in the habit of taking work home with you, a flash drive is the easiest way to carry it. Many flash drives include password protection, so you don’t have to worry about your information falling into the wrong hands.

Flash drives are not backup devices. The fragility issue arises again. Larger devices - CD’s, DVD’s, external or removable hard drives, and floppy disks - provide a longer-lasting, less-fragile way to store your backups.

If you have a digital camera, you can turn one of your memory cards into a flash drive. Most memory cards are less expensive than flash drives. MediaGear sells something they call the “XtraDrive.” XtraDrives have a cool gem-tone colored, transparent cap that allows you to see if a media card is installed. In addition, to eliminate crowding of several drives together on a PC or notebook, the XtraDrive package includes a USB adapter cable. These drives, which sell for under $10, can accommodate most card formats including Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard, Sony Memory Stick, Compact Flash Types I and II, MicroDrives, and xD.

Flash drives are innovative, flashy, and convenient. It’s a shame they don’t make one that interfaces with the human brain. I really could use one of those.