What is a USB Flash Drive

WHAT IS A USB FLASH DRIVE? What is a USB Flash Drive? A USB Flash Drive is a small portable storage device capable of working with any USBcompatible computer operating at least Windows 2000/XP, Mac OS 9-10X, or Linux 2.4.17. What is the physical size of a USB Flash Drive? A typical USB device is the size of a highlighter pen. What is required to operate a USB Flash Drive? A USB Flash Drive is a plug-and-play storage device requiring no drivers or software. Your computer must have a free USB slot. How much data can a USB Flash Drive hold? USB drives come in a variety of memory sizes ranging from 1MB to 2GB. What are the benefits of owning a USB Flash Drive? Flash drives hold more data than a floppy, are more portable than ZIP drives and other remote storage devices, and more convenient and less fragile than CD-RW disks. If you regularly move files from place to place, and you want an easy and reliable way to back up important documents, a USB Flash Drive is a good investment. What are the disadvantages of owning a USB Flash Drive? USB Flash Drives initially cost more than floppy disks or CDs. Current prices range from $30 for a 16MB module to $159.00 for 256MB. Revised 1/13/2004