| In ancient times, a few megabytes were considered to | | | | the read/write head is in operation isn't recommended |
| be a considerable amount of storage. Transferring | | | | if you care about your data's integrity. Thumb drives |
| data between computers meant carrying around big, | | | | don't have this problem, as they use solid-state |
| goofy floppy disks that weren't very reliable compared | | | | technology to store your precious data--no moving |
| to today's storage standards. Next the 1.44 megabyte | | | | parts. This amounts to a durable little storage device |
| diskettes became the norm for portable storage, their | | | | that can take a trashing and still keep your treasured |
| hard plastic casing mocking the bendable floppy's soft | | | | mp3s safe from demise. |
| and dainty exterior. | | | | For a large amount of storage on an itty bitty thumb |
| Time marches on. Programs and files begin to demand | | | | drive, Kanguru offers a 16 GB flash drive for around |
| more storage real estate. Burning CD's get you a nice | | | | $800. |
| 650-700 megabytes of space, but CDR burning is | | | | USB Hard Drives |
| cumbersome; it's not like saving or manipulating files on | | | | USB Hard Drives are a popular choice when you need |
| a hard drive, as the flexibility just isn't there, and it's | | | | portable storage. Like thumb drives, USB hard drives |
| certainly not as fast. | | | | can be easily plugged into a USB port. USB hard drives |
| Today we have USB hard drives and flash | | | | differ from their thumb rivals in a few ways: they don't |
| memory-based thumb drives. These portable drives | | | | employ the same sold-state technology as flash |
| pack gigs upon gigs of space and can fit comfortably | | | | drives--which means you can treat them with utter |
| in your pocket or on a key chain. IT department types | | | | disrespect like you would a flash drive--and they are a |
| have even been spotted wearing their USB storage | | | | little too large to fit comfortably on a keychain. |
| devices around their necks as an elite badge of some | | | | A major plus with USB hard drives is that they provide |
| sort; portable storage has never looked this good. | | | | a significant capacity advantage over thumb drives, |
| USB Thumb Drives | | | | and for less money; this is a compelling reason to opt |
| USB thumb drives are an amazing piece of hardware. | | | | for a USB hard drive if your storage capacity needs |
| Shuttling large files to and fro has never been easier. | | | | are massive. |
| USB ports are like Starbucks; they're everywhere, and | | | | Thumb drives appear to be faster than USB hard |
| as long as your computer has one, you can interface it | | | | drives up to a certain capacity. When a thumb drive's |
| with a USB thumb drive. | | | | capacity grows over the 2 GB mark, USB hard drives |
| One of the cool things about a thumb drive is its | | | | pull ahead in sheer file transfer speed. |
| durability. They're like a little army tank for your data. | | | | When drive capacity is paramount, USB hard drives |
| Your computer's internal hard drive is one of the last | | | | may be the perfect solution, but when you want to |
| components that has actual moving parts--the read | | | | transfer data on the ring of your keychain, a flash |
| write head; giving your hard drive a good clout when | | | | memory-based thumb drive is a great choice. |