| USB Drives are a fantastic little gadget makes data | | | | USB cable that eliminated the need for USB hubs and |
| impervious to being damaged, scratched or smudged. | | | | other large equipment. |
| They are extremely robust and strong when made | | | | The 4 essential components of these items consist of |
| properly and the data on a USB stick will last for 50 | | | | the Male Type-A USB connector,The Mass Storage |
| years. Some flash drives are even made to withstand | | | | Controller module, and the NAND memory chip along |
| water meaning a document or data will still be available | | | | with the Crystal Oscillator which creates the device's |
| if the USB is dropped into water. | | | | main 12 MHz clock signal and transmits the items data |
| However with many other things the USB Stick also | | | | output through a phase locked loop. This is all |
| has its disadvantages. With all flash drives they can | | | | connected with several jumper pins, LEDS, Fuses and |
| only handle a certain number of read, write and erase | | | | write protection modules (if optioned) |
| cycles before becoming warn out and obsolete. | | | | The Memory chips used in the manufacturing of |
| The First generation began hitting the shelves in 1999 | | | | Printed USB drives have become a commodity in |
| as the result of a venture by Singapore organization | | | | latter years with NAND chip prices fluctuating every |
| Trek Technology who sold a USB model called the | | | | day the cost of producing changes on a constant |
| "Thumb-Drive" this was a huge step for technology as | | | | basis. |
| this small usb drive could hold ten times the amount of | | | | Many flash keys come in funky shapes and styles. |
| data on a floppy disk and was more efficient than the | | | | Printed and unprinted, Many companies are now |
| ZIP drive. | | | | purchasing wholesale USB drives and having there |
| IBM later took the crown of king USB manufacturer | | | | company credentials printed onto the USB drives to be |
| with there product the DiskOnKey USB Stick which | | | | used as a promotional item or for internal use by staff. |
| was at that point being mass produced by Israeli | | | | Its important to be weary when ordering any USB |
| company M-Systems. This made for a highly | | | | Keys or purchasing from small companies or offshore |
| competitive market for the small USB drives to be | | | | organizations because of the large influx of fake USB |
| made and sold to the consumer. | | | | drives. Fake USB Drives are usually characterized in |
| In the year 2000 Lexar entered the USB industry with | | | | the way they emulate a larger capacity than what is |
| their CF (compact flash) card that featured a USB | | | | actually available in storage, (e.g: a 128MB USB that |
| connection and a companion card reader & writer with | | | | shows an 8GB capacity). |