| A USB flash drive is a small portable storage device | | | | repairing infected computers. Some specialized flash |
| that plugs into the USB port on your computer. A USB | | | | drives can also function as digital media or MP3 |
| drive can hold anywhere from a few Megabytes up to | | | | players. Usually these USB drives will have a sounds |
| 64 Gigabytes or more. | | | | output as well as a simple user interface. |
| Because USB flash drives use the USB interface and | | | | Flash drives may also be used for applications and |
| the USB mass storage standard, they do not need a | | | | even operating systems. If your computer has the |
| driver, and are compatible with virtually every modern | | | | ability to boot up from your USB port, you can boot up |
| computer. Nearly all modern computers have support | | | | from an operating system installed on your USB flash |
| for USB built into the operating system. | | | | drive. USB drives can also be used for using |
| USB drives range in price from a few dollars, up to | | | | applications that do not need to be installed on the host |
| several thousand, depending largely on their storage | | | | computer. For example, Mozilla Firefox has a version |
| capacity. USB drives are considered very reliable, and | | | | for flash drives. This allows you to use your favorite |
| are not subject to damage as easily as CDs or floppy | | | | programs on any computer. |
| disks. | | | | As technology continues to advance, USB flash drives |
| Flash drives have many uses. The most common use | | | | continue to become cheaper, hold more data, and |
| is transporting files between computers. Many people | | | | have more features. Even currently, USB drives are |
| use flash drives to transport files and data from their | | | | pretty universally considered the best form of portable |
| school or work computers to their home computers. | | | | data storage. |
| Flash drives are also very useful for backing up or | | | | |