Portable USB drives or flash memory data storage devices are the modern alternative to floppy disks. Small, lightweight and with a high storage capacity, portable USB drives allow the transfer of photos, videos, movies and documents between computers at a very high rate and with maximum of efficiency. The advantages of portable USB drives are more numerous over the rest of portable storage devices and here we refer to floppy discs and compact discs (CDs) too. Flash cards are compatible with all computer operating systems such as Mac OS X, Linux and Windows. Technically, they consist of a small printed circuit board that has a metal, rubber or plastic cover for protection.

Portable USB drives represent a combination of technologies that allows for the creation of optimal data storage variants that are cost effective and require very low power levels. The applications of the standard flash memory microprocessor are very extensive and serve for a huge number of modern accessories that we depend on, from digital cameras, GPS devices to MP3 players and iPods. Moreover, portable USB drives have become basic tools in the equipment of network administrators that can load them with software for troubleshooting, recovery and maintenance. This is the comfortable alternative to carrying a pack of drives in CD format.

Presently, the very generous storage space available with portable USB drivers allows for the carrying around of the various installers necessary for updating and reinstalling the system. Then, the recovery and anti-virus software transfer to infected PCs is also possible, allowing for a partial archiving of data on the host machine. To further illustrate the extent of the applications for portable USB drivers we should mention the importance of flash memory drives in law enforcement and computer forensics. This was possible through a Microsoft application designed to extract digital evidence.

Portable USB drives make an inexpensive data carrier solution, and the average user already considers such a device a piece of highly efficient hardware. The drive could also turn into a backup medium for point-of-sale systems, but additional technology may be required for the purpose. We should not conclude before mentioning that in terms of reliability, portable USB drives have the highest level of resistance for data transportation. Unlike hard drives, memory flash drives are not fragile and use very little power. All you need to be careful with is not to misplace or leave behind the device that can be easily lost because of the small size.