Memory Stick/Flash Drive Also known as thumb drive, or pen drive They are a data storage device that includes a flash memory with an integrated USB interface that connects to the computer through the USB port. They were up for sale for the first time in the late 2000s, and since then their storage size varies from 8 to 256 GB (gigabytes), 512 GB and 1 terabyte. The latest largest edition is 2TB flash drives which were released in 2023, with some allowing up to 100,000 write/erase cycles. They will last around 10 to 1oo years under normal circumstances. A memory stick usually weighs less than 30 g (1 oz). Uses of USB flash drives… ● Storage supplementary back ups ● Personal data transport ● Secure storage of data, application and software files Advantages of USB flash drives… ● Rewritable ● Removable ● Faster ● Very Small (Smaller than an optical disc) ● Lightweight (Easy to transport) ● Larger storage capacity ● More durable (no moving parts) (note; especially when compared to other data storage devices like floppy disks or CDs) ● Less vulnerable to electromagnetic interference than floppy disks ● Unharmed by surface scratches unlike CDs Disadvantages of USB flash drives… ● Could lose data from bit leaking ● Prone to spontaneous controller failure which makes them unsuitable to long-term archiving ● A higher cost than other storage types ● Malicious software from cyber criminals can easily be transferred between devices without the owner realizing.
