How to Buy a Pen Drive

Pen drives are optional, tiny devices that can attach to your computer. You can store or transfer huge amounts of data from or onto one. Follow these steps to learn their features and compare the prices of different models of pen drives to find the one that best fits your needs.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Identify how you'll use a pen drive. Typically, they're used to copy large amounts of data from one computer to another. Note that copying files or folder with your pen drive is comparatively faster.
2. Remember that pen drives are mostly compatible with Windows (ME/2000/XP), Mac OS (8.6 and above) and Linux Kernel (2.4 and above) without drivers.
3. Note that the pen drives have different capacities. Normally, pen drives can hold between 32 MB and 2 GB. Older versions have 64 MB, 128 MB and 256 MB of storage capacity. Most older ones have now been taken off the market by reputed brands. If you want to store regular data files and excel sheets, a 512 MB memory pen drive is ideal. If you want to store video clips, MP3s and other large files, choose one with 1 GB or 2 GB.
4. Check to see if the pen drive you want can be password protected. The latest models can. You can choose to protect specific data within the drive for additional security.
5. Learn more about the features and prices of various pen drives by referring to online buyer’s guides. Browse through reviews and compare prices. Some popular buyer’s guides are NexTag, Windows Marketplace, MySimon and Epinions (see resources below).
6. Browse through blogs and tech discussion forums. These are good avenues for gathering more information on features, trends and other insights on pen drives.
7. Only buy a pen drive after comparing prices in different stores online and offline. Search for online vendors using engines like Google or Yahoo. Browse through popular online stores such as CompUSA, Best Buy and Circuit City (see resources below).
8. Confirm the pen drive's warranty and guarantee period. Usually, they come with a year’s warranty.

Tips & Warnings

• A pen drive is also called a flash drive, keychain drive, key drive, USB key, USB stick and memory key.
• Make sure the pen drive is easy to handle. Some pen drives can be difficult because of their size.
• Ensure that your computer has a USB port before buying a pen drive.
• Pen drives are plug-n-play for OS Windows XP and higher. If you are using lower versions, you will have to install the driver using the installation CD.
• Avoid direct sunlight or heat when using your pen drive. It can diminish its efficiency in the long run.

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