How to Choose a Flash Drive

Flash drives are considered the best personal storage devices, as they are portable, fast and durable. Flash drives offer storage capacity ranging from 32 MB to 2 GB. They are Mac and PC compatible and can hold most types of data. Flash drives are also called pen drives, ThumbDrives, USB drives and key drives. Here's how to choose a flash drive.

Instructions

1. Assess your storage needs. Flash drives offer 32 MB to 2 GB of storage space. The most commonly used flash drives are 512 MB and 1 GB. The 2 GB flash drives can store up to 9 hours of music or 3 hours of video/DVD content.

2. Get the USB 2.0 interface that is backward compatible, as it fits most computers.

3. Get information about makers and vendors of flash drives. Kingston, Transcend, Memorex, Verbatim, LG, Scandisk Cruzer, Sony, Lexar and Iomega are among the popular and reliable names.

4. Explore the main features before choosing a model from a particular brand. It should have a built-in security lock and password protection features.

5. Choose a design and style that allows sufficient portability and comfort when traveling.

6. Plan your budget for purchasing a flash drive. Remember that flash drives, both new and used, are priced differently.

7. Check the warranty. Some flash drives come with up to 5 years of warranty. The best brands usually offer a lifetime warranty.

Tips & Warnings

• Ensure that the drive fits into the USB port of your machine, as some manufacturers change the design and shape of their products to stand out in the market.