How to Compare 64 GB Flash Drives

There's more to a flash drive than just storage capacity.

When you're purchasing a flash drive, the storage capacity of the drive is very important, as different flash drives offer different capacities. USB 2.0 flash drives are capable of holding between 1 GB and 256 GB of data, according to the book "Building the Perfect PC." (see Ref. 1, pg. 68) However, there are other crucial differences to consider besides storage space. When comparing 64 GB flash drives, you need to consider portability, data transfer speed and compatibility.

Instructions

1. Compare the size and portability of the flash drive. Some flash drives are more compact than others, better suitable for on-the-go storage. If you need to carry data with you at all times, a smaller flash drive is better.

2. Consider the data transfer rate of the device. The fastest flash drives transfer data transfer speed between 25 and 30 MB per second, and the slowest transfer between 2 and 3 MB per second. (see Ref. 1, pg. 68) The higher the MB per second rate, the faster the drive can read and write data. Generally speaking, a transfer rate of 12 MB or higher is good enough for casual computer users.

3. Check the flash drive's packaging for the USB version. USB 1.0 and 1.1 is old technology that isn't as widely useful on new devices. As reported in the book "How to Do Everything MacBook," USB 2.0 was still the standard throughout 2010, but USB 3.0 technology existed sparingly in the marketplace. (see Ref. 2, pg. 37) Until USB 3.0 is widely adopted, it is more prudent to purchase 2.0 technology, because more computers are compatible with this technology.

4. Look on the packaging for details about driver files. If the flash drive has preloaded drivers, it will be more widely compatible with other computers. If there are no preloaded drivers, then drivers need to be downloaded and installed on each computer you want to use with the device. Driver installation is automatic, but it requires an active Internet connection. If you want to use the flash drive on an offline computer, you need preloaded drivers.

Tips & Warnings

• While preloaded drivers make a flash drive more widely compatible, they take up space on the flash drive. You will not have access to the full 64GB of storage on a flash drive with preinstalled driver files.

References

• "Building the Perfect PC"; Robert Bruce Thompson, et al.; 2010
• "How to Do Everything MacBook"; Robin Noelle; 2010