USB drive

USB drive

A flash memory card that plugs into the computer's USB port. Small enough to hook onto a keychain, it emulates a small disk drive and allows data to be easily transferred from one machine to another. Software drivers are not required for the latest operating systems, but are available on the Web for legacy systems such as Windows 98, Windows NT and Mac OS 8. See USB drive kit.

Transfer Speed
USB drive vendors claim to use the same data transfer ratings as CD-ROMs, where each "x" equals 150KB. However, their math is often imprecise. For example, a 90x drive may be rated at 14 MBps, but a simple multiplication yields a different number: 90 x 150 = 13.5MB). See CD-ROM drives.

Known By Many Names
Also known as a "flash drive," "pen drive," "keychain drive," "key drive," "USB key," "USB stick" and "memory key," numerous brand names have also been coined such as Lexar's JumpDrive and Trek 2000 International's ThumbDrive. Some products include synchronization software that keeps files updated between computers. See U3 and USB.

Storage on a Key Ring

USB drives are typically designed to slip onto a key ring such as this DiskOnKey from M-Systems, which was acquired by SanDisk in 2006.

Storage in Your Pen

The Executive Pen Drive from Platinum Pen truly kept your data at your fingertips.

No Bigger Than the Plug

Lexar's USB FlashCard (UFC) uses a form factor no larger than the USB Type A plug itself. Introduced in 2005, it was designed as a new storage card for digital cameras and other consumer devices that would plug into any computer. Because of its size, it can always be inserted into an empty socket even if more obtrusive devices are plugged into adjacent sockets. (Image courtesy of Lexar Media, Inc., www.lexar.com)

A Rotating Drive
The term may also refer to an external hard disk, CD or DVD drive that plugs into the computer's USB port. Whether portable or stationary, it is a regular disk drive and not a flash memory drive. See portable hard drive and USB.

USB Pocket Hard Disk

This portable Seagate hard disk puts 5GB of storage in your pocket. When unplugged, the USB connector can be wound into the container.

USB CD Burner

USB has made it a snap to plug and unplug drives of all kinds such as this CD burner from Iomega. (Image courtesy of Iomega Corporation)

A 1950s Storage Drive

Compare this to your storage devices today. When this breakthrough drive was introduced by IBM in 1956, it was the first hard disk on the market. It held a whopping 5MB and weighed a ton (see RAMAC). (Image courtesy of International Business Machines Corporation. Unauthorized use not permitted.)