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USB Flash Drives Vs.
USB flash drives compare favorably to other methods of storing or transferring data because they alone are not only pluggable, portable, and powerful, but durable and reasonably priced. Please mouse over the icons on the left to see how USB flash drives compare against other forms of storage and transfer media.
USB Flash Drives Vs. Floppy Discs
USB flash drives are sturdier and offer more storage in a smaller form factor than floppy discs. Better yet, they require no drive for your computer. Just insert the USB flash drive into a computer's USB port using a modern operating system and you're ready to go to work.
USB Flash Drives Vs Optical Storage (CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW)
Optical storage is often used for archiving and long-term data storage. While they can be available at lower cost (in terms of straight data vs. data size) they are not as easy to use and not as robust as USB flash drives. Re-writable optical media typically require additional application software to store data on the media while it is as simple as a drag and drop operation to move data to and from a USB flash drive. Optical media are also sensitive to surface scratches which require a certain level of caution when handling. USB flash drives are more rugged and scratching the product can not impact your data. While almost every computer has a USB port many computers do not have a drive allowing optical media storage.
USB Flash Drives Vs Zip Drives
For desktop and laptop computers that don't come equipped with a Zip drive, transferring data to a Zip can create problems. That's not an issue with USB flash drives, which typically offer more storage capacity in a smaller form factor and easily fit in your pocket or purse. USB flash drives are also more durable, with no moving parts to wear out or break
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USB Flash Drives Vs External Hard Drives
These units are best suited for backup and storage of large amounts of data. External hard drives offer storage of several 100GB of data. However, they are larger in size as well as sensitive to shock due to internal moving parts.
USB Flash Drives Vs Flash Memory Cards
Flash Memory Cards and USB flash drives are based on solid state storage using different mechanical form factors and interface types. Flash memory cards are often used for internal storage in consumer electronic devices such as digital cameras. USB flash drives, in contrast, are usually used for your external portable storage needs, making your data ultra-portable. Both products have their markets and applications and are expected to co-exist.