USB Memory Sticks

USB Memory Sticks - sometimes also known as a jump drive, USB drive, USB memory pen, flash drive, keychain drive, or disk-on-key - is a plug-and-play portable storage device that uses flash memory and is lightweight enough to attach to a key chain.

A USB memory stick looks very much like an ordinary highlighter marker pen and can be used in place of a floppy disk, Zip drive disk, or CD.

When the user plugs the device into their USB port, the computer's operating system recognizes the device as a removable drive and assigns it a drive letter.

Unlike most removable drives, a USB memory stick does not require rebooting after it's attached, does not require batteries or an external power supply. USB sticks are not platform dependent although drivers may be required for compatibility with older systems.

USB sticks are available in capacities ranging from 8 MB to 2 gigabytes, depending on manufacturer, in a corresponding range of prices.

With a USB memory stick, data can be retained for long periods when the stick drive is removed from the computer, or when the computer is powered-down with the drive left in. This makes the USB stick convenient for transferring data between a desktop computer and a notebook computer, or for short-term backup of small to moderate quantities of data.

USB memory sticks are also very useful in business life for taking data to meetings, such at PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheet files, without the need to carry your own laptop with you.

USB Memory Sticks are available from many sources in the high street and online, the Lexar 512MB JumpDrive Traveler, for example, comes in a variety of memory capacity sizes and is available online from My Memory.