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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, secure USB drive and USB.








From Practical to Fanciful
From M-Systems' key ring drive (top) to Platinum Pen's Executive Pen Drive (middle) to EMTEC's Kooky drive (bottom), USB drives have caught the imagination of designers.





No Bigger Than the Plug
Lexar's FlashCard was the same size as only the Type A plug on a USB cable. It was introduced in 2004 as a flash format for consumer devices that would also plug into any computer. (Image courtesy of Lexar Media, Inc., www.lexar.com)



Rotating Drives Are Also USB Drives
A USB drive 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 earlier Seagate hard disk put 5GB of storage in your pocket. When unplugged, the USB connector could 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 hard disk was introduced by IBM in 1956, it held a whopping 5MB and weighed a ton (see RAMAC). (Image courtesy of International Business Machines Corporation. Unauthorized use not permitted.)