1. What is a USB Flash Drive?
USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. It was developed in 1995 to make connecting peripherals to computers very easy - like plugging a phone into a phone jack. It was now unnecessary to power down the PC to connect devices (as it was in the days of RS232 serial ports and LPT parallel ports). Plus, with plug and play technology, many devices could be instantly recognized and used by a computer. USB flash drives brought the developing flash memory technology (being used in digital cameras) to PCs using the USB quick connect convenience. Having a USB Flash Drive is almost a necessity for a current day computer user.

2. What is in a USB Flash Drive?
There are some basic components common to every USB Flash Drive:
1) A USB male connector that provides the physical interface with the computer
2) A mass storage controller IC chip that provides the interface with the computer that allows the exchange of data
3) The flash memory IC chip that provides the data storage
4) An oscillator chip that provides control signals to components for data transfer
5) A protective case

3. What does USB 2.0 mean?
It simply means the second generation of the Universal Serial Bus specifications. The common earlier version was USB 1.1. Now almost all USB devices employ USB 2.0, but USB 2.0 is backward compatible to USB 1.1. The biggest advantage to USB 2.0 is improved speed. USB 3.0 has recently been released with an even faster rate of data transfer.

4. Do I need special software to use a USB Flash Drive?
No. No driver or software is required. It is true plug and play.

5. Is there anything I need to know about using a USB Flash Drive?
USB flash drives will appear as another storage device on your PC; just like your internal hard drive or an external drive. Manage your files just as you do on any other storage drive. It is recommended that you do not insert or remove a flash drive while a computer is booting up or shutting down. Most importantly, before removing a USB flash drive, close any of the drive’s files or folders that are in use. Then go the Notification area of the PC task bar (lower right corner) and click the USB icon and then select Stop Device or Remove Device (depending on the operating system). You should see a message that it is safe to remove the device.

6. Is there a difference in USB Flash Drive Brands?
Most are very reliable, and the biggest differences are cosmetic. Some, however, come with great features like a retractable connector versus a detachable connector cover that is easily lost. They also come in a variety of colors and capacities, and can even be customized with company names and logos. Some have LED indicators.

Read and write speed can sometimes vary widely between brands, however, the large majority of brands all fall in a fairly narrow range of average read and write speeds. There are some outlier brands that are much faster or slower than typical flash drives. While speed may not be big concern for a typical user, those interested in varying USB flash drive speeds can find information that compares various brands.