Differences in USB Storage Media!

Perhaps the most popular type of USB storage device is the USB flash drive, or USB key. Although there is no standard name for this device (it seems as if everyone calls this device another name), one aspect that is standard with this device is its small size. Typically measuring less than four inches long, these devices are often worn on lanyards, or attached to someone's key chain. These devices specialize in data portability, rather than data capacity, and this important factor should be kept in mind when selecting this particular media. Although these devices are extremely portable, their capacity is usually only 2 GB or less. USB flash drives typically cost between $50 and $150, depending on data capacity and manufacturer. If you want portability of your data, and you only need to store 2 GB or less, the USB flash drive will be perfect for your needs.

Another popular USB storage device media is the DVD burner. Offering data capacity of over 8 GB (with special dual layer discs), this is the ultimate way to cheaply transport large amounts of data. Although the drives are bulky, and require a secondary power source, discs can usually be purchased for about $1/disc. Data write and read speeds for this media are slow also, but if you are only writing to a disc once, this may not be an important issue for you. Average prices for the drives are usually between $150-$200, depending on drive speed and quality. If you are looking for a cheap way to backup large amounts of data (and possibly create movies as well), this is the ideal data storage media for you.

If all of the data on your computer is stored on a hard disk drive, wouldn't it make sense to back up or copy that data to a removable hard disk drive? A popular USB backup media that does exactly that is called an external hard disk drive. Capable of data write and read speeds which rival that of the hard disk drive in your computer, these drives are able to store large amounts of data quickly. In addition, these drives also usually are bundled with drive back up and recovery software, which will be important if you want a large capacity back up system. The main disadvantages of this particular media are the price ($80 and up), the size (often at least 8 inches long, and heavy), and the need for an external power source. However, if you are looking for fast data read and write speeds, and more than 250 GB of storage space, this media may be perfect for you.

There is one more USB data storage media popular on the market today. This media contains some of the advantages of removable hard drives (such as data capacity), as well as some of the advantages of USB flash drives (such as the ability to operate without external power). These devices are essentially external hard disk drives which are powered off of the USB port power. Made popular by LaCie, these devices are the ultimate in portability and data storage. Storing up to 120 GB is no problem for these drives. This data capacity and portability is made possible by the technology inside of the hard disk enclosures. Instead of using a standard hard disk drive, inside of these enclosures is a notebook hard disk drive. Since these notebook hard drives require less power than their desktop counterparts, they are able to be easily powered off of the USB bus. The main disadvantage of this technology is the price. Starting at $150 and up, these devices are expensive compared to the cheaper external hard disk drives. However, if you are looking for a mobile media that is able to store large amounts of data, these portable external hard disk drives will be ideal for you.

No matter which device you select, these media devices are all capable of reliably backing up data, or transporting data from place to place. If selected properly, any of these devices should be able to outlast your data storage needs. Since technology is always changing, always make sure to purchase a device that will fulfill your needs tomorrow, as well as today.