The Tribune

THE ART OF GRAPHIX

By Deidre Bastian

Thumb drive, mobile drive, jump drive, fish stick..... These are the many names for memory storage devices, which have long eclipsed the floppy disk in terms of storage capabilities.

Flash drives have proven to be more versatile than the common CD-ROM, and given that the typical flash drive is the size of an adult’s thumb, it is not uncommon to hear these ubiquitous devices referred to as “thumb drives”.

All recent desktop computers and laptops have USB ports, as do many other devices such as MP3 players, mobile phones and digital cameras. They do not need additional software installations and are instantly recognised as external drives by all computers.

In the late 1990s, manufacturers were challenged to discover practical ways to store growing amounts of data, so IBM found a solution and replaced the floppy disk with its first-ever thumb drive in 2000.

The memory storage in a flash drive is ‘read (open) and write (save)’, which means it can be used to retrieve and save information up to 100,000 times. This makes a flash drive a convenient, versatile tool to store and transfer all kinds of information.

What is more, as long as a device has a USB port, flash drives can transfer music, photos, presentations and documents between any devices, even if a device does not have the necessary programmes to read the file-type saved on the flash drive.

Flash Drive costs and capabilities: To accommodate your needs, flash drives’ storage capabilities can vary, and so can their cost. On the high end, most flash drives weigh less than 30g, store up to 64 GB and are available for under $20.

However, pricing depends on security features, transfer speed and storage capabilities. The only problem with flash drives is that their small size makes them easy to lose, especially if you are always on the move.

Why not use a portable hard drive instead of a flash drive?: Flash drives do wear out eventually, once the same area on the memory card is written to repeatedly. As an added bonus, the best flash drives can access information up to 100 times faster than a traditional hard drive, such as a CD-RW or DVD-RW drives.

Moreover, they can be read by many other systems, such as the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, DVD players and in some upcoming mobile smart phones.

Additionally, laptop and desktop computer hard drives are prone to failure because of the heat and stress caused by their moving parts. Nonetheless, flash drives have been known to survive six or more drops, and can even survive a load or three in the laundry….(but don’t try this).

There are limitations, since most can survive about 10,000 overwrites. All the same, it is very important not to remove a jump drive while data is being saved, otherwise the entire drive could become unreadable.

Design: Thumb drives generally come in standard sizes and shapes, and more are being marketed in a variety of disguised forms such as key chains, bottle openers, cigarette lighters, lipstick tubes and even jewellery.

Security Concerns: Given that the devices are easily concealed; business environments may employ special software policies to prevent the accidental transfer of viruses or to prevent users from borrowing company data without authorisation.

Finally, in addition to the portable drive being inexpensive, durable and able to store and transfer data faster than many optical disc drives, you should always back-up any important information to counter unexpected computer malfunction. Until we meet again, continue to fill your life with memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game.

NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee2111@hotmail.com. About the Columnist: Ms Bastian is a trained graphic designer who has qualifications of M.Sc., B.Sc., A.Sc. She has trained at institutions such as: Miami Lakes Technical Centre, Success Training College, College of the Bahamas, Nova Southeastern University, Learning Tree International, Langevine International and Synergy Bahamas.