The various writable and re-writable forms of CD and DVD are portable storage media supported by the vast majority of computers as of 2008. CD-R, DVD-R, and DVD+R can be written to only once, RW varieties up to about 1,000 erase/write cycles, while modern NAND-based flash drives often last for 500,000 or more erase/write cycles. DVD-RAM discs are the most suitable optical discs for data storage involving much rewriting.
This depends on the programs. Most programs will situate their contents in multiple locations, so if it's on your computer, you'll need to know where all of a program is stored. It can be easier to download the program from scratch again as it brings in all of the needed content for you. If you are trying to transfer from a computer, at the very least be sure to capture the EXE, Application and Java files; however, there are usually many other files too. Also, the programs will differ between operating systems (for example, EXE is Windows, while .app is Mac). End answer: it can be done but it's easier if you can download the program afresh.
Particularly with the advent of USB, external hard disks have become widely available and inexpensive. External hard disk drives currently cost less per gigabyte than flash drives and are available in larger capacities. Some hard drives support alternative and faster interfaces than USB 2.0 (e.g., Thunderbolt, FireWire and eSATA). For consecutive sector writes and reads (for example, from an unfragmented file), most hard drives can provide a much higher sustained data rate than current NAND flash memory, though mechanical latencies seriously impact hard drive performance.
External flash drives use what's known as "solid-state" storage, which can store, back up, and retrieve data using only electronic circuits. Solid-state drives do not contain any moving mechanical parts, which enables them to access data quickly and easy. A typical flash drive allows up to 100,000 write/erase cycles before the integrity of the data starts to degrade. This translates to around a 10-year lifespan, depending on how much it is used.
On the more practical side our flash drives, also called thumbdrives or memory sticks are available in memory capacities from 64MB to 256GB. With memory capacities like that, we certainly have the options to cover whatever your data storage requirements may be. For more information on data storage capacities, check out our USB Flash Drive Capacity Guide.
Artists have sold or given away USB flash drives, with the first instance believed to be in 2004 when the German punk band Wizo released the Stick EP, only as a USB drive. In addition to five high-bitrate MP3s, it also included a video, pictures, lyrics, and guitar tablature.[58] Subsequently, artists including Nine Inch Nails and Kylie Minogue[59] have released music and promotional material on USB flash drives. The first USB album to be released in the UK was Kiss Does... Rave, a compilation album released by the Kiss Network in April 2007.[60]
Flash drives are also cost-effective. You can securely store a few dozen gigabytes of data for less than $30, and these devices range in storage capacity, price and overall size - equal to the amount you're willing to invest. Some even have special features like lanyards, locks, belt clips and key fobs to make them easier to carry and keep track of.
Most USB flash drives do not include a write protection mechanism. This feature, which gradually became less common, consists of a switch on the housing of the drive itself, that prevents the host computer from writing or modifying data on the drive. For example, write protection makes a device suitable for repairing virus-contaminated host computers without the risk of infecting a USB flash drive itself. In contrast to SD cards, write protection on USB flash drives (when available) is connected to the drive circuitry, and is handled by the drive itself instead of the host (on SD cards handling of the write-protection notch is optional).
This depends on the programs. Most programs will situate their contents in multiple locations, so if it's on your computer, you'll need to know where all of a program is stored. It can be easier to download the program from scratch again as it brings in all of the needed content for you. If you are trying to transfer from a computer, at the very least be sure to capture the EXE, Application and Java files; however, there are usually many other files too. Also, the programs will differ between operating systems (for example, EXE is Windows, while .app is Mac). End answer: it can be done but it's easier if you can download the program afresh.
Flash drives may present a significant security challenge for some organizations. Their small size and ease of use allows unsupervised visitors or employees to store and smuggle out confidential data with little chance of detection. Both corporate and public computers are vulnerable to attackers connecting a flash drive to a free USB port and using malicious software such as keyboard loggers or packet sniffers.
In the arcade game In the Groove and more commonly In The Groove 2, flash drives are used to transfer high scores, screenshots, dance edits, and combos throughout sessions. As of software revision 21 (R21), players can also store custom songs and play them on any machine on which this feature is enabled. While use of flash drives is common, the drive must be Linux compatible.
These products use flash memory chips, a stable, high-density storage medium, to hold your data. They pack a huge amount of information into a compact form factor. Most thumb drives are less than 2 inches long and easily fit in a pocket, laptop bag or purse. Models with built-in covers protect physical connectors from damage, and select products feature rugged silicon and metal shells that enhance heat and water resistance.
