Restoring the volume of a flash drive. How to find out the real capacity of a Chinese flash drive The most powerful flash drive

Content

Once upon a time, the shelves of any PC owner were littered with floppy disks, then CDs, but now Flash drives are used to store information and convenient use. This is a very convenient tool that has a large memory capacity, high transfer speed, and a convenient USB interface for connection, so you should have an idea of ​​how to choose a flash drive. The choice is very wide, so before purchasing you need to be able to understand the characteristics of the device.

What is a flash drive

People have become accustomed to having a small, convenient device that can store a large amount of music, video or video, but few people understand what the device is. A flash drive is a removable storage medium with a certain type of file system without moving elements in the structure, which ensures increased reliability. To write and read documents, the TLC type of memory is used, but the choice of a flash drive is based not only on this parameter; the storage capacity, writing and reading speed are also considered important.

Species

One of the parameters of this device is its appearance. The types of flash drives are not so diverse; there are options with connection interfaces 2.0 and 3.0, but the appearance can be very different. The internal structure of the carrier consists of a board and an output for a USB connection, but the housing options are very different. There is no difficulty in choosing an appearance, however, some design features should still be taken into account when purchasing. What types of flash drives are there and what to focus on:

1. Open connector. This option is often used on models with very small sizes. There is no protective cap on the contact plate, which helps make the drive compact, but does not protect the connector from scratches or debris.
2. Removable cap. This is a popular, simple option for plate protection. The attachments are made of plastic or rubber to protect USB from moisture and dust. The main problem is that it is very easy to lose, so look for models where the nozzle is attached to the body with a string.
3. Bracket. The housing design consists of a bracket and the body of the device; they can be rotated to the sides relative to each other. It helps to cover the drive connector with the side of the bracket to protect the plate from scratches, but this will not help against moisture or dust.
4. Slider. With this design option, using a special key, you can hide the connector inside the case. This helps protect the USB from breaks and scratches, but there is a risk that the locking mechanism will break and it will be difficult to remove the plate. In addition, this does not guarantee protection from moisture and dust.

Cases for flash drives are made from rubber, plastic and metal. The best option is when these protection systems are combined. For example, the metal case on top has a rubberized base, which guarantees protection from external influences, moisture, and dust. Even if dropped from a great height, all recordings on the media will remain safe and sound. Such models are usually more expensive.

Speed

You can choose the right model if you know about the basic parameters of the device. The writing and reading speed of a flash drive are important criteria when purchasing, because they affect the speed of interaction between the drive and the computer. Considering that information can be rewritten a large number of times, it will be better if this happens at maximum speed. This parameter is measured in megabits per second (Mb/s).

Manufacturers always write the memory capacity in large numbers on the packaging, but not all companies indicate the speed, which is a very important parameter for assessing the wisdom of purchasing this removable media. On the packaging this parameter is indicated in a rating format, for example, 200x, where the variable is 200 KB/s. It turns out that the speed with this indicator will be 30 MB/s. The higher the x multiplier, the faster you will record data and transfer it to your computer. High-speed flash drives always cost more.

Maximum volume

This is the most important characteristic of the device that buyers pay attention to. This is the right move on the part of the manufacturer, but a person must definitely pay attention to other parameters. The memory capacity of a flash drive is usually indicated in gigabytes (in common parlance “gig”). Modern models are designed for 32/64/128 GB, but if necessary, you can take a smaller capacity of 4/8/16 GB. Not everyone is going to store huge amounts of data, so maximum values ​​are not needed.

The maximum capacity of a flash drive available for purchase by a user is 128 GB; the price of such a drive is on par with a 1 terabyte (TB) SSD drive. The operating scheme of the devices is different, but USB drives are more portable; you can carry them in your pocket and connect them to any computer or laptop without any problems. If you are not strapped for money and you need a large amount of memory, then it is better to choose a flash drive. You can divide the types of drives by capacity as follows:

• cheap, but small in volume - 4-16 GB;
• affordable price and good quality -16-64 GB;
• high cost, but large capacity - 128 GB.

Flash drive rating

Due to the large number of different manufacturers, companies and options for speed and capacity, people have a question about which flash drive is best to buy for a computer. It should be understood that there are drives for phones and cameras (SD) that connect to the PC only through a special card reader (it is built-in in a laptop). Every year reviews are published that examine the best flash drive manufacturers and which models are worth choosing based on price/quality ratio.

There are certain top sellers that are popular among users. The classification is based on reviews left by customers about the operation of flash drives. You can choose one of the following companies:

1. Transcend. A well-known company that produces products for computers in 1988. For the first time, this manufacturer introduced a lifetime warranty on its drives, because the service life and number of write cycles of these media is really long. If you want a proven flash drive, you need to choose Transcend.
2. Silicon Power. The company is very popular, its products are sold in 90 countries around the world.
3. Kingstone. You should choose this option if you want a proven brand that has been on the market since 1987. The manufacturer confidently competes with all other companies.
4. TeamGroup. Every year the assortment increases and the buyer has a choice from it.
5. SanDisk. They appeared on the market in 1988 and produce at least 4 million copies of memory cards every year. The design is very simple and the price is affordable.
6. Apacer. The company has established itself as a manufacturer of high-quality, reliable products that are difficult to choose and buy.
7. Pretec. This company is widely used for industrial and military purposes. This is a good reason to choose this flash drive.
8. Adata. A relatively new company that produces reliable products.
9. Prestigio. A company that produces many electronic products. It’s worth choosing such flash drives if you love the leather (exclusive design) that decorates the body of the product.

The biggest

Drives vary in cost depending on how large the storage is. More capacious options will cost more; at the moment the largest capacity of a flash drive is 512 GB. You need to choose this option if you want to copy movies from the Internet or games with which you will go on a trip. For text files and music, this will be too much storage space. At the same time, the device will still look very compact. Here are examples of such media along with the cost:

• Intenso Ultra Line 128GB – from 1800 rubles;
• Sandisk Ultra Fit 128GB – from 2100 rubles;
• Sandisk Cruzer Blade 128GB – from 1300 rubles;
• CnMemory Spaceloop XL (256 GB) – from 2000 rubles;
• Patriot Supersonic Mega (512 GB) – 2500 rubles.

The fastest

Another important parameter of the drive is the data transfer speed. All models undergo mandatory testing at the factory and the value in MB/s must be indicated on the packaging. High-speed flash drives display this indicator on the packaging because this is their advantage. If you can't find this parameter anywhere, it means it's low and the company doesn't want to open it. Below you will find a small TOP of which flash drive is the most reliable and fastest:

The most reliable

It is very important to buy drives from official stores, because many fakes come from China. The reliability rating of flash drives is constantly changing, because the device is produced in large quantities and sometimes there are tanks at the factory. Below is a rating of reliable and proven models based on positive customer reviews:

1. Transcend JetFlash 700. A drive with a very simple plastic design. You can choose an option with interface 2.0 and 3.0 (USB). This model is worth choosing if you need good performance without overpaying for design.
2. Transcend JetFlash 780. This model has a different memory cell design, which provides higher data processing speed.
3. Kingston DataTraveler 100 GZ. A simple and practical model with a sliding plastic body.
4. Transcend JetFlash Z50. A very small and convenient flash drive for work or study.
5. Kingston DataTraveler G4. Convenient fastening system, you can hang it on your keys so as not to lose it.

Which flash drive is better

When you decide to choose a removable drive for yourself, consider the purpose for which it is needed, the budget and the practicality of the model. The best flash drive is the one that meets your needs. If you only need to bring home a few text or graphic documents from your work computer, then 8 GB will even be a lot and there is no point in overpaying for the volume. Which flash drive to buy depends solely on your needs, and the most popular and reliable companies were described above.

Which flash drive to choose

If you're shopping at a brick-and-mortar store, don't hesitate to ask a consultant about the drive's specifications. The flash drive parameters indicated on the packaging will help you choose the appropriate option. As a rule, people pay attention only to the maximum storage capacity, but data transfer speed is a much more important parameter. You can take a 128 GB drive, but it will have a slow write speed and it will take you 30 minutes to transfer one movie. Below we will discuss in detail how to choose a flash drive that will suit your needs.

How to choose a good flash drive

You have the opportunity to overwrite the contents of the drive many times. Please note that the expiration date of the flash drive is not indicated, but there is a certain number of cleaning cycles. As a rule, there are so many of them that a person does not have time to use them all. More often, drives are lost and then you need to know how to choose a flash drive. This is done according to the following parameters.

Memory

The first thing a buyer pays attention to when deciding to choose a drive. This figure can vary from 512 megabytes to 512 GB. As technology develops, the maximum memory capacity also increases, so a flash drive with a larger capacity may appear. You need to select the one that matches the files you are going to copy. If we are talking about text documents, then you will never need more than 4 GB. If this is a flash drive for a teenager. which can copy movies, games, then the volume will be needed more (from 32 to 128 GB).

Read and write speed

These two values ​​indicate how fast you can transfer data to and from the flash drive to your computer. The higher this indicator, the better; expensive modern models have a value of 50 Mb/s, cheaper ones – from 3 Mb/s of data recording. Read speed ranges from 35 to 90 MB/s (indicates how quickly you can copy files from a flash drive to your computer).

What do many buyers pay attention to when they want to buy a flash drive? Some take into account the modern and at the same time unusual design of the storage medium. Others, wanting to save money, try to find a large amount of memory at a lower price, while losing speed characteristics. And only a few understand that the most important thing is not the size of the flash drive or its design, but the technical characteristics that are necessary for fast data transfer.

Thanks to this article, you can learn more about flash drives: what a file system is, what cluster size to choose when formatting a flash drive, how you can determine its speed capabilities and actual volume. Also, thanks to the knowledge gained, you will learn how to choose the right flash drive, paying attention to what some people overlook.

In addition to all of the above, from this you will learn how to independently check the speed capabilities of your flash drive. Unfortunately, manufacturers do not display such data on the flash drive body or on the box, so sometimes you have to find out for yourself.

A few words about flash drives

One of the first flash drives was created in 2000 by the Israeli company M-Systems. A year earlier, in April, a patent for a flash drive was signed, and a year later its first copy was presented. The flash drive was given the name DiskOnKey, and it was sold under the logo of the American company IBM.

In the same year, Trek Technology provided a copy of the first flash drive, only under a different name - ThumbDrive, which had its own size of 8 MB. Trek Technology was able to take pride of place in the global market, but lost many lawsuits that were filed by companies in other countries.

Manufacturers

On the Internet you can find many different storage media manufacturers, and each of them has its own fans. More popular brands are Adata and Kingston. They have earned their trust thanks to high-quality and speedy products. Besides this, Adata and Kingston care about their fans. How?

For example, Adata constantly updates information regarding technical capabilities. Thanks to this, every day you can observe modern innovations that appear on the Internet.

As for the Kingston company, it also makes sure that everyone can check the copying and reading speed of any flash card that they have purchased. At the moment, this information is in PDF format in the public domain, so any user can use it.

Besides Adata and Kingston, there are other manufacturers that are also trustworthy. These include Power, Transcend, Sandisk, Apacer and others. Undoubtedly, each of them has its own advantages, but you should not choose a device based solely on the brand. Every company that produces USB flash drives also has bad products, or, to put it mildly, of lesser quality. Therefore, always first pay attention to the technical characteristics and only then to the beautiful design.

Flash drive size

Often, information about the capacity of a flash drive can be found either on the case itself or on the packaging. But what size flash drive should you choose? Now many people have the opinion that the more, the better. However, this information is erroneous. Why? The first reason is a waste of money. You will buy a flash drive, for example, 64 GB (Gigabytes), and you will use less than half. Therefore, decide in advance which one you need.

The second reason is loss of power. If you are chasing high volume and at the same time low cost, then keep in mind that the speed of copying information can be very low. Even if you use the entire capacity of the flash drive, you will spend a lot of time in order to download large files. It’s better then to buy an external hard drive, which will delight you with a large capacity (1 Terabyte) and a relatively low price.

But if you just need a flash drive, then please note that they come in the following categories:

• 4-16 GB - low-volume, cheap.
• 16-64 GB - high quality and at the best price.
• from 128 GB - for urgent needs and at a high price.

As already mentioned, the size of the flash drive must correspond to the specific task at hand. Do not chase large volumes, as you will lose a lot of money and purchase low-quality goods.

Speed ​​capabilities

As a rule, manufacturers indicate only the amount of built-in memory on the case or packaging. Additional information must be verified independently. But, fortunately, there are several conscientious manufacturers who still indicate technical parameters.

If you have already bought a flash drive and it does not indicate the speed of reading and copying information, then you can check this yourself using special Software, which stores test results for the latest models of different brands.

Useful little things

In order to promote their products and reach the next level in the global market, many flash drive manufacturers install additional functions on their devices. Thanks to this marketing move, many little-known brands were able to not only successfully promote their inventions, but also gain many fans. What are these additional functions?

One of the most popular new products is biometrics, in other words, equipping with a fingerprint scanner. This function is only necessary if you are working with very important documents that require additional protection. A flash drive with such a scanner will cost much more than conventional drives.

Another equally useful option is data compression. This feature increases data storage density so it doesn't take up free space. But don’t think that all these additional software have no effect on the performance of the flash drive.

Flash drive housing

Another factor to consider when choosing a flash drive is the casing. What is it for? As a rule, many flash drives become unusable due to external damage. Why is this happening? To understand this better, let's take a closer look at what types of cases there are:

• Open connector. This type of case is more vulnerable to physical damage, since there is nothing protecting the contact plates. Typically, such flash drives are very cheap and can quickly fail.
• Removable cap. Perhaps this is one of the popular types of connector. Caps can be either plastic or rubber. The use of rubber will provide higher protection from moisture and dust, and plastic will better cope with physical damage.
• Bracket. This design is attached to the body itself and can be rotated in different directions, thereby covering the contact plates. It has a rather weak level of protection from external factors and often breaks due to poor fixation.

As you probably noticed, the body type is a removable cap. This design can be made of plastic, rubber or metal. Which one to give preference to, everyone decides for himself.

Type of clusters

Probably everyone has at least once encountered the process of formatting flash drives. And this process does not cause difficulties, because it is completely automated. But before launching it, the system allows the user to make a choice on the cluster size.

Clusters are a kind of boxes in which the necessary information is stored. When formatting flash drives, the cluster size depends on the selected file system. Each system has its own maximum and minimum size. For example, the cluster size when formatting a flash drive in fat32 can be from 1024 to 32 KB.

What to consider when choosing a cluster

First of all, the cluster size depends on the size of the files that you will copy to the flash drive. If they are small in size (text documents, pictures, etc.), then you can distribute cells of 16 KB or less. Accordingly, if you need to transfer large files (movies, games, music, etc.) to a flash drive, then it is better to choose the maximum cluster size.

Why is it necessary to constantly select a cluster? The speed of copying information will depend on the correct size. When you choose a cluster size, the file that will be placed in it will take up all the remaining space.

For example, you selected 16 KB clusters and 6 KB file sizes. Each cluster can contain only one file, and therefore, when copying information, the free space (in this case, 10 KB) is not filled with another file, but remains empty. For this reason, the copy speed will be significantly slower than if you selected clusters of the appropriate size.

What do you now think is extremely important to pay attention to when buying flash drives? For cost or design? Or maybe on the speed of reading information, volume and type of case? Of course, the design of a flash drive and its cost are also important, but first it is better to take a closer look at the technical characteristics, and only then choose a good design and the appropriate cost.

Also, if finances allow you, then you can take a closer look at useful software that can increase the actual size of a flash drive or provide more reliable protection. But do not forget that such functions can greatly affect the speed of its action.

Conclusion

Thanks to this article, you got acquainted with different types of flash drives, learned how to correctly determine the appropriate cluster based on the size of the flash drive distribution unit, and learned that such modern devices help us easily transfer a large amount of information in a small device.

Also, you may have figured out what size flash drive you need, what clusters are, and what kind of case there is (open connector, removable cap and bracket). Now you can safely go to the store and purchase a useful device.

In the modern computer world, it is difficult to find people who have not heard of flash drives. However, many still do not have a complete understanding of these devices. In this material we will fill this gap and talk about the main parameters and characteristics of USB drives.

Introduction

Nowadays, it is difficult to find people who have not heard of electronic devices such as flash drives or simply “flash drives”. Technical characteristics and optimal shape allowed them to take a leading place among portable storage media, and practically replace optical disks and floppy disks.

However, despite the popularity of flash drives, not all users have a complete understanding of these devices. In this material we will try to fill these gaps so that you can independently choose the appropriate flash drive for yourself in any computer store.

As is the case with other storage media, flash drives have a number of basic technical characteristics by which they are selected. Let's look at the main ones and figure out what you should pay attention to first when buying a flash drive.

What is a flash drive

A flash drive is a storage device with a USB connection interface that uses non-volatile flash memory to store information. The main advantages of flash memory include its low cost, compactness, noiselessness, mechanical strength, operating speed and low power consumption. Thanks to all these advantages and ease of use, flash drives managed to gain popularity among users in a fairly short time and oust other competing solutions from the market.

The main purpose of compact USB drives is to store, exchange and transfer data that is not too large. In addition, flash drives can be used to store backups and load operating systems. At the same time, flash drives can be connected not only to a computer, but also to various household appliances, for example, TVs, players, record players and others with USB connectors.

Despite all its advantages, flash memory still has a number of certain disadvantages. First of all, this is a limited number of cycles of writing/rewriting information (up to 10 thousand times for MLC memory, which is installed in most devices, and up to 100 thousand for SLC type memory). Flash drives also have a limited storage life. And although most manufacturers claim that their products can store data for 10-20 years, in fact, the company warranty for this type of media is no more than 5 years.

Like any low-voltage electronics, flash memory is very sensitive to electrostatic discharges, which are quite common in everyday life. Another reason for the fragility of a flash drive can be the USB connector, which can simply break due to frequent connection/disconnection of the media.

True, all these shortcomings do not prevent flash drives from remaining for many years one of the most common storage media and favorite means of transferring data among ordinary users.

Flash storage capacity

Volume is one of the key characteristics of any data storage device, since it directly determines how much information can fit on the media. That is why most ordinary users, when purchasing storage media, primarily focus their attention on this parameter.

The first flash drives had rather modest volumes, amounting to tens or hundreds of megabytes. Modern flash drives in this regard are far ahead of their predecessors, and today the minimum volume of a cheap USB drive can be considered 4 GB or even 8 GB, since there is practically no difference in price between them. The most popular sizes at the moment are considered to be 16 and 32 GB, since the cost of such flash drives is still not high and amounts to less than 1000 rubles.

As you may have already noticed, the amount of flash memory, like RAM, is a number obtained from two raised to the nth power (2 n). That is, each subsequent value is obtained by doubling the previous one. Therefore, after 32 GB, the volume of flash drives begins to grow rapidly, and along with them, their cost begins to increase very significantly. So, if USB drives measuring 64 GB and costing about 1,500 rubles are still in active demand, then 128 GB flash drives can have a price of over 3,000 rubles, which sharply reduces consumer interest in them.

But the producers didn't stop there. Today on the market there are flash drives with a capacity of 256 GB and even 512 GB, which are essentially solid-state drives (SSD) enclosed in a compact case. Their cost is already so high that calling them ordinary flash drives is simply incorrect.

Communication speed

Despite the fact that volume does matter, one of the most important parameters of any drive is the speed of its data exchange with the device to which it is connected. In the case of flash drives, this characteristic is formed from three components: read speed, write speed and connection interface.

The read speed of all flash drives is always higher than the write speed. However, in some cases the difference can be very large. Therefore, before choosing a USB drive, it is better to decide how it will be used. If the information on it is rarely updated, then of course you can turn a blind eye to the recording speed. In the most budget models, the maximum read speed usually ranges from 10 to 15 MB/s, and the write speed from 3 to 8 MB/s. This option is best chosen if the flash drive is intended for exchanging or transferring small files, such as documents.

But a flash drive with read speeds above 20-25 MB/s and write speeds above 10-15 MB/s can be called not very expensive, but at the same time a universal solution that is suitable for any task. There are flash drives with more attractive speed characteristics that make working with them a real pleasure. True, the price for such products is set accordingly.

As a rule, the maximum speed indicators affect the flash drive connection interface, which can be of two types - USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. In the first case (2.0) we are dealing with a maximum throughput of 480 Mbit/s. Thus, the maximum read or write speed of a USB2.0 flash drive cannot exceed 60 MB/s. In practice, manufacturers do not strive to reach this ceiling and provide their products with speeds barely exceeding 30 Mb/s.

As for the USB 3.0 interface, the throughput here reaches up to 5 Gbps, which makes it possible to transfer data at a speed of 640 Mbps. Of course, for flash drives this is an exorbitant figure. However, even if we do not take into account devices with a capacity of 256 and 512 GB, some solutions already offer users read speeds of over 220 MB/s, and storage speeds of over 130 MB/s.

At the same time, the presence of a USB 3.0 interface in a flash drive does not guarantee that it will have high speed characteristics. Buying a USB 3.0 flash drive is most advisable if the drive has read/write speeds above 60 MB/s. If this is not the case, then a flash drive with a USB 2.0 interface may be a better purchase, both in terms of price and its characteristics. So in some situations there is no point in overpaying for a newfangled interface.

And one last point. It is important to understand that a flash drive with a USB 3.0 connector must be inserted into the device also into a USB 3.0 connector to realize its full speed potential. If your equipment does not have these, then you should again think about the advisability of purchasing a drive with such an interface.

Designer design

In the classic version, the flash drive looks like an elongated rectangle or a flattened cylinder, 5 to 8 cm long, with a removable cap that covers the USB connector. However, modern flash drives can come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, as well as ways to protect the connector.

In general, flash drives can be divided into four groups based on the type of connectors:

Classic . The connector is closed with a cap. A good and reliable option. The only inconvenience is the possibility of losing the cap.

With retractable connector . They have one common disease. Over time, the mechanism that secures the connector becomes loose, which makes it much more difficult to install the flash drive into the end device.

With swivel mechanism . A fairly reliable option, in addition to giving the flash drive an original look.

With open connector . A practical and reliable option. The main disadvantage here is the possibility of contamination of the connector and moisture getting on it.

Another important external quality of a flash drive is the material from which it is made. It must be selected taking into account the frequency of use and the degree of care for it. The housings of these devices come in plastic, metal and rubberized types. Plastic cases can be called the most unreliable. This is especially true for flash drives with a retractable connector. Flash drives with metal casings are reliable and often look solid. Although to some their weight may seem excessive. As for rubberized cases, they are designed to create optimal conditions that resist impacts, shocks and prevent moisture from getting inside this technical device.

Now it has become fashionable to make souvenir flash drives, whose bodies have a non-standard appearance, for example, in the form of some figures or various household items. But all this “beauty” may backfire on you, since there is a possibility that in most cases you will not be able to use such a USB drive due to the dimensions of its case. Please note that when you buy a flash drive that is irregularly shaped or thick, it may simply not fit next to other devices installed in adjacent USB connectors.

Secondary functionsUSB- drives

We have looked at the main parameters for choosing drives, now let's move on to considering the auxiliary functions of these devices. In order to expand the sales market and increase the popularity of their products, some manufacturers are trying to provide flash drives with additional capabilities. Thus, a device activity indicator can be integrated into modern USB drives, which will make it possible to show the period of safe removal of the drive from the USB port, an electronic clock, and even a flashlight. There may be a function that provides protection against data overwriting and the possibility of hardware encryption of information. You can also find a drive with a built-in fingerprint scanner or card reader.

By the way, immediately after purchasing a new drive, do not rush to format it, as it may contain useful supporting software. These can be formatting utilities or applications for organizing data backup.

Conclusion

So, now you know the basic parameters, according to which you can now independently select a USB drive for certain purposes. The only thing we did not mention in this material is the manufacturers of these devices. In fact, there are many of them, and even a lot, especially if you take into account the many small unknown Chinese manufacturers united under the common name NONAME.

However, in conclusion we will name several leading players in this market, so that it will be easier for you to navigate among the numerous foreign names. The most widely represented and promoted companies on the Russian market are TRANSCEND, KINGSTON, SANDISK and SILICON POWER. No less popular are the products of A-DATA, CORSAIR, KINGMAX, VERBATIM, EMTEC, SMART BUY and some others. But in any case, when purchasing, first of all be guided by the technical characteristics and external parameters of the flash drive, if you do not want to ruin your mood and get a product under a big name that will not meet your expectations.

How to find a good model and not regret the purchase.

Why buy USB flash drives now?

We've almost been convinced that external storage media are a thing of the past. The Internet changes everything, doesn't it? However, the speed and stability of the network connection do not yet make it possible to completely abandon physical drives. Laptops still use their own memory rather than storing everything in the cloud, as was predicted a few years ago. Accordingly, the demand for portable media is still good.
When is it logical to use USB flash drives:

1. Transfer data between computers

Internet and wireless technologies are not yet available everywhere. Employees of a small company with an office on the outskirts, computer users in the provincial outback, employees of government agencies. All of them are potential owners of USB flash drives.

2. Installing/reinstalling the OS

More advanced users use drives to reinstall operating systems on computers. Now it is difficult to find those who install the system from a disk, just as it is difficult to find computers with the appropriate drive. Have you ever seen USB flash drives that don't require any effort?

3. Data backup

Not everyone wants or can use it for convenient backup. It is much cheaper to buy a flash drive of a suitable size and save backups on it.

4. Expanding the memory of devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets)

No one is disputing the capabilities yet, but memory expansion on the iPhone and iPad has caused a lot of controversy and discussion. The fact remains that by using a removable drive you can save on the amount of memory on your device.

5. Use with TVs, projectors, media players

The household appliances market lags behind the computer market. The use of wireless technologies in TVs and media players has not yet become widespread, and it is almost impossible to find such equipment without a USB connector. Don't forget about the price of the issue. For the difference in the cost of a TV with and without Wi-Fi, you can buy a couple of good flash drives.

6. External storage (paired with a compatible router)

Many routers are equipped with USB ports and have the ability to turn a connected drive into a network drive. This way you can create a common data storage for all family members or employees in the office.

7. Secure data storage

Not all users can risk storing their data online or leaving it on their work computer. A flash drive in this case is the only convenient solution for transferring everything you need. For those who are worried about theft or loss, manufacturers have released a number of models with security mechanisms.

What types of USB flash drives are there?

We decided on the need to purchase a device. It is unlikely that there will be many readers who will not be suitable for at least one of the listed scenarios for using a removable drive. Let's figure out what types of flash drives exist and how they differ. The USB standard has existed for more than 20 years, during which time it has gone through several stages of evolution, the most recent of which is happening today. Along with the standard, connected devices and flash drives changed.

• USB 1.0– data transfer speed from 1.5 Mbit/s. up to 12 Mbit/s;
• USB 1.1– has minor improvements compared to the previous standard and similar speed indicators;
• USB 2.0– data transmission at speeds from 25 to 480 Mbit/s;
• USB 3.0– information transmission speed up to 5 Gbit/s;
• USB 3.1/– transmission speed can reach 10 Gbit/s.

It is not possible to visually distinguish the first three types of connectors. They have the same shape and structure. Manufacturers of cheap peripherals from China and sellers of equipment in the metro still use this. It's very easy to buy a flash drive with a 20-year-old port. USB 3.0 has one significant difference from its predecessors. The inside of the port is blue (a number of manufacturers use red, but such devices are extremely rare). Five additional contacts on the inner row provide higher data transfer speeds. Otherwise, the new connector is similar to the previous ones.
To achieve the declared data transfer speed, the flash drive and the port in the computer/tablet must be of the same standard. When connecting a version 3.0 drive to a 2.0 port, you can get a maximum speed of up to 480 Mbit/s (limited by the 2.0 standard). All listed standards from 1.0 to 3.0 are compatible with each other. However, when connecting, the restrictions of the younger one will apply. This applies to both data transfer speed and power consumption. A new large-capacity flash drive with the 3.0 standard may not work with an old TV whose port has USB 1.1. But this happens very rarely. The USB 3.1 or Type-C version stands apart in the USB series. As you remember, the 12-inch, introduced in 2015, has exactly this port. It is strange that the standard did not receive a new leading digit in its name, since it is not compatible with all previous ones. More precisely, it is possible only if there is a special one.
Just six months ago, all analysts said that Apple was in a hurry with the release of equipment equipped with USB Type-C. However, at the last exhibition CES 2016 We saw a large number of new ones with such a connector. That is, the port not only has a future, it is an inevitable future. There are other types of drives that are equipped with a non-USB connector. We will be interested in those that. Most manufacturers equip such flash drives with two connection options at once, but there are also narrowly focused solutions.

How to choose a USB flash drive

# Connection standard. What USB do you have?

Before choosing, you should decide on all usage scenarios. It’s a good idea to decide whether you’re willing to shell out more money for a promising solution or whether you want to save money and replace the drive later. Naturally, take a standard drive 1.x there's no point. USB 2.0 has also lost its relevance, and the opportunity to get 1.x instead of 2.0 makes all devices unattractive for purchase. Today you only have to choose between USB 3.0 and USB Type-C. Even if your computer does not have a single blue-labeled port (USB 3.0), it is still worth paying attention to more promising drives.
Choosing between 3.0 and Type-C easy to do. If you have at least one device with a new connector, or plan to purchase one, feel free to choose the USB 3.1 (Type-C) standard. With a high degree of probability, you will update your arsenal of gadgets in the near future and will pay attention specifically to the presence of a new connector, and the speed of operation, even if only on one device, will please you every day. If compatibility with other gadgets is important, you can consider these options:

It’s still difficult to find these, but by mid-2016 they will be sold in all electronics stores. For those who do not yet plan to update their device fleet, A regular 3.0 flash drive will suffice. The difference in price will be in your favor, you can use the media without adapters and the difference in data transfer speed is not that big. In the few years before you decide to purchase devices with USB Type-C, a flash drive will serve you well.

# Appearance. Big, small, fashionable

You should immediately give up flash drives in the form of minions, heroes from the Star Wars universe, food and other original products. Most often, such drives use outdated modules with low data transfer rates. The appearance of the device will delight you for the first week, but the copying speed will frustrate you for several years of use.

Of course, there are original USB flash drives with an interesting design and good “filling,” but they are extremely rare and are more expensive than analogues with a simple design. If a flash drive is purchased for a girl, sister or mother, you don’t have to dissuade them from using funny and amusing drives. It is their nerves that will be spent on long waits during copying, which will pay off with the original design of the device.