What Are Flash Drives And Their Different Types?

Posted by epromotions on February 15th, 2021

Nowadays, we may need to use more than one PC for our personal and business needs. That is why we look for some ways to copy and transfer our files to another computer. The best option for these storage needs is the flash drive. Small branded flash drives available at a very low price are useful in our everyday life.

What are flash drives?

The flash drive is an ultra-portable storage device with no moving parts. You can connect this drive to your PC and other gadget using the integrated USB (type-A and type-C) plug. The flash drive is a combination of cable and USB device.

Flash drives, also known as thumb drives and pen drives, have become very popular to computer users. The two terms, SSD and USB drives are also relevant to these flash drives. However, in most cases, they refer to the bigger USB-based storage tools.

The storage capacity of the flash drive is one of the most important factors for buyers. The data storing capacity can range from 8 to 64 GB. Thus, flash drives are available in both small and large versions. The flash drive introduced for the first time was 8 MB in capacity. Some brands have released flash drives of up to 2TB.

You can simply insert your flash drive into the USB port of your PC. After the successful installation of the flash drive, your computer will show you a message, and you will find the content of your flash drive on your screen. Flash drive is also usable with iPhones, iPads, and Android mobiles.

Types of flash drives-

Standard flash drives-

When you are looking for high-capacity flash drives at a lower price, you may choose the standard version. However, these standard drives have several variants with a range of storage options. You can find these drives in plastic cases with low-priced control circuitry. When speed is not a factor for you, it is better to buy these drives. In most cases, the storage capacity of these standard drives is about 256GB. 

High-performance flash drives-

There are high-end drives with superb performance. However, the price rate of these USB drives is slightly higher, and most professionals use them for their regular needs. The USB 3.0 connectivity helps in transferring data at a better speed. The shock-resistant, strong materials and some other accessories have enabled these drives to endure adverse weather conditions. The reading and writing cycles of these drives can be 100,000. While you need to store important data, you may invest in these highly reliable flash drives.

Although these high-performance models are costly, you can place an order for wholesale flash drives. You will have them at a lower price.

Smart Media card-

Originally, it is known as the solid-state floppy disk card. Created by Toshiba,  Smart Media card is a memory card intended for storing data, and you can use it with your personal digital assistants, digital cameras, and other portable devices. The thickness of the card is about 1 mm, and it is similar to that of Compact Flash card in terms of size. The storage capacity of these cards can be up to 128MB. However, the price rate is higher with the higher capacity.

One of the advantageous features of Smart Media cards is that they are capable of reading, writing, and erasing memory. You will have the option of saving your data blocks precisely. However, these cards are not much durable, and you have to use them properly.

Multi Media Card-

MMC, a small memory card, is a type of flash drive to store data in compatible portable devices. You can use MMC on devices, like cell phones, digital cameras, smartphones, video camcorders, PCs, PDAs, and music players. The size of the MMC is similar to that of a post stamp, and it weighs about 2 grams.

You can easily plug the MMC to your digital camera and computer without using card readers and adapters. Most of the modern laptops and computers have SD slots capable of reading MMC. You may find these MMCs with a storage capacity ranging from 2GB to 512GB. However, card damage and hardware failure may cause data loss. You may use tools to recover the lost data from MMC.

Music flash drives-

There are flash drives especially designed for musicians, music composers, and other professionals in this industry. Thus, when you need to carry your audio files on the go, you may use these flash drives. You can find pre-installed software with these drives. The software enables you to play the music. Music flash drives have storage space to secure your music-related data. You may also transfer the data to any device.

Secure Digital Card-

An SD card is a small flash memory card having high-capacity memory. You may use it with your portable gadgets, including mobiles, digital cameras, car digital systems, and music players. SD cards are smaller, compared to older memory card models. You will find low battery usage and high data transfer rate with the SD card. That is why this card works best with your portable devices. Moreover, encryption capabilities are one of the notable features of SD cards. The card can protect your content while distributing copyrighted materials securely.

You can check out the shock rating of SD cards to know ruggedness of your cards. With a higher rating, your card will have no issue although you have dropped it from a height. Thus, buy an SD card and get advantages of the non-volatile storage.

In conclusion, we can say that flash drives are the best option when you are looking for 

promotional giveaway ideas. Although these drives are small items, they are the most valuable gifts for your customers. Flash drives are customizable with your brand name and logo. These low-priced products are helpful for data transfer and data storage. Your employees and customers may need to deal with data every day. Thus, these promotional flash drives will be of high value to them.