Community poll forum: What size USB flash drive do you use (and which type)?

Each one has a host of portable applications installed, including a browser, word processor, encryption software, and malware scanners that leave no trace on the host machine. U3 flash drives, try and catch me!

John

There are so-called portable applications that do not need to be installed. Just download them to your hard drive, flash drive, etc, and run them. Every file you need is on the flash drive, and it can be plugged into any computer and instantly run. Some popular free programs that also come in the portable variety include Firefox and Open Office.

Aside from being able to run your favorite programs on any computer you use, including ones which you don't have permission to install software on, they leave no trace on the host computer. Portable Firefox, for instance...your temp files, cache, bookmarks, etc are all stored on your flash drive. The system administrator can still use software to monitor your actions, but you're protecting all of your files and data from the prying eyes of others who use the computers.

If you'd like to find particular types of portable software, just let me know.

Hope this helps,
John

Just as a note, I took a look around after using a U3 program and found that the whole 'u3' gig is really a scam. It actually installs several important files, or all the files, onto your computer. The difference is that it cleans up after itself.

These are located in the %userprofile%\Application Data\U3
the programs are in the 573c1d30-4ba7-11da-8cd6-0800200c9a66 named folders.

You're saying you use your MP3 player to store (non-audio) files?

I realize this can be done, I was just asking.

It seems to me (depending on what type of MP3 player you have) that this would defeat the purpose of a flash drive.

While a lot of MP3 players are quite compact, most can't compete with a flash drive that you can attach to your keychain.

I had a Lexar 512MB jumpdrive. Retail version came with a mini CD for win98 drivers, warranty info, manual, and even lanyard. Lost that. NO CLUE where it went. Searched all over my house and office, but NOTHING. Maybe will find that one day.

Then again, maybe not. I bought a 1GB OEM version to replace that. it was literally just the jumpdrive in bubble wrap in a box. I bought a lanyard at a 99 Cent store. Still use that today

these items:
-mini CD for win98 drivers
-warranty info (paper)
-manual (paper)
-lanyard
-packaging box
isn't the same thing as a brown paper box. When you walk into a Staples or Circuit City, it's not just a bunch of brwn paper boxes on shelves. The packaging has the manufacturers name on them. I didn't really need these things so it was the same difference in the end

I bought a bunch of OEM 64mb flash drives from China for a promotional gift and to use for shipping electronic books. My old 256mb Flash drive would not work on my iMac, and while it works fine on my PCs, I needed a Flash drive for my iMac. (It's a couple of generations old--the kind with a goose-neck flat panel screen 1.25 ghz G4). The bigger flash drives seem to take forever to "set" once I plug them in, and while the 64mb drive doesn't hold a lot, I generally only use them for transfer. If I want to transfer some really big file, I can use my 30gig iPod.

Just bought the Memorex 1 GB USB U3 smart drive. It has some free applications as well as downloadable ones ot buy. Great to have that kind of storage on a USB drive. One application allowed me to put my personal e-mail including the mail folders and run it all from the USB drive. Great portability

64, Dell

i use a 256mb with 3 x compression so...i basically work with 3/4 gig...which i use for a variety of purposes including document backup and file transport.
hoping my wife gets me a 2.5gb for my birthday or fathers day..or for the heck of it.
gmam680@yahoo.com

A nice one, thin and small 1.97" x 0.79" x 0.28" aprox. Works fine with USB 2.0.

Lexar

Flash drives are the ''floppy disk'' of current technology, if you will. Think of it as the removable media (you know, they come in 3 & 1/2 inch 1.44MB, colorful at times or 5.25 1.2MB black plastic thing?) -- since most computers (especially laptops and Macs) don't come with floppy drives anymore (and there's no need for one), flash drives are cheap, big in size, and convenient. (ZIP disk was hot for a while, but they're not cheap when comparing to the size, speed, and price of a flash drive)

What would you use it for? Oh... many things! Backup your important documents, move things from computer to computer, etc. If you want security on that flash drive, either zip your content with password protection or get flash drives with biometric security. It's handy to have even if you don't use it often. Besides, you treat flash drive as if it's another hard drive.

There are other medias of course, CD-R/RW DVD-R/RW, Zip disk (mine is under a lot of dust), Tape, firewire/USB hard drive, etc. The biggest disadvantage to them? Slow during backup or require hardware to read them; with the exception of Firewire/UBS HDD of course, they're usually bulky; if they're compact in size, they're usually expensive to their normal size counter part. Flash drives are smaller, lighter, and extremely portable. Unless the other person is using older OS (ie. Windows 95/98), XP, Win2K, and OSX should have no problem recognizing it. If it does, follow the methods given by this discussion's initial thread.

Hope that helps!

Only problem with this unit is the physical size. Sometimes 'fatty' cannot co-exist with other devices in the USB hub or flash drives

Glenroy