Because USB flash drives use the USB interface and the USB mass storage standard, they do not need a driver, and are compatible with virtually every modern computer. Nearly all modern computers have support for USB built into the operating system.

USB drives range in price from a few dollars, up to several thousand, depending largely on their storage capacity. USB drives are considered very reliable, and are not subject to damage as easily as CDs or floppy disks.

Flash drives have many uses. The most common use is transporting files between computers. Many people use flash drives to transport files and data from their school or work computers to their home computers. Flash drives are also very useful for backing up or repairing infected computers. Some specialized flash drives can also function as digital media or MP3 players. Usually these USB drives will have a sounds output as well as a simple user interface.

Flash drives may also be used for applications and even operating systems. If your computer has the ability to boot up from your USB port, you can boot up from an operating system installed on your USB flash drive. USB drives can also be used for using applications that do not need to be installed on the host computer. For example, Mozilla Firefox has a version for flash drives. This allows you to use your favorite programs on any computer.

As technology continues to advance, USB flash drives continue to become cheaper, hold more data, and have more features. Even currently, USB drives are pretty universally considered the best form of portable data storage.