Moving files around had always been a headache ever since the computers were common place. Floppy drives were never a reliable media and remained a problem. But techies were always on their toes to find a trusted and convenient way to replace the fragile floppy discs.

Thankfully along came a 4cm long compact, slim, plug and play small device that carried no lead wire for connectivity or for power and used the USB (Universal Serial Bus) Port to log in and do all the tricks in a flash. Owing to its size and convenience of carrying around, it got a name Flash Drive. This small 35g light device is popularly known as USB flash drive, Pen Drive, Thumb drive, USB Key etc. Earlier the Flash drives were of 16mb to 32mb capacity, that is many times over the capacity of 3.5 inch Floppy drive. But now one can find the Flash Drive that can accommodate upto 2GB data or even more for less than mere GBP 30 a piece, which makes them ultimate in carrying even larger files. Your computer will recognise it as a Removable Drive and assigns the next vacant name, say F: drive. Clicking on this will allow you to see your stored files.

You can simply plug in into a USB port, drag and drop files on to it to save your files on it the drive and carry it to wherever you want to. The prices are crashing and the capacity is increasing. That means hefty memories are now available at lower prices. It is bargains all the way.

There are score of different types and models around, they from basic to innovative features. These drives are rugged, shock-proof, need no power supply, with a glowing indicator when in use, password protected, need no wires, can be used as a key ring and looks great.

You can download and run programs directly from the drive, so you can use your software even on someone else's machine.

If your computer does not have a USB socket, you can buy one for a couple of pounds or simply you can by a PS/2 to USB converter to use your Flash drive and other USB devices.

Selecting a device carefully is a wise decision. Look for device that is plug & play and easy to install and use. Drives should be able to copy/move large files and directories quickly and with ease. Choose the drive that is sleek and do not obstruct the connectors in the adjacent sockets on your computer. Password protected or Biometrics (with fingerprint reader) is good choice to protect your data. Drives should be shock resistant and spill proof & splash proof.