Why is one of these things called a USB flash drive? What should it really be called? The reason I ask is because there are other types of USB drives that use flash memory besides these.
How many drives can YOU name that use flash memory? I've seen "hard" drives that use flash memory now, so I think the term for one of these small, portable devices should have a name that's a little more unique. Doesn't "USB Thumb Drive" sound more appropriate? I do. Then why is it listed everywhere as a USB flash drive?
My USB flash drive looks something like the picture, but I couldn't find a picture of the one I have, even at the manufacturer's website. My wife sent it to me back when she sent me some cargo boxes full of all kinds of stuff, including an external hard drive. It replaced the one SHE accidentally left behind when we moved here in 2006. [I hope she reads that because I really like to rub it in.]
As I prepare to head back to the US again, I'm also preparing my USB flash drive for the trip by putting some portable applications on it. I can't take my desktop computer with me (c'mon, it just wouldn't work) and my notebook computer is effectively dead right now, so this is the best option.
Most of the portable applications come from, you guessed it, PortableApps.com. There are some applications, however, that I'll have to make portable in some way. With almost 2 gigabytes available, and the fact that I've only used a fraction of it, I have plenty of room on my USB flash drive for anything I'll need to have with me. With my luck, though, I'm sure I'll forget something important.
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