USB Flash Drives

It can be daunting when trying to buy a new portable disk, many people assume that cheap USB flash drives are the best and may even stick with free promotional usb flash drives that they picked up at the last office meeting. The fact is, by spending a little time researching your purchase, you will be able to buy an affordable device which will last for many years.

Here are some important factors to consider when making your choice :

Size
You can now commonly but anywhere between 1Gb, 32Gb and now even 64Gb usb flash drives with the upper limit increasing all the time. Buy the largest capacity you can afford. The proliferation of multimedia files from HD cameras and other devices means that what is enough today, may not be enough tomorrow. Avoid cheap Chinese brands which have low transfer speeds and been known to use software hacks to make smaller capacities appear larger than they really are.

Design
Kingston or Sandisk USB flash drives are pretty universal in appearance, generally grey or black but extremely reliable. If you want something with a little more flair have a look at craft markets for custom USB flash drives. Many young artists are now plying their skills to making innovative one off’s which will impress your colleagues!

If you are determined to find the best price online, then look out for low profile designs and even cases branded by your favourite sports team or fashion brand.

Security
Security of your data falls into two categories; physical and virtual. To take care of the physical security, companies like Rugged manufacture waterproof, crush proof and even combination lockable cases.

To take care of the data integrity side look out for portable apps. Some of the best USB flash drives are even bundled with virus checkers which check incoming files for infections during the transfer.

Despite the huge array of choices you are faced with when purchasing a memory stick, if you follow the advice in this article the process will be much easier. It is worth remembering the old adage “cheap is expensive”. By buying the cheapest memory you risk being faced with slow transfer times, flimsy casing and the potential of corrupting your important data.

It is worth spending a little extra money to ensure that your data is safe and secure.