A USB flash drive, also known as a thumb drive, thumb drive, thumb drive, thumb drive, disk drive, disk on drive, thumb drive, thumb drive, or thumb drive,[a] is a device data storage including flash memory with integrated USB interface. It is generally removable, rewritable and much smaller than an optical disk. Most weigh less than an ounce (about 30 g). Since their appearance on the market in late 2000, as with virtually all other computer memory devices, storage capacities have increased while prices have fallen. Since March 2016, USB drives with capacities between 8 and 256 GB are frequently sold; 512 GB and 1 TB units are less common. Storage capacities of up to 2TB are planned, with continued improvements in size and price per capacity. Some allow up to 100,000 write/erase cycles, depending on the exact type of memory chip used, and are expected to last between 10 and 100 years under normal circumstances. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayUSB drives are often used for the same purposes that floppy disks or CDs were once used for; i.e. for storage, data backup and transfer of computer files. They are smaller, faster, have thousands of times more capacity, and are more durable and reliable because they have no moving parts. Additionally, they are immune to electromagnetic interference (unlike floppy disks) and are not damaged by surface scratches (unlike CDs). Until about 2005, most desktop and laptop computers had floppy disk drives in addition to USB ports, but floppy disk drives became obsolete after the widespread adoption of USB ports and the larger capacity of the USB drive compared to the 1.44 MB 3.5 inch floppy disk. USB drives use the USB mass storage device class standard, natively supported by modern operating systems such as Windows, Linux, macOS, and other Unix-like systems, as well as many ROMs from BIOS boot. USB drives supporting USB 2.0 can store more data and transfer it faster than much larger optical disc drives like CD-RW or DVD-RW drives and can be read by many other systems such as Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, DVD players, car entertainment. systems and in a number of portable devices such as smartphones and tablets, although the electronically similar SD card is better suited to these devices. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get Custom EssayA USB flash drive consists of a small printed circuit carrying the circuit elements and a USB connector, electrically insulated and protected inside a plastic, metal or rubber casing, which can be carried in a pocket or on a key ring, for example. The USB connector can be protected by a removable cap or by retracting into the drive body, although it is not susceptible to damage if left unprotected. Most flash drives use a standard USB Type A connection allowing connection with a port on a personal computer, but drives for other interfaces also exist. USB drives are powered by the computer via the USB connection. Some devices combine the functionality of a portable media player with USB flash storage; they require a battery only when in use.