| A Pen Drive is a compact, removable storage | | | | removable storage. |
| device just like a floppy disk or a CD. Instead of | | | | The pen drive can be removed any time after it |
| the floppy device or the CD ROM that are used | | | | is un-mounted (safely remove hardware in case |
| for reading a floppy disk and CD respectively, a | | | | of Windows) and can be re-plugged into the same |
| pen drive can be plugged into the USB (Universal | | | | or a different machine to be used again. A pen |
| Serial Bus) Port of a computer. The USB | | | | drive`s most important use is to transport data |
| connectivity makes the pen drive easier to use | | | | and files from one machine to another. For e.g. |
| and data can be transferred faster to and from | | | | one can simply copy all the word processing |
| the pen drive. | | | | documents, images and spreadsheets to the pen |
| Different Manufacturers have named Pen Drives | | | | drive, carry it along and copy the files on his/her |
| they manufacture differently. Today, a pen dive | | | | home computer and work on it at home. |
| goes by the names of thumb drive, USB flash | | | | Some users have found the pen drive useful in |
| drive, Jump Drive, Traveler`s Drive, USB key | | | | moving their internet browser History, Cache, |
| drive, USB memory stick and many others! | | | | Cookies, and other transient data. This improves |
| These pen drives are small, inexpensive, almost | | | | their privacy and security as no traces of the |
| ubiquitous and extremely handy. They are | | | | work done on the machine is left on the PC. Once |
| available largely in the range of 1 to 8 GB which | | | | copied to the drive, the files can be made more |
| makes them of great use and has made floppy | | | | secured by encryption or any other method of |
| disks and CDs look like useless storage mediums. | | | | security. |
| The credit of inventing the pen drives goes to | | | | The pen drives can also be used to store |
| IBM. It was invented in 1988 to replace the floppy | | | | operating systems to boot the computer. This |
| disks, but IBM never patented it. IBM contracted | | | | makes them popular for repair and diagnostic |
| in M-Systems to manufacture the Pen Drive and | | | | work. Instead of carrying tools and maintenance |
| the patent is now owned by them. | | | | software applications on CDs, a pen drive can be |
| The pen drive is a modern floppy disk. The main | | | | used which is faster and can be manipulated easily |
| difference is that a floppy disk has moving parts | | | | in case the software is upgraded or is no more |
| which makes the data stored on the drive | | | | useful. |
| vulnerable to loss. A pen drive, on the other hand | | | | A pen drive is one of the most economical mobile |
| is a solid state device i.e. it has no moving parts. | | | | medium for data storage in terms of cost per |
| This makes it possible to almost completely seal | | | | unit storage space. They are really light-weight |
| the pen drive making it dust-proof and the | | | | and robust in nature which has made it a big hit |
| common magnetic fields. Hence, a pen drive is a | | | | and a very important and indispensable tool for a |
| much safer option for storing important data. | | | | large number of users. |
| The latest operating systems like (Windows XP, | | | | This article is under GNU FDL license and can be |
| Linux and Mac OS 2) can recognize these pen | | | | distributed without any previous authorization |
| drives and mount them automatically. Once it is | | | | from the author. However the author's name and |
| connected, recognized and mounted by the | | | | all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and |
| operating system, it appears just like any other | | | | biography must be kept. |
| partition of the hard disk except it is named as | | | | |