USBs

Custom USB Flash Drives

Ever since the world began computing in earnest, it became apparent that the storing and transferring of data was going to be a key element in the brave new world of bits and bytes. Things that were created on computing devices simply needed to be saved somewhere, somehow, and/or moved from their original location to a more convenient site or machine. So over the last few decades, various technologies for the storage and transfer of digital information have been created, introduced, and used by many (or not). Some gadgets were destined to become standardized tools for the cyber age; some others would soon be replaced by newer, more sophisticated apparatus’.

One storage and data transfer device that seems as if it’s been around forever is the USB flash drive. But, actually, the flash drive is only 15 years old. It was invented in 1999, by M-Systems, an Israeli high-tech firm, around the same time that IBM was working on a similar appliance. Together, the two companies brought their product to market on December 15, 2000, just in time for Christmas. The prototype drive had a storage capacity of only 8 MB – yet that was still more than five times the capacity of the then commonly-used floppy disk, a formally functional technology, but one that quickly became obsolete.

A flash drive consists of a small printed circuit board and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector. It can be plugged into any USB port, now the standard connection protocol on virtually every computer in the world. The contemporary flash drive is supported by the vast majority of operating systems, and can store and transfer data faster than much larger optical disk drives, such as the CD-RW and the DVD-RW.

USB flash drives are commonly used to store or transport personal computer files, such as documents, pictures, videos, etc. On PCs that run on certain Windows operating systems, a flash drive can also be used as a hard-drive memory cache for the purpose of speeding up a computer’s internal hard drive. Flash drives come in various sizes – generally from 128 MB to 32 GB. While the technology of a flash drive is sophisticated on the inside, its outside is far less so. In order to protect and insulate the delicate circuit board within, a drive’s casing need only be made of any plastic, metal, or rubberized material – in most cases, light and small enough to fit in a pocket. In fact, the only real variable – other than the amount of a flash drive’s memory capacity – is how a user wishes to carry one around. And there, the options are only limited by designers’ imaginations.

USB flash drives have been artistically integrated into many other commonly carried items, such as pens, key chains, watches, etc. Bison Disc carries an assortment of USB flash drives. Some are small and functional and are made of metal, wood, or plastic. Some have the look, size and feel of a standard credit card. We even sell a USB flash drive that comes attached to a wristband. Flash drives are economical and long lasting. They can function flawlessly for ten years or more of regular use. If you need flash drives, we can fill any order of 25 or more. Just tell us the quantity you require, the style you like, and the memory size you feel would be most appropriate. We will have them for you . . . in a flash.