Article  Custom USB Drives: A Decade of Service The USB drive is a portable data storage device that has exploded in popularity over the past decade. The incredible rate of technological advancement with these devices makes for an interesting, if brief, history. Data storage has certainly come a long way from the days of the floppy disk. The newest developments include massive amounts of storage space and custom USB drives that feature dozens of styles and colors. Custom drives can also wear a company logo and come preloaded with various multi-media content. The USB flash drive was introduced in the year 2000. By 2005, a typical new computer no longer came with a floppy disk drive. The initial storage space was a mere 8 MB, only five times the capacity of modern floppy disks. However, the flash drive had several distinct advantages. Without any moving parts, the USB drive has more durability and reliability. Thanks to microprocessor technology, flash drives are very compact and portable. All the information is contained on a printed circuit board. It is easy to keep track of a drive conveniently attached to a key chain or lanyard. Plus, the 8 MB limit did not hold USB drives back for long. Soon, they far exceeded floppy disks in storage space as well. With proper mass production techniques, quality flash drives are now very inexpensive, especially when bought in bulk. This combination of factors quickly pushed floppy disks out of the market. At first, burning data CDs was a viable alternative to the USB drive. Again though, flash drives surpassed the competition as a pure storage device. A CD is large, fragile, and susceptible to scratches and dust. By comparison, a USB drive is sturdy and secure. The newest flash drives offer 256 GB of storage space, which is far more than a CD or even a Blu-ray disc can hold. Flash-based storage units also tend to be faster than optical devices such as CDs. For portable data storage, USB drives are the way to go. Besides development directed towards increasing storage capacity, the major advancements in USB drives have been related to customization. Interested customers can find a cornucopia of options online. There are many colors and styles. Drives have even been combined into items like writing utensils. A popular choice is to mark flash drives with a brand name or company logo. This makes them into stylish office tools, but there are marketing opportunities as well. Drives have become so inexpensive that promotional USB drives can be given away or added on to other purchases. The best promotional tools are functional for the customer, which makes flash drives perfect. Nothing increases brand awareness like a little reminder every time the customer saves or loads data from the drive. Promotional giveaways can even come preloaded with an informational video, software program, or website link to bring the point home. Custom USB drives are quickly becoming the favored choice among cutting edge businesses. The development of the USB drive has made personal data storage, information transfer, and data backup easier than ever. Custom USB drives add style and flair to these useful devices and provide a personal touch to an everyday office tool. Drives are available at any local retail outlet, but consider looking online for the best custom memory drives. Shopping online is the fastest way to find exactly what you want and to access wholesale prices, especially on large orders. Flash drives are likely to stick around for a second decade of service, so shop in comfort. Category Technology Author Anonymous Add To Favorites Print This Article Email Article To A Friend Post Comments   Rate This Article (0) 1 - Poor2345 - Good678910 - Excellent Added On 02-20-2010