Issue 6.12
Flash memory is memory that is contained on a chip which is not erased when your computer is powered down. It is used in many types of memory cards and even in replacement drives for your hard disk called SSDs (or Solid State Drives – more on this later).
The most common use of this technology is in small USB storage units often called thumb drives, jump drives, flash drives or just USB drives. They typically are available in storage sizes from 2 to 32 Gigabytes with the most popular being from 4-16 Gigabytes. Prices have dropped considerably over the last 4 years and we are now at a point where you can often find them on sale for about $1 per Gigabyte. The 16 and 32 Gigabyte versions are still generally higher in cost per Gig, but are dropping as they become more popular. These have effectively replaced the old “floppy” drives because they only carried 1.2 megabytes of data compared with flash drives which can hold up to 32,000 times as much data. For example, an old floppy might hold one digital picture from a 2 megapixel camera where a USB 32 Gig Flash Drive can hold thousands of pictures from a 14 megapixel camera.
Flash drives are easy to carry (I wear one on a lanyard around my neck so I don’t lose it) and reasonably resistant to damage and data loss. There are some cautions that you should be aware of that can make your data safer and lengthen the life expectancy of your drive. You should avoid getting the drive wet. If that happens (dishwater – my experience), it is best to dry it as well as possible and then put it in a small covered dish of uncooked rice overnight. The rice will draw out the residual moisture. Usually this will restore it to operability, but as with anything else, be sure you have a backup in case the data is damaged or the flash drive itself ceases to work. Do NOT immediately insert a wet drive into your computer to see if it works. This can damage both the USB drive and your computer port. Some older computers don’t work well with the new, higher capacity USB drives and can even destroy them by overheating them. This has happened to me twice.
It is also important to remember to use the “safely remove hardware and eject media” button (usually near the clock in the lower right hand corner of your screen) before removing the drive from your computer as this prevents data loss or drive corruption.
Flash memory is also used in data cards for cameras and other devices such as phones, iPods, tablets, etc. Solid State Drives (SSDs) are now also available as replacements for your hard drive on computers (especially laptops and netbooks). While they are very fast, have a longer lifespan, have a lower failure rate and higher tolerance for heat, cold and impact or vibration, and use quite a bit less energy than hard drives, they cost more per gigabyte and usually have a smaller storage capacity (usually in the 80 to 128 Gigabyte range).
There is some doubt that the prices will continue to drop for these drives, but if they do they will probably replace mechanical hard drives just as the USB drive has replaced the floppy. And remember, even with this technology; always back up anything important to you.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 30 years, 20 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or through his website at www.bitsnbytescomputers.com.