USB STORAGE

The 3 Major Types

USB storage has become one of the most important methods of storing and transferring files and data. The benefits of USB storage include:

• Safely backup your files so if something happens to your computer, you know your files are safe and secure.
• Transferring large or many files across computers.
• Portability. You’ll be able to take your files with you without having to bring along your often clunky computer.

However, there are three main types of USB storage and deciding between them can be confusing if you don’t know what the main benefits of each one is.

1. USB Flash Drive
A USB Flash Drive or ‘USB Stick’ are the simplest and most portable means of USB storage. A good analogy would be a regular car for getting you from A to B. It gets the job done without any fuss.

The main benefit of a USB Stick is that they’re small in size (as big as your thumb) and can come in varieties of up to 128GB. That’s enough storage to store 16,000 high quality images! Perfect for giving somebody a copy of your vacation photos.

2. USB Hard Disc Drive
A USB Hard Disc Drive or ‘USB HDD’ are the high capacity options for USB Storage. They’re about the size of a small booklet and can store up to 4TB of files. That’s 4000GB or enough space to back up my personal computer several times, with room to spare!

Because of their high capacity, USB Hard Disc Drives are great for backing up large and important files or computers. Using our car analogy, a USB Hard Disc Drive would be like a small van. Able to carry a lot.

2. USB Solid State Drive
A USB Solid State Drive or ‘USB SSD’ are the top tier for USB Storage in terms of speed. They’re about the size of a small booklet again and can store up to 2TB. That’s still plenty of space, but not as much as a USB Hard Disc Drive.

The main benefit of a USB SSD (and the reason why they cost more the other options) is that they have no moving parts. Because of this, they’re able to transfer you data faster and are less likely to break! Think of them as an electric truck. Able to carry more than a car, but more reliable than a petrol powered van!