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A thumb drive is different from a regular hard drive because it uses flash memory instead of a rotating magnetic drive. Thumb drives are solid-state devices that don't rotate and don't have moving parts, unlike hard drives. Most thumb drives are about the size of your thumb, hence the name, with a USB connection at one end to connect to the computer.
Thumb drives are also known as USB drives, flash drives, key drives or data keys.
The Cons of Thumb Drives
While thumb drives are extremely affordable, they have a higher unit cost than portable hard drives. A 1GB thumb drive may cost $5, whereas a 500GB portable hard drive may cost under $100, translating to a significantly lower unit price per gig of data storage.
Additionally, thumb drive sizes are lower than portable hard drives; the biggest thumb drives are 64GB, while you can get mini portable hard drives up to 500GB. However, thumb drives are tiny and relatively inexpensive, so this outweighs the per-unit cost for most users.
The other aspects you need to consider when purchasing a thumb drive are rewritability and data-storage expectations. Many thumb drives carry 5-year warranties, and some boast safe data storage for up to 10 years, but the reality is that thumb drives can fail without warning. Because thumb drives are solid-state storage devices, they only support a fixed number of erases and rewrites until the unit is no longer usable.
Some thumb drives boast up to one million rewrite cycles, but the realistic number is often far below that threshold.
Thumb Drive Connections
Thumb drives are connected via USB, but not all thumb drives boast the same quality connections. Some thumb drives feature retractable USB ports that slide into the thumb drive itself for storage. Other thumb drives are designed with a fixed USB connector and a cap that fits over it to protect it from debris. If you carry the thumb drive in a pocket or a backpack where it may be exposed to crumbs, you'll want a cap on the end to keep it clear of debris.
Thumb drives with retractable USB connections present a disadvantage here, because they remain exposed to debris even when retracted. Also, if you select a thumb drive with a retractable USB connection, be careful with the mechanism itself.
If it's a cheaply made thumb drive, the retractor could easily fail. Thumb drives are cheap enough that you can easily afford to replace them if they fail, but that won't help you get your data back.
Encryption Options
Some thumb drives boast encryption that you can use to protect sensitive data. You can also download software encryption programs that require a password to access the thumb drive. Some thumb drives also boast [gs hardware] [gs encryption] options hardwired into the device to protect data. If you carry confidential or sensitive information on your thumb drive, consider using encryption for protection.
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