Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
2.0 ports?
A.
A USB 3.0 drive must be connected to a USB 3.0 port to run at SuperSpeed (5Gbps). If a
USB 3.0 drive is connected to a USB 2.0 port, it runs at USB 2.0 speeds (HighSpeed
480Mbps).
Tip
If you have a card reader or scanner plugged into a USB hub or port on your computer, you
might need to disconnect it before you can attach a USB flash drive. This is sometimes
necessary because of conflicts between the drivers used by some devices. If you suspect this
type of problem, use the Windows Safely Remove Hardware icon in the system tray to stop the
card reader before you insert the USB flash drive. After the system has recognized the USB
flash drive, you should be able to reattach the card reader.
For additional protection of your data, some USB flash drives have a mechanical write-protect
switch. Others include or support password-protected data encryption as an option, and most are
capable of being a bootable device (if supported in the BIOS). Some drives feature
biometric
security
—your fingerprint is the key to using the contents of the drive—whereas others include more
traditional security software.
Some companies have produced bare USB flash drives that act as readers for MMC, SD, xD-Picture
Card, Compact Flash, and Memory Stick flash memory cards. These USB flash readers are
essentially USB flash drives without flash memory storage onboard. You can use them as a card
reader or as a USB drive with removable storage.
Comparing Flash Memory Devices
As with any storage issue, you must compare each product's features to your needs. You should check
the following issues before purchasing flash memory-based devices:
• Which flash memory products does your camera or other device support? Although adapters
allow some interchange of the various types of flash memory devices, for best results, you
should stick with the flash memory type your device was designed to use.
• Which capacities does your device support? Flash memory devices are available in ever-
increasing capacities, but not every device can handle the higher-capacity devices. Check the
device and flash memory card's websites for compatibility information. In some cases,
firmware updates can improve a device's compatibility with larger or faster flash memory card
standards.
• Are some flash memory devices better than others? Some manufacturers have added
improvements to the basic requirements for the flash memory device, such as faster write
speeds and embedded security. Note that these features usually are designed for use with
particular digital cameras only. Don't spend the additional money on enhanced features if your
camera or other device can't use those features.
Only ATA Flash cards can be attached directly to an older laptop computer's PC Card slot. All other
devices need their own socket or some type of adapter to transfer data.
Figure 10.2
shows how the
most common types of flash memory cards compare in size to each other and to a penny.
