Why Do I Need a USB Flash Drive?

The computers in the library have a prominent Floppy Drive.
The floppy drive can hold up to 1,500,000 characters - 1.5 megabytes [Mb].
You can create files, folder to contain the files to make it easier to 
find them.

A removable drive allows you to save work and notes from sessions at 
the library.


So - why do I need a USB Flash Drive?

1) You probably don't have a floppy drive on your home or work computer.
   So, you may not be able to use the floppy disk on any other computer 
   at home or work.
2) The smallest USB Flash Drive commonly available today is 1 Gigabyte - 
   1Gb. A gigabyte is 1,000 megabyte. This flash drive holds as much as 
   670 floppy disks. 
3) Photos today are typically 2-3 MB. You probably can't save one on a 
   floppy disk.


What will I put on the flash drive?

1) You can save files from sessions so they are available from any 
   computer.
2) You can save web pages from your internet sessions.
3) You can save "shortcuts" to web pages so you can bet to a web page
   just by double-clicking the shortcut icon.
4) You can install Portable Apps - Usable on any computer, but no 
   installation on the computer, and you leave no trace of what you did
   or where you visited on the computer. My favorite is the Firefox 
   PortableApp web browser. You can bookmark pages, save your passwords 
   and control the cookies saved on the flash drive.
5) A place to BACK UP your personal files from any computer.


Where Can I Purchase a flash drive?

1) Office supply stores - Staples, Office Depot, etc.
2) Computer stores - Best Buy, Circuit City, Amazon 
3) Big Box Stores - WalMart, Target, etc.
4) Drug Stores - but you may pay a lot more than you need to.

Cost for 1Gb - $7 to $10
Cost for 2Gb - $12 and up
Look at sales flyers or "On Sale" signs in stores to get the best price.
Which brand? - Probably doesn't matter.

Security Considerations

Some flash drives come with security software. If you lose on or forget 
to take it out of a public computer, the data is protected because a 
password is required for access. SanDisk drives contain the U3 package. 
These are similar to PortableApps.