Floppy Disc to Compact Disk to Flash Drive; Data Storage Evolution
Over the last 10 to 20 years computer technology has come a long way, and data storage devices have followed right along. The first generation of data storage for was known as acomputers floppy disk, the name reflected the devices thin floppy nature. They were a pain to use simply because they were so, well, floppy. The next generation of floppy came with the same name, however they were much easier to work with and transport as they were smaller and an actual “hard” disk. Things moved along smoothly for some time with the new “floppies”, with the only drawback to them was small 2MB storage limitation. Then the latest and greatest incarnation was introduced to the geek world. The compact disk was a complete departure from the floppy. It was a different shape, looking like a DVD and it could hold more data then the floppy, the drawback was scratching.
Enter the Flash drive, this new technology was introduced a few years back and so far has met all storage needs in a simple easy to carry device. Flash drives or memory sticks can hold an amazing amount of data, including music, text, photos, even videos. It can be carried in your pocket, on a strap around your neck, or even on a key chain. Talk about convenience.
Flash drives make working between computers a breeze; you no longer need to bring your laptop back and forth between home and office. If you are working on a project that takes extra time and you are building and saving the information, a flash drive gives you transportability. It is also perfect for agents who are sharing a work space and computer at the office. You can keep all your personal information on the flash drive and have it available to you from any computer.
Flash drives work from your computers USB port, and are simple to use and access. Just plug it into any computers USB port, select the correct drive and access the information.
They are inexpensive running from $10 to $100 depending mostly on the drives capacity, the more capacity the drive can store; the more you can expect to pay. They are readily available from many outlets including office supply, electronics, big retail, even discount stores.
I know that flash drives have made my life a lot easier, and have also increased my ability to get more done in less time. I love technology and am sure that before too long we will be looking back with amusement at that cute, obsolete technology known as flash drives.
Believe it or not, this text was saved on an old hard floppy as my flash drives are all at the office and I composed this at home on my ancient laptop. That is topic for another blog, how long do you hold on to that old dinosaur?
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