Since the introduction and mass availability of USB flash drives, they have steadily killed floppy disk sales. USB flash drives attained their popularity over other methods of storing, transferring and swapping data due to their compact nature, their ability to store large quantities of data and their easy use. It is also due to this that they have been compared to other common computer data storage devices as well.

Essentially the same, USB flash drives are available in a variety of styles and colors and even with various uses but all work the same. Marketed flash drives come in a range of sizes from 8 megabytes to, just recently, 256 megabytes - enough to hold digital pictures, a couple of hours worth of MP3s, or hundreds of documents. All of this comes at affordable prices, especially when looking at the generic USB flash drive brands.

Aside from its initial use, more and more manufacturers have made USB flash drives even more usable and can now be used as MP3 players, voice recorders or even FM tuners. There are even USB flash drives that function as wristwatches and others that may be used as pens.

USB flash drives reviews consider what most people take note of when purchasing their USB flash drives - capacity and function, speed, price, design, extra features, and sturdiness. Nowadays, micro or mini flash drives have been steadily increasing in popularity due to their storage capacity at a small price. Yet it is also primarily because of its size that these micro flash drives can easily slip out of your pocket and therefore, are best used as necklaces hung around the neck.

Considering the price per megabyte, a lot of pen drives offer a fairly cheaper price per megabyte but may offer less features than other larger flash drives. Metal encased flash drives may fetch a heftier price tag than its plastic encased counterparts but are more sturdy. Other flash drives also have pre-added extra functions for MP3 listening or even FM tuning, while others offer useful applications such as e-mail browsing and file synchronization, while there are still others that can offer all these pre-set advantages. Because flash drives are used to connect with a lot of computers, a lot of them now come with password protection for safety.

Keep in mind that the best USB flash drives cannot be solely determined by great reviews but more of how users intend to use it.