Futtoo » Memory

Flash Memory PC

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:01:07 +0000

In recent years flash memory has become quite popular. This is most evident in pen drives and flash memory cards. These devices are usually used for the temporary storage or transfer of data and in certain products like cell phones and digital cameras. Is the time coming for a computer that has a hard drive that uses this type of data storage, a flash memory PC?

In order to understand what a flash memory PC would be, you will need to know exactly what this type of memory is and how it works. Flash memory, or electronically erasable programmable read only memory, consists of a grid of columns and a cell that has two transistors at each end. These transistors are separated by a layer of oxide. The transistors are known as the control gate and the floating gate. The floating gate can only work if it is connected to the control gate. When these two are linked the cell’s value is 1. When they disconnect the value becomes 0. I know this all seems very complicated, basically because it is.

Aside from the actual make up of flash memory, the only thing that separates it from traditional information storage, such as, hard drives is the fact that flash memory does not require an electrical current to retain data. This is something that would make a flash memory PC invaluable. The ability to hold on to data without electricity is only one of the advantages to using flash memory. This type of memory, which is typically found in most memory cards can withstand much higher temperatures than other forms of data storage. Flash memory is also less easily corrupted due to any type of physical damage. If submerged under water, a flash memory PC would not be destroyed as long as it did not have a power source attached to it at the time.

A flash memory PC would also be able to be erased and rewritten at much faster speeds than a typical hard drive. Flash drives can be erased in literally seconds but in order to do this the cell must be completely erased. This is the only problem that one would face if attempting to build a flash memory PC. The only solution to this problem would be not to create a flash memory hard drive but to create a hard drive made up of multiple flash memory units. This would be the only way that you would be able to erase certain things without loosing everything.

It is true that flash memory is great when used in certain ways. If you are looking to use a USB drive to temporarily store a few music files or pictures, then flash memory is the way to go. If you are going to use a memory stick to transfer files from one PC to the next, this type of data storage device is perfect. Flash memory is convenient, cheap and easy to use. There is one reason why a flash memory PC would virtually be impossible to make, at least with today’s technology.

The biggest issue with using flash memory to store important data for prolonged periods of time is that it is a bit unreliable. How many times do you download various files on to your computer and then delete them. How often is information being entered into and then leaving your PC. The flash memory that is used in flash cards and thumb drives can only be erased and rewritten so many times before the flash memory can no longer hold any information. The primary block of a flash memory device is only guaranteed to work up to 100,000 uses and the other blocks are not guaranteed at all. This doesn’t mean that these blocks will be void after a use or two. After all, I have used flash memory for quite some time now and have never had a problem. This does mean, however, that flash memory would not be very reliable when it came to running an operating system, like with a flash memory PC.

Although I am sure that some time very soon flash technology will grow to the point where the creation of a flash memory PC would be very possible, for now this form of data storage is best used for short term and simple projects.

Personalised USB Drives

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:25:09 +0000

Personalised USB pen drives, or thumb drives, have become very popular in the last few years. This is for good reason, it seems that, at least for now, these small and extremely portable storage drives are the easiest way to either store data or transfer it between computers. What has really made these little devices gain public approval is their affordability. In recent months personalised USB drives have become cheaper and cheaper.

At one point these useful little storage drives would cost you quite a bit of money. These older flash drives were only built with a small amount of memory. Although they were still the most convenient way to transfer data, it made flash drives a little bit less appealing to the public. This is no longer an issue, today you can go to any computer retailer and purchase an 8GB thumb drive for less than $20.

USB drives are not only practical but they have also become trendy. This can be seen with the growing demand for personalised USB drives. Personalised USB sticks are basically flash drives that are made with a personal insignia or design. These unique pen drives are used by larger companies to help advertise. Think about it, wouldn’t you rather get a pen drive with your bank’s logo on it than a cheap pen. It is true that personalised USB sticks are used by businesses as a tool to help build awareness of their products but they can also be personalised in other ways. Below are some examples of a few very unique personalised USB drives.

Here is a great example of a personalised USB drive that is used for promotional reasons. Days Inn hotels are using these devices as a tool to build public awareness and approval of their company. Although this micro drive may have cost a little bit more that a pen, t-shirt or pin, it will definitely leave a much better impression.

Introducing the Lego style personalised USB drive. This unique little thumb drive can be used to store and transfer large amounts of data, and when you are done you can build a small block city.

This next personalised USB stick is in the shape of a pair of donuts. Personally, I couldn’t really picture anyone using this interesting little drive, aside from Homer Simpson of course.

Here is one that I placed an order for myself, the transformer thumb drive. You can disguise your flash drive in the shape of this transformer panther. Apparently these personalised USB drives are more than meets the eye… I know that was a little bit corny.

The cat’s tail USB drive. I assume that the thought here is to give the impression that your pet chased a USB mouse into your laptop.

Last but not least, the sperm drive. There isn’t much to say about this one, at least not without offending a few people, so I am going to choose to let the picture speak for itself.

As you can see personalised USB drives have really become quite popular and can be found in a huge variety of shapes and sizes. The examples that I have shown above are just a small fraction of all of the unique thumb drives that I came across when I was writing this post. Personalised USB sticks are practical, fun and cheap, so go out and try and find the most unique flash drive that you can. You will be able to store pictures, music and other data all while impressing, or freaking out, which ever the case may be,, your friends.

Do you have a personalised USB drive that is unique? Send me a picture of it and I will add it to this post. You can contact me via the contact form located at the top of this page.

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The Best Pen Drives

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:40:27 +0000

A few years ago when pen drives were first made available, they weren’t just amazing, they were quite expensive. These USB drives were the most compact, portable and easiest way to transport and store information. Back then, pen drives held anywhere from 128MB to 256MB.

This seems like nothing compared to the storage capacity of today’s flash drives, although, at the time it was quite impressive. You have to remember that aside from burning a CD, the only other way that you could transport data easily was using a floppy disk, which maxed out at 1.44MB. You can now see why these unique little data transporters became so popular.

Pen drives began to grow in capacity and it seems like they just keep getting bigger. You are no longer able to find any of these devices with less than 2GB of memory. A 2GB flash drive can be purchased at at fraction of the price of it’s older predecessor.

Although, the larger pen drives will still cost you quite a bit of money, moderately sized drives can be acquired at very low prices. This does not only hold true with less commonly known brands. Even high end pen drives with a smaller amount of memory can be bought for a steal.

There is something that should be kept in mind when you are using pen drives. Flash memory, the technology used to store information on pen drives, is meant to be used for short term storage. These devices are not meant to keep data from corrupting for long periods of time. So, pen drives are great for transferring information or to hold files for short periods of time but it is not recommended that you use them for long term storage of important data.

Which are the best pen drives? USB drives have been around for quite some time and you could compare them to the older floppy drives. What this means is that these types of storage devices are not very complex. Whether you choose a Sony, Transend or a SanDisk makes very little difference. If you are looking for a sturdy and reliable pen drive, I would suggest you stick with a name that you know. If you have dealt, personally, with a certain company, like, SanDisk for example. You should stick with them. It is recommended, however, that you steer clear of the highest capacity drives. The logic behind this reasoning is that many times when a manufacture improves its hardware, in this case maximizing the size of a pen drive, there tend to be issues. The truth is that you would be much better off purchasing 10 bulk pen drives with a capacity of 16GB than a few with more memory.

Buying bulk pen drives is not only safer but it can also save you money as these lower capacity pen drives are often much cheaper. If you are planning on purchasing a USB drive with much more memory it is recommended that you do a little research and read some customer reviews. A great place to get some good feedback on a large variety of products is Amazon.com. Simply visit the site and search for the product that you are looking for. There are sure to be quite a few reviews on the pen drive from people who have actually used it. This is likely to help you make a decision as to which pen drive is right for you.

When looking to buy the best pen drive, it is important to keep a few simple things in mind. If you do so, you will be sure to have purchased a product that is both reliable and long lasting.

Buy pen drives from a trusted brand.
Do not buy a large capacity pen drive.
If you are buying online, make sure that it is from a reputable company. (Avoid EBay)