Pen Drive – History and Facts

The pendrive, often referred to as a jump drive, is a portable flash memory solution designed to transport data files from one computer to another. The product can carry audio, video, and data files, and it’s incredibly simple; all the user has to do is connect the pendrive to a computer’s USB port, drag and drop the necessary files from the hard drive, remove it, and connect it to another machine.

Durable, portable and scratch resistant, the USB flash drive is a marked improvement over previous data transport devices such as CDs and floppy disks and a source of constant relief and graduation for millions of people around the world.

The history

At the dawn of the new millennium, it became clear that traditional storage solutions were no longer up to the mark. People now needed to move large files between computers in the blink of an eye, using intermediate technology that was quick to set up, easy to transport, and difficult to damage. A group of software companies, including SanDisk (then known as M-Systems), Lexar, Trek, and IBM, began working on a solution that meets these needs.

His solution was the revolutionary USB flash drive, which developed gradually in the last years of the 20th century. In 2000, Trek launched the first flash drive, called the Thumb Drive, in Singapore, and IBM introduced a similar model to the North American market. A few months later, Lexar introduced a Compact Flash (CF) card with a complimentary USB connection, read / write card, and USB cable; This eliminated the need for a USB hub and allowed the pen / flash drive to enjoy meteoric growth over the next decade.

How does it work

Each flash drive included a small printed circuit board (or PCB) to store data, a USB connector, and a NAND flash memory chip that used multi-cell level technology; This innovative solution was first developed by SanDisk and Toshiba in 2005. The constituent technologies are enclosed within a rugged outer casing, made of metal, rubber, or plastic, and the USB connector can be encased in an outer cap or protected by a retractable strip. allowing the user to remove the connector when not in use.

The name pen drive is actually an anachronism; Drives often rely on mechanical systems, but this little gem doesn’t. The term drive remains a vestigial nod to the past because computers read and write data from the flash drive using the same system commands as for a mechanical disk drive, and the storage appears in the computer’s operating system and interface. user as one more unit.

Meteoric growth

In less than 10 years, the flash drive has gone from being an optional extra for techies to become a staple for all computer users. People have found more and more reasons to use a USB stick and have been encouraged by the rapid increases in storage capacity; the first pen drives had space for only 8 MB, but this soon increased as the technology improved; You can purchase a 128GB USB flash drive today, provided you are willing to pay the best price for the privilege.

The growth of the pendrive has made the old floppy disk almost obsolete. Until 2005, most PCs were equipped with floppy drives as standard. Now, with the ubiquity of the pendrive, designers are ditching old drives and installing USB ports. The revolution is almost complete!