nov 30 2018 - flash drives etc - macswest · smart media - 1995 - sandisk/toshiba note size - 8...

Flash DrivesA Short History of Transportable Computer Storage

Nick Gruin 11/30/2018

Understanding and Using


• Move Data from one computer to another• Secured Data Storage• Store data in convenient chunks• Back up data• Bootable Operating Systems

Some of The Needs

Punch Cards and Tape - 1930s - IBM

Magnetic Tape - 1951 - UNIVAC


8” Floppy Disks - 1971 - IBM5 ¼” Floppy disks - 1975 - Shugart3 ½” Floppy Disks - 1981 - Sony

Music Tape - 1963 - Philips

5 ¼” Compact Disk - 1980 - Sony/Phillips


Digital Audio Tape - 1987 - Sony

Digital Data Storage - 1989 - HP/Sony

Magneto Optical Disk - 1990 -


Compact Flash - 1994

Zip Drives - 1994

DVD - 1995

Smart Media - 1995 - SanDisk/Toshiba

Note Size - 8 MEGA Bytes


MultiMedia Cards - 1997 - Siemens/SanDisk

USB Flash Drives!! - 1999

Flash Memory (For Cameras)

aka Memory Stick, Pen Drive, Thumb Drive, JumpDrive

aka Memory Stick, Pen Drive, Thumb Drive,

JumpDrive etc.


USB Flash Drives!! - 1999The difference Between Flash Memory and Flash Drives

is a self contained micro-processor

Flash Memory Memory to Drive Adapter

Flash Drive

• Serial access (USB) simplified usage and increased capacity

• 3000 to 5000 erase cycles - some special Drives good for 100,000 writes

• BUT, the USB connector is typically only good for 1500 insert cycles


Drives Became Inexpensive and a

Marketeer’s Delight


USAGE - Generally, “Drag and Drop”• When you drag a file or folder to a flash drive, you are

making a copy - same goes when dragging from a flash drive to your Mac’s Hard Drive Demo…

• When you delete a file from your flash drive by dragging to the trash, you have removed it from its former directory, but it is still on the flash drive taking up space until you empty the trash Demo…

• Before physically removing the flash drive from the USB port be sure to “eject” it by either dragging it to the trash or clicking on the eject triangle next to its name in the Finder sidebar. Neglecting this can corrupt remaining data and/or destroy your flash drives controller. Demo…

FORMATTING• They are a mini - Hard Drive - When purchased they are

usually Formatted for Windows computers.• This is usually a good thing. Your Mac can read/write in

this format thereby ensuring two-way compatibility• Only reformat Flash Drives if you want to make them Mac

ONLY or if you have special OS needs. One would use “Disk Utility” and it’s erase function. Demo…


• Flash Drive Speed varies widely influenced by both USB version (1, 2, 3, 3.1) and the capability of the controller (on board computer)

• Speeds are usually marketed in megabytes/sec. Real world speeds are generally MUCH slower, especially when being written to with small files

SPEED


SPEED TESTSWrite a 250 MByte folder

USB 2 High Speed

USB 2USB 2 Premium

USB 3 PremiumHighest Speed

1:33:76

4:49:38 0:25:32

0:08:46

36 X Faster


• USB 2 flash drives still from 128 MBytes to 32 GBytes from $0.85 to $4.00 - 64 Gbytes at ~ $15

• USB 3 flash drives 64 GBytes mid $20s, 32 GB $15ish• High Speed USB 3.1(USB-C) 2 TByte drive for $1231.44

300 MByte/sec read; 200 MByte/sec write

PRICING


TOMORROW’S DRIVES - USB 3.1/USB C

USB C USB C and USB 3

USB C and USB 3

High Capacity, High Speed, Potentially High Danger of Major Loss

2 TBytes -

$1230.00 Encryption

nov 30 2018 - flash drives etc - macswest · smart media - 1995 - sandisk/toshiba note size - 8...

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