What’s the Best USB Stick for Me? |
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If you need you photos, documents, videso, music, or other important files to be so portable they can literally fit in your pocket, the USB stick is literally made for the job. Since almost every computer will have a USB port, transferring large files is as simple as it gets. But the question is, how much storage space do you need? What’s the difference between a USB 2.0 and USB 3.0? We answer these and other frequently asked questions about USB sticks in this Buyer’s Guide. If you can’t find the answer to your question below, feel free to contact us! 1. How Can I Protect My USB Stick?Most USB-sticks will come with a removable cap that protects the USB plug from dust and dirt. Some other USB sticks have a smart retractable plug that simply slots or even rotates back into the housing, so a cap isn’t needed – which is actually a relief since the cap is so easy to lose. There are also USB sticks available that are made from one piece. The plug runs straight into the housing making it the most compact USB stick going. They do need to be kept in a little case to prevent any dirt and dust getting into the plug, but this type of USB stick is the perfect choice when you don’t expect to remove it from the USB port that often. All Cap-Protected USB Sticks
2. What’s the Difference Between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0?USB 3.0 has a much faster transfer speed than USB 2.0. In ideal conditions, USB 2.0 can reach a transfer speed of around 480 megabytes per second, while USB 3.0 can reach a speed of around 5.0 gigabytes per second. You can now also get USB 3.1 sticks, which, as you might have guessed, can have an even higher transfer speed of up 10 gigabytes per second. If you need to transfer particularly big files, then a faster USB stick will save you masses of time. Copying and opening files also goes a lot faster. All newer USB formats are ‘backwards and forwards compatible.’ In other words, you can connect older USB 2.0 sticks to a USB 3.1 port and the other way around. Please note! The slowest device will set the speed. For example: if you connect a USB 3.0 stick to a USB 2.0 port, then the stick will run at USB 2.0-speeds. Some Things Worth Knowing:
3. How Big Does My USB Stick Need to Be?The storage capacity of a USB stick indicates how much data you can save on it. 1 megabyte (MB) = 1000 byte Text docmuments are rarely larger than 1MB, so a small USB-stick with a 4GB capacity offers more than enough space. A high quality, 3-minute long mp3 (256mbps) is about 6MB big, so you could easily fit maybe 600 songs on one 4GB stick. When it comes to photos and audio-based projects, the file sizes can easily reach a few gigabytes. A video project can even amount to 10, 20, or even 100 gigabytes. If you need to store this much data, then you’re better off with a USB stick with a much higher capacity. Tip: USB sticks with a larger storage capacity are more expensive, but when you calculate how much you’re paying per MB, you’ll usually find that it actually works out cheaper. 4GB USB Sticks
4. What Kind of Connection Should My USB Stick Have?Most USB sticks have a USB-A plug. These fit in the USB-A port that you’ll find fitted to pretty much any laptop. There are also sticks with a more modern USB-C plug. If your laptop, tablet, or smartphone has this kind of USB port, then you can use a USB-C stick. If you know that you’ll need to quickly transfer some files to a friend’s computer, then it can be annoying if they don’t have a USB-C port. To solve this, there are USB-sticks that have both a USB-A and a USB-C plug fitted. And finally, there are USB sticks that come fitted with a USB-A and a Lightning plug so that they can easily transfer files from an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning port to a standard computer.
5. Which USB Stick Do I Need for My Apple/Windows Computer?Almost all USB sticks will work with Mac as well as Windows systems. There are also USB sticks that, in addition to having a normal USB plug, also have a plug for connecting mobile devices. In this case, always double check that you’re choosing a stick with the correct plugs. A Micro-USB, for instance, is compatible with Android devices, while Lightning plugs are compatible with most Apple devices. If you want to format your USB stick, then most of the time, it’s best to go for the FAT32 format. This format is compatible with USB sticks with a capacity of up to 32GB and you can then save files of up 4GB. With any USB sticks that have a larger capacity than 32GB, you’re better off using the exFAT format. This makes it possible to save files that are larger than 4GB. However, since exFAT is a newer format, it’s unlikely to work with older systems and devices.
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