Portability

• Unlike a laptop or external hard drive, thumb drives are extremely small and fit into pockets, purses and bags and even on key chains. This makes them incredibly portable. Any information you want to take with you can be kept on the drive for use on any computer. This also means you don't need to carry more expensive electronics, such as a laptop, with you.
  
  

Large File Storage

• Thumb drives are available in storage sizes ranging from 64MB to more than 100GB. The physical size of the drive stays the same regardless of how much information you can save on it. Whether you want to store text files or videos, a thumb drive can handle large file sizes. This makes such drives perfect for transferring music, photos and videos from one computer to another.
  
  

Compatibility

• Most thumb drives are compatible with all computers. Some are only compatible on Windows or Mac, but most work on all operating systems. This prevents you from needing to format your drive for individual operating systems. Any stored files and programs have the same limitations they would on any computer.
  
  Because thumb drives have a USB connector, they are compatible in any computer with a USB port. The drive only runs as fast as the USB type on the computer. For instance, a USB 2.0 thumb drive only runs at the USB 1.1 speed if that is what the computer supports.
  
  

Pocket Computer

• Although you must connect your thumb drive to a computer to use it, the drive itself can become your personal pocket computer. Entire operating systems can be run from the drive. Linux systems are the thumb drive operating system of choice, but specialty versions of Windows are also available. The Windows systems are usually just used for running maintenance if your computer requires troubleshooting.
  
  In addition to operating systems, many programs are available especially for thumb drives. Instead of needing to install your favorite program on every computer you use, you can access the program straight from the thumb drive.
  
  

Security

• Many thumb drives come with their own security software. If you choose, you can set a password that is required to access the files on the drive. Any files you store are encrypted so that only those with the password are able to view them. This is reassuring in case you lose the drive or you carry sensitive data on it.