Pen drives are flash memory based devices which mimic the working of a computer’s hard disk for storing any king of files which can ne stored in a computer. The pen drives use non-volatile memory that does not require any power to remain in the state when it was written into. Most common of the pen drives sold in the year 2006 had a storage capacity of 16 MB which is quite sufficient for holding almost 1000 songs.

The pen drive usually uses a mini USB connector for connecting to the computer using a mini to standard conversion cable. Some of the pen drives have a retractable standard USB connector for direct connection to the personal computer without using a converter cable. For the user this is more convenient than the mini USB models. The required drivers usually come with the pen drive, however for use with Windows XP or with Windows Vista no separate drivers needThe pen drive usually uses a mini USB connector for connecting to the computer using a mini to standard conversion cable. Some of the pen drives have a retractable standard USB connector for direct connection to the personal computer without using a converter cable. For the user this is more convenient than the mini USB models. The required drivers usually come with the pen drive, however for use with Windows XP or with Windows Vista no separate drivers need to be installed.

Some of the modern pen drives with additional features which enable it to be used as mp3 player or camera or voice recorder come with a rechargeable battery for use without connectivity with a computer. The battery is charged through the USB connector of the computer or through external charger which connects to the pen drive through the same USB port.

Pen drives are available for all budgets and vary in features as per the price bracket in which it falls – starting from a few dollars and going right upto a few thousands depending upon storage capacity. The pen drives are considered to be ‘safe’ in comparison with the floppies and the compact disks as these support unlimited read and write cycles. Most users use the pen drives for backup purpose and these are extremely versatile in backup operations and can be stores away safely in any place of the user’s choice.