A flash disk is a form of computer storage media. This type of storage accessory may also be known as a flash drive or a USB flash disk/drive. These are often used nowadays to store data and documents that you may once have had to store on a floppy disk in the past.

A flash disk will use a flash based memory element to store data. It will also usually incorporate a USB hub in its design which you can use to plug the disk directly into a computer. To save data, documents, files or photos to the disk you simply load them on to it via your computer. At this point you can detach the disk with the data you loaded on to it and either use it for storage or to take the data elsewhere.

Flash based disks have become so popular because they are small, portable and long-lasting. A flash disk will have no moving parts so it is less likely to break down or to get damaged if it is dropped, for example. Many disks in the sector are compact and easy to store or to carry around as necessary.

Flash disks can be a great way of storing data that you want to keep. They are also good for moving data from one computer to another. So, for example, if you want to work on some business documents in the evening at home you could use a flash disk to simply download the documents from your work computer and then upload them to your home computer later.

Flash disks come with differing memory capacities. The smallest disks here will usually allow you to store around 64MB of data. More complex models will allow you to store a lot more. In general terms your flash disk will cost more as its memory capacity increases. The smallest flash disks are competitively priced costing only a few pounds.

Most people will use flash disks for temporary storage or simply to store a certain amount of key data/a few key documents. It is unlikely, for example, that you could find a portable flash disk big enough to use as a PC back up. In most cases these devices will be used to move data from A to B and to allow you to take data or documents with you if you will need to use them away from your main computer.