Define USB drives
A USB drive, also known as a USB flash drive, USB stick, or thumb drive, is a data storage device that includes flash memory and a USB interface. It is typically removable, rewritable and much smaller than an optical disc. The original USB drive was invented by IBM and Trek Technology in 2000 (source). The purpose of a USB drive is to provide a small, portable way to store and transfer data between computers and other devices.
USB drives plug into a computer’s USB port and function as portable hard drives, allowing you to quickly and easily save, transfer and share files. Early USB drives could store up to 8MB but current models are available with storage capacities up to 2TB. USB drives get their name from the Universal Serial Bus interface they use to connect to devices.
Define external hard drives
An external hard drive is a portable storage device that can be attached to a computer via USB or another connection method. Unlike an internal hard drive, which is installed inside a computer’s case, an external hard drive sits outside the case. Some key differences between external and internal hard drives include:
Portability – External hard drives are portable and made to be moved around or carried with a laptop. Internal drives are designed to stay put inside the computer.1
Installation – Internal drives must be installed inside the computer case while external drives just need to be plugged into a USB port.2
Accessibility – External drives allow for easy plug and play access to data from different computers. Internal drive data remains with the computer it’s installed in.
Common uses for external hard drives include additional storage space, portability to transport files, backup storage, and expanded capacity for games and media. Overall, their key advantage is providing portable and versatile storage.
Key Differences
There are several key differences between USB drives and external hard drives:
Size: USB drives are much smaller and compact, typically ranging from 1-8 inches long and weighing less than an ounce. External hard drives are larger in physical size, around 4.5-6 inches long, and heavier, weighing 5-8 ounces.1
Storage capacity: USB drives generally have lower storage capacities, ranging from 1GB to 512GB. External hard drives offer much higher capacities, typically between 250GB to 10TB.2
Portability: The small size and weight of USB drives makes them extremely portable and easy to transport. External hard drives are bulkier and heavier, making them less convenient for mobile use.3
Speed: USB drives have slower data transfer speeds, with a maximum transfer rate of 480 Mbps for USB 2.0 and 625 Mbps for USB 3.0. External hard drives are faster, delivering transfer speeds up to 5 Gbps for USB 3.0 models.1
Components: USB drives use flash memory chips to store data. External hard drives use mechanical hard disk drives, the same type of magnetic media found in computers.2
Data transfer rates: The data transfer rate for USB drives ranges from 8-20 MB/s. External hard drives offer much faster transfer rates of 100-200 MB/s.3
Power sources: USB drives are powered by the USB port itself and do not require external power. External hard drives may need their own power adapter to operate.2
Cost: USB drives have a lower cost per gigabyte compared to external hard drives. However, very high capacity external hard drives can be more economical overall.1
Use Cases
USB drives and external hard drives are best suited for different use cases based on factors like storage needs, portability, speed, and security.
USB drives have less storage capacity, usually up to 256GB, but are extremely portable and convenient for transferring small files between devices. Their small size makes them easy to carry in a pocket. USB drives are best for portable document storage, moving files between computers, creating bootable disks, and as a backup solution for smaller amounts of important data. 1
External hard drives offer much larger storage capacities, usually between 500GB to 12TB. This makes them suitable for storing large multimedia libraries, system backups, and archiving files. They can maintain constant read/write speeds for regular file access. However, external hard drives are bulkier and not as portable as USB drives. External hard drives are ideal for full system backups, expanding storage for gaming consoles, storing large media collections, and archiving old files. 2
In summary, USB drives are better for portability and moving smaller files while external hard drives excel at expanding storage for large file collections, backups, archives, and active projects.
Compatibility
Both USB drives and external hard drives can connect to computers, laptops, TVs, game consoles, and other devices that have a USB port. However, compatibility depends on the type of USB port.
Most USB drives and external hard drives today use a USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 connector. These are backwards compatible with USB 2.0 ports (Seagate). Connecting to older USB 1.0 or 1.1 ports will limit transfer speeds.
For OTG (On-The-Go) support, USB drives designed for this purpose can connect directly to smartphones and tablets to transfer files. Many external hard drives lack OTG support and may require an adapter (SuperUser).
Regarding formatting, most USB drives and external hard drives come preformatted as FAT32 or exFAT for Windows/Mac compatibility. However, they can be reformatted if needed, such as to NTFS for Windows or HFS+ for Mac (Quora).
Durability and lifespan
External hard drives are generally more prone to failure than USB flash drives due to their mechanical nature. External hard drives have moving parts like actuator arms and platters which make them more susceptible to shock damage or mechanical failure over time. According to a study, the average annual failure rate for external hard drives is around 3.5% compared to less than 2% for USB drives.
However, USB flash drives degrade faster from extensive usage and have a shorter overall lifespan. They use NAND flash memory which wears out after about 10,000-100,000 write/erase cycles. The metal/plastic housing of a USB drive can also wear down or break with repetitive handling. In contrast, a properly stored external hard drive can last over 5 years.
For infrequent writes, USB drives retain data for years. But for intensive everyday usage, external HDDs are more durable with 3-5 year lifespans on average. Proper care like avoiding shocks/drops, excess heat, magnets, and sudden power loss can further extend HDD longevity [1]. When not in use, external HDDs retain data better than USB drives which degrade over time.
[1] https://www.salvagedata.com/external-hard-drive-vs-usb-flash-drive/
Security
When it comes to security and protecting sensitive data, external hard drives generally offer stronger encryption and protection compared to basic USB flash drives. Most external hard drives today come with built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption, which requires a password to access the contents. This makes it very difficult for someone to access the data if the hard drive is lost or stolen. USB drives typically do not have hardware-level encryption built-in by default, though some do offer password protection features. However, the encryption may not be as robust.
In terms of data recovery after deletion, it can sometimes be possible to recover deleted files from both external hard drives and USB drives using data recovery software, as long as the space hasn’t been overwritten with new data yet. However, it is generally more difficult to recover data from a solid-state external drive compared to a mechanical USB flash drive [CITE: https://www.salvagedata.com/external-hard-drive-vs-usb-flash-drive/].
One vulnerability with external hard drives is if data is not encrypted, someone with physical access can easily remove the drive and connect it to another device to access the files. USB drives can also be accessed if unencrypted. However, USB drives are smaller and easier to misplace or steal [CITE: https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/121417/what-is-the-difference-from-a-security-perspective-between-a-usb-hard-drive-an]
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Cost comparison
When looking at cost, one of the most important factors is the price per gigabyte (GB) of storage. Generally, external hard drives provide a lower cost per GB compared to USB flash drives. For example, a 1TB external hard drive may cost around $50, which equates to around $0.05 per GB. In comparison, a 64GB USB flash drive may cost $10, which works out to around $0.16 per GB (Source).
However, very large capacity USB drives are helping to close this price gap. A 1TB USB drive may cost around $100, or about $0.10 per GB. Still, external hard drives tend to be more cost effective for bulk storage needs. Over time, the price difference can really add up if you need many terabytes of storage.
There are some exceptions. SSD external drives are more expensive than traditional hard disk drives. And very small USB drives can sometimes have a higher per GB cost than larger drives. But in general, external hard drives offer more storage capacity for the money.
Future outlook
The future looks promising for both USB drives and external hard drives, with new technologies on the horizon. According to Western Digital, an emerging technology called OptiNAND combines HDDs with embedded flash drives for faster performance (Source). The market for external storage devices continues to grow as consumers and businesses demand more data storage capacity. According to Allied Market Research, the global external hard drive market is projected to reach $9.3 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2020 to 2027.
However, cloud storage poses a potential disruptor to the external storage device market. As internet speeds increase and cloud storage costs decrease, more consumers may opt to store their data in the cloud rather than on a physical device they have to carry around. But external drives still offer unique advantages like complete offline access, full control over data, and data privacy. For the foreseeable future, external drives will likely remain popular and necessary for many use cases.
In summary, emerging hybrid technologies like OptiNAND point to continued innovation in the external storage device market. And with the growing need for data storage, external USB and hard disk drives will likely remain essential tools for transporting, backing up, and expanding storage capacity. But cloud solutions may eat into the consumer market over time as internet infrastructure improves.
Conclusion
In summary, the key differences between USB drives and external hard drives are storage capacity, speed, durability, and cost. USB drives are smaller, more portable storage devices best for transferring smaller files between different devices. They typically range from 8GB to 256GB. External hard drives have much higher capacities, usually between 500GB to 10TB, making them better for storing large volumes of data like photos, videos, backups, and archives. They also have faster transfer speeds but are less durable and portable.
USB drives are the more affordable, convenient option if you just need to transfer documents or other small files. Go with an external hard drive if you need tons of extra storage space for large multimedia files and don’t plan to transport it much. While USB drives are simpler plug-and-play storage, external hard drives work better for holding entire digital libraries of data and keeping certain data continuously backed up or synced across multiple devices.