A flash drive, also known as a USB drive, thumb drive, or memory stick, is a small data storage device that uses flash memory and has a USB interface. Flash drives are very common today and used to store, transfer and share files, photos, videos and other data between computers and devices. But an ongoing debate exists on whether flash drives should be considered internal or external storage devices. Let’s take a closer look at what defines internal and external storage and the key factors in classifying flash drives.
What is Internal Storage?
Internal storage refers to any storage device that is built into or embedded within a computer system. The key defining characteristic of internal storage is that it is an integral component of the computer, designed to be permanently installed and not removed. The most common types of internal storage devices are:
- Hard disk drives (HDD) – Spinning magnetic disks that store data.
- Solid state drives (SSD) – Non-volatile flash memory chips that store data.
- ROM – Permanent memory chips that store system data like BIOS firmware.
- Cache – Small, fast memory that improves performance.
- RAM – Volatile memory that temporarily stores data while powered on.
Internal storage is installed inside the computer case and directly connected to the motherboard and power supply. This gives internal storage the advantages of faster data access speeds and larger capacities compared to external storage options. However, the trade-off is internal storage cannot easily be removed or transferred between computers like external drives can.
What is External Storage?
External storage refers to any storage device that connects externally to a computer system. The key aspect of external storage is its portability and detachability from the computer. Common types of external storage devices include:
- External hard drives
- Solid state drives
- USB flash drives
- SD cards
- Optical discs (CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray)
- Floppy disks
- Magnetic tapes
- Network attached storage (NAS)
External storage devices connect to a computer externally through USB, Firewire, Thunderbolt, eSATA, or wirelessly. This allows external storage to be portable and removable. However, interface connection types can bottleneck transfer speeds compared to internal options. External storage capacities also tend to be lower than internal drives. But the portability enables external drives to transfer data between devices and locations.
Key Characteristics of Flash Drives
Now that we’ve defined internal and external storage, let’s examine some key characteristics of flash drives:
- Interface: Flash drives connect via an external USB interface.
- Portability: Flash drives are completely portable and designed for removal and transfer.
- Capacity: Flash drives typically range from 1GB to 2TB in capacity.
- File Transfer: A main use case is transferring files between devices.
- Non-volatile Memory: Flash memory retains data when powered off.
- No Installation: Flash drives plug into USB and do not require installation.
These attributes show flash drives are engineered entirely for external usage scenarios. The USB interface, portability, lower capacity, and focus on transfer and convenience reflect an external storage design.
Reasons Flash Drives Are Considered External Storage
Given the defining traits of both internal and external storage, there are several strong reasons why flash drives are almost universally considered external storage devices:
- Flash drives exclusively use external connections via USB, unlike internal drives that connect directly to motherboards internally.
- Flash drives are completely portable and designed to be plugged and unplugged frequently, unlike internal drives meant to be permanent installations.
- The capacities of flash drives better align with traditional external storage devices.
- Flash drives are powered entirely via USB and do not need an internal power supply like internal drives.
- Flash drives operate independently of the system and do not require low-level integration and configuration like internal devices.
- Using flash drives solely requires external access to USB ports, the same as other forms of external storage.
- Flash drives can be used on many devices interchangeably rather than being tied to a single system like internal devices.
All these reasons support flash drives having the core technical and practical characteristics of external storage devices even though they use solid state memory like some internal drives. The external physical interface and usage model is the overriding factor.
Reasons Flash Drives Are Not Considered Internal Storage
There are also several key reasons why flash drives do not qualify as internal storage:
- They are not installed internally within a computer case and connected to the motherboard.
- They do not require integration with the system BIOS, device drivers, or operating system.
- They do not draw power from the system power supply.
- They connect via an external interface standard (USB) rather than an internal system bus.
- They are fully removable and transferable between systems rather than permanent fixtures in one system.
- They have limited capacities more typical of external drives.
- Their purpose is primarily file transfer rather than primary storage like internal drives.
When viewed objectively, flash drives lack almost all technical and functional attributes that define internal storage devices. The fact that flash drives use solid state memory like some internal drives is not enough to categorize them as internal storage given all their other external characteristics.
Examples of Internal Usage
While overwhelmingly considered external storage, flash drives can be used in some internal scenarios:
- Booting OS: Flash drives can boot operating systems in some cases, like internal system drives.
- Firmware Updates: Flash drives can deliver BIOS/firmware updates internally.
- Diagnostics: Technicians can run hardware diagnostics from flash drives.
- Recovery Drives: Flash drives can be used as system recovery drives.
However, these examples demonstrate flash drives functioning in internal-like roles. The drives themselves remain inherently external devices despite temporary internal usage.
Examples of External Usage
Here are some examples of the external usage model flash drives are designed for:
- File Transfer: Moving files between systems and devices.
- Media Access: Storing and accessing media like photos, videos, music.
- Backup: Backing up and restoring external data.
- Sharing: Enabling file sharing by physically passing around the drive.
- Encrypted Storage: Storing encrypted files and accessing cross-platform.
- Software Installs: Transferring and installing applications.
These common real-world usage examples demonstrate the external nature flash drives are designed for. Even when used for atypical internal-like functions, the drives remain physically external devices.
Industry Classification
The technology industry overwhelmingly classifies flash drives as a form of external and removable storage:
- USB Implementers Forum – USB storage devices standards group that manages the USB interface used by flash drives.
- Consumer Technology Association – Leading technology trade organization that sets standards for consumer electronics, including classifying flash drives under external storage.
- Major Technology Vendors – Vendors like Western Digital, Seagate, Samsung, and others uniformly categorize flash drives as external storage in product lines.
- Retailers – Electronics retailers like Best Buy, Amazon, Newegg, etc. departmentalize flash drives under external storage sections.
This industry consensus confirms flash drives are definitively considered external storage devices by technology companies, standards bodies, vendors, and retailers alike.
Conclusion
In conclusion, flash drives overwhelmingly exhibit the characteristics of external storage devices rather than internal storage. While they use solid state memory chips like some internal drives, all other technical traits and real-world usage align with the universally accepted qualities of external storage. These factors cover the interface, portability, capacities, power source, OS integration, and intended functionality. Flash drives’ exclusive reliance on external physical connections cements their status as external storage devices. How they temporarily function does not change their inherent physical nature. The technology industry and marketplace decisively classify flash drives as external storage. So when considering the question, while some niche exceptions exist, overwhelmingly the answer is clear – flash drives are external storage devices.