Monday, Oct. 25, 2010
DiskOnKey
M-Systems and IBM introduced the DiskOnKey — or what are commonly called "thumb drives" because of their size — in 2000 with 8 MB of storage. Transferring files from one computer to another was no longer a chore, and the drives were much easier to use than the 3½-in. diskettes that were still in use at the turn of the century. And you didn't need special software for them to work. Capacity for USB drives now reach upwards of 128 GB for around $500 or as little as $5 for a 2-GB drive. In 2000, by comparison, the 8-MB model retailed for $50 and the 32-MB model cost $100.