USB memory sticks
Also known as thumb, flash or pen drives, USB memory sticks represent the most popular form of removable media for personal computers. We recommend their use on both Mac & PCs in shared learning spaces. They are compatible with all installed computers in shared learning spaces. They are an easy to use, high capacity, reliable and fast means of transporting files between computers.
Read this user guide [PDF 555kb 4 pages] for instructions on how to use your USB memory stick with PCs & Macs in shared learning spaces.
Formatting USB devices
- USB devices formatted on a PC can be read by both Macs and PCs
- USB devices formatted on a Mac using the default Mac OS volume format cannot be read by PCs - you must format your USB device using the MS-DOS (FAT) volume format if you want to use it on a PC
For more information see your computers documentation
The table below gives a brief outline of the pros & cons of the most commonly used forms of removable/reusable media.
| Device | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Floppy disc |
|
|
| Zip disc |
|
|
| CD-R |
|
|
| CD-RW |
|
|
| USB memory stick |
|
|