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Poll: What do you call the small USB device that you plug in to transfer files?

38 points by Balgair ↗ HN
Curious to know what the HN community thinks these things are called, since there seem to be so many names. I've tried to get most of the common ones, but if I've missed one, please comment your name for it.

101 comments

[ 3.6 ms ] story [ 211 ms ] thread
ElSinchi
"USB"

Hey just put the files on the usb

zelphirkalt
Trying to get away from "USB stick", I also use "USB Drive", so without the "Flash".
Brajeshwar
I'm going to abuse the term “Floppy Stick” from today and use the hell out of it.
dataflow
I didn't realize this was (still?) controversial. You can literally search on Amazon (and other sites) and see they're listed primarily as "Flash Drives". I thought that was long settled!
altdataseller
Yeah but I swear they were listed primiarily as “usb sticks” years ago.
dkasper
Flash drive or thumb drive. Use them pretty much interchangeably.
Espressosaurus
Not listed: Flash drive. So I picked "USB flash drive".
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housedrafta
Which is strange because I have always called it a flash drive and have never heard it referred to as a USB flash drive
paskozdilar
In my country it's colloquially called just "stick" (the english word), sometimes "USB stick". "Copy that stuff on the stick."

I suppose in english "a stick" refers to any long thin piece of a tree or shrub, so it's ambiguous.

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csense
Usually I go with "USB drive", but it's not one of the options so I upvoted "USB flash drive".

"Sneakernet" is a related term I sadly only heard in an era when most PC's are networked. "How are you transferring the files?" "Sneakernet." (Walking floppies or a USB drive across a room.)

Izkata
I also only say "flash drive", but I'm opting to not vote because I've heard the full "USB flash drive" on rare occasion and they're as different as other options in the list.
marcodiego
In Brazil, most popular denomination is pendrive. Probably because the first of such a device that became popular here was also a pen.
gruez
"USB mass storage device" is the official technical name

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_mass_storage_device_class

resoluteteeth
That also encompasses non-small usb devices that you plug in to transfer files.
humanistbot
Nice try, but I'm going to out-hairsplit you. "USB mass storage device" is the generic name for a larger class of storage devices, which include 2.5/3.5 inch SATA adapters and can even be implemented by a raspberry pi to do cool dynamic stuff [1]. The OP asked for a subset of USB MSDs that is a "small USB device you plug in."

[1] https://magpi.raspberrypi.com/articles/pi-zero-w-smart-usb-f...

bool3max
Your phone is also a "USB mass storage device" when you plug it into your computer.
SAI_Peregrinus
Usually it presents as an MTP device (and possibly also other types of device) these days. Phones haven't been USB mass storage devices for years, data corruption due to improper unmounting caused too many issues.
mixmastamyk
I never had that problem and want to go back.
bool3max
Right, thanks for the correction.
oso2k
Also missing is the misnomer “USB hard drive”.
gumby
Do they still exist?