USB flash drives are very useful. They’re portable, rewritable, fast, inexpensive and hold a lot of data. Use them as much as you want to transport data from one place to another but never use a USB drive as the only method to back up your computer files. They’re really easy to lose or crush. Back up your computer files to an external hard-drive and also have a second online back up method at a company like Carbonite or Mozy. Online back up storage only costs about $60.00 per year and your files are automatically backed up so you don’t have to think about it. If your hard drive ever crashes you can easily get your files back.