What Is a Jump Drive?

JumpDrive is a brand name from the company Lexar, which is used to describe a computer storage device that plugs into the USB port of the machine. However, although it is a brand name as "JumpDrive," like the brand names of Xerox and Kleenex, it has also come into popular vernacular as "jump drive" and is sometimes used as a term for any type of drive that serves the same function it does.

A jump drive is:

• A computer peripheral tool made by Lexar, spelled as "JumpDrive"
• A generic name for a portable USB drive

The USB (Universal Serial Bus) port is a common port located on any computer, and the jump drive is a small unit that can store hundreds and hundreds of files, which can then be taken easily with the user and accessed at any computer. While “jump drive” is the name that is widely used, the technical terms for this item include “thumb drive” or “USB drive.” Some people also call it a memory stick or a flash drive; all the names refer to the same item. 

Function of a Jump or USB Drive

Part of knowing what a jump drive is also involves knowing how it works and what it is used for. Most USB drives are small, about the size of a stick of gum (and slightly thicker). Some of them have caps or sliding ends meant to protect the USB plug itself.

Removing the cap or sliding it aside reveals the plug, which can then be inserted into the USB port of the computer. At this point the computer will recognize the drive as added “hardware” and let you navigate to it, access files stored on it, and save files onto it, just as you would do with the regular hard drive of the computer. After use, the USB drive can be removed and taken with you. 

Jump Drives as New Storage Technology

You can consider the USB drive the modern cousin to old portable storage devices like floppy disks and even CD-Roms. Flash drives are tough and durable, meant to travel easily, and are also very affordable. You can get an impressive amount of storage on a drive that costs around $10. A USB drive of just 1GB or so in size could store an entire software program along with hundreds of files and still not run out of space.

Jump Drives as a Backup Device

Flash drives are also excellent for backing up your computer system. They can be used for quick temporary storage of files while you do an update or configure your computer, and in the event that a crash happens, all of the files are still located on the drive. Provided the USB port is still functional (and even when the operating system crashes, it should be), you can use the USB drive to restore your computer to normal without losing your files. 

Photographers, students, and computer programmers all use USB drives on a regular basis for all types of storage.