To most people these days, "flash drive" is synonymous with "USB drive" and IMO that term can be used safely in search. Of course make sure that the search result specifies not only "USB" but preferably what version of USB, Make sure that the connector also matches what you want since a growing number of flash drives are USB-C.

"Memory sticks" could work but is IMO far less common and too ambiguous.

You'll find lots of decent 128GB drives, with good brands costing between $25 and $40 each.

Decent brands 128GB are between $25 and $40, 256GB about $65 each and 512GB about $100.

I cannot speak to Mac suitability since I've never used that environment.

- Evan

On Wed, Aug 5, 2026 at 5:46 PM Karen Lewellen via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:

Hi folks,
Thanks everyone for providing terrific expertise.
Of all the comments, Evan's claim nearest to the ones echoed in the Debian
thread I started.
One more tiny question though.
Sorry if my innocence is showing big time here, but I have to guide
another person through the search, and acquire process..Amazon becoming
profoundly no longer accessible adaptive tools wise.
My goal mirrors what Scott notes here, I will be reading often, writing on
occasion, audio for certain. Certainly first.
However, searching USB stick via duckduckgo is producing flash drives,
memory sticks, neither of which are what I believe? I want.
Especially since I need at least well 100 gig. I do not need a tig, but
do not want to end up ordering something that proves unsuitable, as in
moving a music folder from a macbook pro to this item, so I can move said
folder to an IPod.
What is my search term?
Thanks,
Kare

On Sat, 4 Jul 2026, Scott Allen via Talk wrote:

> On Fri, 3 Jul 2026 at 21:21, Lennart Sorensen via Talk
> <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote:
>> I have one 16GB
>> drive I have had for about 10 years now that is really small (it doesn't
>> even have the metal part around the USB port just the inside plastic part
>> of the port to reduce the thickness) which has been surprisingly durable.
>
> "Durability" will differ depending on whether you're talking reading
> or writing. Drives will specify the estimated or guaranteed number of
> write cycles, never read cycles. Only writing causes wear on the
> drive, limited to a maximum number of writes for any given cell. Reads
> don't cause wear and are essentially infinite, assuming the
> electronics don't fail in general. Electronics could fail due to
> abuse, such as extreme higher than recommended temperatures or
> moisture from "running the drive through the washer and dryer".
>
> Even the cheapest, slowest drive could be quite durable if you're
> mostly reading from it, with only occasional writes, such as one that
> is used to store and play audio or video files.
>
> Data retention time is also a "durability" factor. Bits set to 0 are
> written by trapping electrons behind an insulator and read by
> non-destructively sensing the presence of this electronic charge.
> However, this charge will slowly leak off, eventually causing a cell
> set to 0 to read as a 1. Operating at a higher temperature can
> increase the leakage rate and lower the retention time. Retention time
> is usually expressed in terms of decades and the quality of the drive
> will affect this.
>
> --
> Scott
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