The term “Pen Drive” in Malaysia generally refers to USB Flash Drives or Thumb Drives as it is the favourite term being referred to for this product here. A pen drive is a USB plug and play gadget that is used to store data or information including the soft copy of picture files, videos and documents. Pen Drive Malaysia may refer to the PenDrive brand of flash drives that was developed and somewhat popular here in Malaysia. Among the other popular pen drive brand names in Malaysia includes Kingston, SanDisk, Toshiba and Sony.
A Brief History of USB Flash Drives
Unlike other technological advances with only one credited inventor such as the incandescent bulb (Thomas Edison) or the telephone (Alexander Graham Bell), the creation of the first usable USB flash drive can be linked with different engineers who were working separately on methods to improve digital data storage and transfer. The USB drive can be considered a rather recent invention; works on the USB interface began only in the late 1990’s with patents describing the drives and their implementation filed soon after. The controller system for the chip was successfully developed in the early 2000’s and that was when the boom for portable flash drives began. Eventually, consumers’ hunger for more storage space and better performance drove chip development which resulted in increased speeds, capacity, and stability of the USB flash drives.
Evolution – On the Origin of USB Flash Drives
From chunky blocks to slim key chains, evolution has certainly shaped the barely 2-decade old USB flash drive. A 1GB pen drive which used to be someone’s prized possession is now easily given away as a corporate gift or as a name card preloaded with a company’s portfolio. USB drives now come in so many different shapes, sizes, and functions, it can be considered as an extension of one’s identity or personality. Look around and you will see the suited executive with his leather-bound thumb drive, the wedding photographer with her engraved wooden flash drive portfolio, and also the college student with her key-shaped USB drive which she fills with her assignments. Yes, the formerly boring rectangular pen drive can now be customised with casings made of wood, rubber, metal, leather, and so much more! Whoever you are or whatever your data, let your imagination take flight and express yourself with customised USB flash drives.
Source: FFPAM – http://www.ffpam.org.my/what-is-usb-flash-drive/
Pen Drive Invented in Malaysia?
Some sources say that the USB Pen Drives was invented in Malaysia. Pua Khein Seng is widely regarded as one of the inventors of pen drive, and this Malaysian-born inventor is regarded as the “father of pendrive” in Malaysia. Regardless, pen drive is now and extremely popular device here especially with the large tech-centric community in Malaysia