Few people realize the full potential of a USB flash drive. Not only can you take your files on the go with you, but you can do so much more. Here are a few examples I find just too useful:

Portable Linux - Many Linux distributions can be run entirely from flash drives. Perhaps one of the most common examples is Ubuntu, which has several different applications available for LiveUSB use. Other popular distros, including Fedora, Knoppix, Gentoo, and Debian also can be used on a USB flash drive pretty easily. And, of course, the best part might be the fact that you can run the entire Operating System solely from your thumb drive. Or, for those who want to prolong their flash drive’s life, only the home directory can be modified.

Your Favorite Applications on the Go - For many people it can be frustrating not being able to take your favorite applications to school, work, the library, or your mother-in-law’s house. This can easily be done with a USB thumb drive. In fact, some very prominent applications and not-so-popular applications have unofficial and official builds ready to be used on a thumb drive.

Easy Backups - Flash drives can be an incredibly easy way to backup the most critical files quickly. Though there are obviously faster and better methods, this can also usually be used most anywhere, be overwritten when the backup is old, and is rather cheap compared to a whole new hard drive.

Full Control - Perhaps the best use is the ability to have a web server right in your pocket, or a powerful programming language like Python. Since these many times aren’t available to you elsewhere, with a USB flash drive they will be.

So, what uses do you have for flash drives?