The current market for flash drives is a very crowded one, and if you walk into virtually any electronics, game, PC, or even discount, store, chances are you'll see a rack of them. These devices have become so commonplace and useful that virtually any PC or laptop user has access to one. Add in the fact that floppy drives are quickly dying out and drive-less sub-notebooks and netbooks are only growing in sales, and the flash drive's popularity doesn't look to wane anytime soon.

There are many different types of flash drives, and these come in varying capacities and performance levels. High-end USB flash drives may feature a higher-end design, such Single-Level-Cell memory for greater performance but at a higher unit cost. Windows ReadyBoost requires fast access times and transfer speeds, and entry-level models need not apply. Then again, for basic data transportation and storage, a low-cost model may be just what you're looking for. The Kingston DataTraveler line is a very popular flash drive family, available from 1GB to 16GB, and at very low prices. But is the real-world performance trade-off worth the savings?