USB flash drives: can the connectors be damaged by static electricity?

[fp252]

I am currently shopping around for USB drives, and this question has come up...

I've noticed that most capless USB drives have their connectors at the tip of the drive exposed. I often carry my USB drives around inside my pocket. Because of this, is it possible that static electricity may damage the drives?

 

[ssddx]

technically i suppose they could be affected, however it is unlikely you will have any issues unless we are talking about quite a bunch of static buildup...

i prefer a cap design so that dirt, grime, lint and other such nasties do not get into the usb connector. i suppose it protects against your static discharge theory too but it never crossed my mind.

overall i'd say these devices are pretty hardy, i've had one go through the wash and still work perfectly afterwards!

so my recommendation? buy one with a cap if you're worried about it. it might be wise to get a lanyard too so you dont lose it.

 

[fp252]

Thanks for your input. I was concerned that even with just a little metal exposed at the end, they (both the USB flash drive and the attached computer) may be affected by static. I would assume they do have some sort of resistance to this.

Basically, my decision is between the Patriot Xporter XT Boost vs. the Xporter XT Rage. The first one is more rugged and has a cap, with slower write speeds, while the second is retractable but has one of the fastest write speeds for a USB 2.0 drive. It is surprising how much a drive's form factor can make this much of an impact...

 

[fp252]

Best answer selected by fp252.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

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