A USB flash drive has a similar function to a floppy disk, only it has a larger capacity and is more reliable. You can store any kind of files you want on it. You could use flash drives to back up your files if you like, only I wouldn't, as they can get quite expensive if you need over 8 GB. (you probably have about 50GB of space on your hard drive now). All your files etc probably won't fit on a flash drive, so I suggest buying a portable hard drive instead, which is like a USB only larger in both capacity and size.

USB drives come in various shapes, sizes and capacities and you can use them like any other disk drive. The most common ones are so-called 'thumb drives' that are about the size of a pack of chewing gum. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3038092&Sku=S153-3230 These are very useful for carrying around large amounts of data, like pictures or sound files. There are also larger USB drives that are normally used to store a complete backup of your main disk drive. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3617655&CatId=2422 I've used both types and they're very simple to operate. Normally, you just plug them into the USB port and your computer automatically recognizes them and can display the files stored there.

It is what has been replacing floppy disks. You can use it as a small supplementary drive or to archive data. However, it is much more expensive than a floppy disk, so it should rather be used to transfer data between two computers which do not have any network connection. "USB flash drives are NAND-type flash memory data storage devices integrated with a USB (universal serial bus) connector. They are typically small, lightweight, removable and rewritable. (USB Memory card readers are also available, whereby rather than being built-in, the memory is a removable flash memory card housed in what is otherwise a regular USB flash drive, as described below.) USB flash drives offer potential advantages over other portable storage devices, particularly the floppy disk. They are more compact, faster, hold more data, are more reliable due to their lack of moving parts, and have a more durable design. Additionally, it has become increasingly common for computers to ship without floppy disk drives. USB ports, on the other hand, appear on almost every current mainstream PC and laptop. These types of drives use the USB mass storage standard, supported natively by modern operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and other Unix-like systems. With nothing being mechanically driven in a flash drive, the name is something of a misnomer. It is called a "drive" because it appears to the computer operating system (and the user) in a manner identical to a mechanical disk drive, and is accessed in the same way. A flash drive consists of a small printed circuit board typically in a plastic or metal casing and more recently in rubber casings to increase their robustness. This makes the drive sturdy enough to be carried about in a pocket, for example as a key fob, or on a lanyard. Only the USB connector protrudes, and it is typically protected either by a removable cap or by retracting into the body of the drive. Most flash drives use a standard type-A USB connection allowing them to be connected directly to a port on a personal computer. To access the data stored in a flash drive, the drive must be connected to a USB port, either a host controller built into a computer, a USB hub, or some other device designed to access the data, such as an mp3 player with a USB-in port. Flash drives are active only when plugged into a USB connection and draw all necessary power from the supply provided by that connection. However, some flash drives, especially high-speed drives, may require more power than the limited amount provided by a bus-powered USB hub, such as those built into some computer keyboards or monitors. These drives will not work unless plugged directly into a host controller (i.e., the ports found on the computer itself) or a self-powered hub." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive

It's a solid state memory device. And yes, if my old Pentium R with a 4 gig memory can access one, so can yours.