Do I Really Need to Eject USB Drives Before Removing Them? [Ask Lifehacker]

Do I Really Need to Eject USB Drives Before Removing Them? [Ask Lifehacker]:

Dear Lifehacker,
Some of my computers (like my Mac) are always warning me about disconnecting flash drives without ejecting, while Windows doesn't seem to have a problem—in fact, my external USB drive doesn't even have an eject option. Does this mean it's safe? How do I know when I actually need to eject a drive? More »