05+Dropbox

You can't connect a usb thumb drive to an iPad, and you don't need to. Here's a suggestion - create a Dropbox account on your desktop/laptop to store your documents (create the account, then install on desktop, laptop, iPad - it's your portable "My Documents" folder.).

If you're just going to __open__ Word/Powerpoint files on your iPad, Dropbox will do that just fine. If you want to edit/create Word/Powerpoint, then you'll need to invest in a paid app.

If you're already a Mac person, go with Keynote andPages.

If you're more of a PC person, try QuickOffice Pro or Documents to Go.