USB Flash Drive Roundup - 10/2005
by Anand Lal Shimpi on October 4, 2005 11:28 AM EST- Posted in
- Memory
SanDisk Cruzer Micro with Skins
If you like the form factor of PQI's I-Stick, but want a device that looks and feels a little more like a normal USB drive, there's SanDisk's Cruzer Micro.
The Cruzer Micro is a little longer and a lot thicker than the I-Stick, but it features a regular USB connector and a loop for a lanyard. The Cruzer Micro also ships with removable and interchangeable rubber cases, so you can either just use the metal drive itself, or you can slip on a rubber case to keep your finger prints off the drive.
The Micro comes with a total of three cases: one clear, one red and one blue. Switching them is no big deal at all - you simply pull off the cap and slide off the rubber case. Since the case is rubber, it grips onto the metal body of the Micro quite well, so it's not going to just slide off if you happen to have the cap off. All three cases come with a matching cap.
Even though the Micro is a lot bigger than PQI's I-Stick, it is still much smaller than the rest of its competitors.
There is a little label on one side of the Micro that you can use to write information about what's stored on the drive, in the spirit of the good ol' days of floppies and their labels. Although with a minimum of 256MB of storage, you'll probably need a lot more space to truly characterize what's on that tiny little drive.
SanDisk ships a lot of software with their Cruzer. Unfortunately, the vast majority of it comes in trial versions for which you have to pay extra in order to get the full versions.
If you like the form factor of PQI's I-Stick, but want a device that looks and feels a little more like a normal USB drive, there's SanDisk's Cruzer Micro.
The Cruzer Micro is a little longer and a lot thicker than the I-Stick, but it features a regular USB connector and a loop for a lanyard. The Cruzer Micro also ships with removable and interchangeable rubber cases, so you can either just use the metal drive itself, or you can slip on a rubber case to keep your finger prints off the drive.
The Micro comes with a total of three cases: one clear, one red and one blue. Switching them is no big deal at all - you simply pull off the cap and slide off the rubber case. Since the case is rubber, it grips onto the metal body of the Micro quite well, so it's not going to just slide off if you happen to have the cap off. All three cases come with a matching cap.
Even though the Micro is a lot bigger than PQI's I-Stick, it is still much smaller than the rest of its competitors.
There is a little label on one side of the Micro that you can use to write information about what's stored on the drive, in the spirit of the good ol' days of floppies and their labels. Although with a minimum of 256MB of storage, you'll probably need a lot more space to truly characterize what's on that tiny little drive.
SanDisk ships a lot of software with their Cruzer. Unfortunately, the vast majority of it comes in trial versions for which you have to pay extra in order to get the full versions.
SanDisk Cruzer Micro | |
Sizes Available | 128MB - 2GB |
Lanyard Included | Yes |
USB Extension Cable Included | No |
Data Encryption | No |
Password Protection | Yes (Windows Only) |
Secure + Public Partitions Simultaneously Accessible | No |
Flash Controller | SanDisk |
Flash Memory | K9F2G08U0M |
Warranty | 2 years |
39 Comments
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sxr7171 - Tuesday, October 4, 2005 - link
Time to get a Lexar JumpDrive lightning. This may not be important to a lot of people, but a USB drive IMHO needs to have a loop for a keyring. It is the most convenient way to carry the thing and always have it with you no matter what. I guess this applies more to people living in the city and not needing a car and the big bulky car keys/remote that come with that.TheInvincibleMustard - Tuesday, October 4, 2005 - link
Speaking of, is there some reason the Lexar isn't on the RTPE? I mean, it did just win an Editor's Choice and all, so you'd hope it would be one of the drives listed in the newly-announced Flash Storage section ... :(-TIM
Pete84 - Tuesday, October 4, 2005 - link
Bummer, OCZ's dual channel USB stick didn't get in.jkostans - Tuesday, October 4, 2005 - link
Someone didn't read the article......SpaceRanger - Tuesday, October 4, 2005 - link
Are USB drives able to be made Bootable?? I know that systems can recognize USB Floppy Drives, and boot from those, but I was wondering if you could take a USB Flash Drive and make it a bootable device.Phantronius - Tuesday, October 4, 2005 - link
depending on the flash drive and the motherboard BIOS, yes you can do it.Phantronius - Tuesday, October 4, 2005 - link
1st!!!I love my OEM made from some pretty lady in china USB 2.0 stick, its saved my ass so many times for my work, especially in data reterival and spyware removal.
Souka - Tuesday, October 4, 2005 - link
I've had the Memina Rocket for a couple months now....before they even announced it (thanks to NewEgg)....write spead defintly kinda bite with small files especially, but usually I put drivers and stuff there once, then read mutliple times....so its a good match for me.PQI's I got over a year ago, and completely made everyone jealous.... for once, mem were bragging theirs is smaller than someone else's. :D
I still use a SanDisk Titanium.....only a 512mb module, but still works well.
Souka - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link
oopsss...typomeant to say...
PQI's I got over a year ago for my office, and completely made everyone jealous.... for once, men were bragging theirs was smaller!! :D