Back It Up! The SanDisk Cruzer Blade 8 GB USB Flash Drive Works Well!

The Good: Easy to use, Does what it promises, Hard to damage, Decent storage capacity
The Bad: Easy to lose or destroy, Often requires proper shutdown, No indicator for data transfer, Gets warm!
The Basics: The SanDisk Cruzer Blade 8 GB flash drive is an excellent tool for backing up essential files, even if it does so with minimal flare.


Flash drives are definitely one of those ubiquitous bits of technology by which one may easily date at person. Young people take flash drives for granted; people of a certain age and older are amazed by both the technology, the reliability, the inexpense of them and how fast they became a standard in the marketplace and a fashion accessory. Yes, back in my day, we paid for RAM by the Megabyte and it wasn't cheap at all! So now, to be able to get something like an 8 GB SanDisk Cruzer Blade USB Flash Drive on clearance at the local grocery store for $3.99 is pretty much enough to give the teenager still active in my memory a freak out. I mean, 1 MB RAM at $25/stick . . . means I'd pay how much for 8 GB?! Sure, RAM is not the same as flash memory, but you have to understand the time when even Megabytes was a relatively new unit of measure!

So, because the local grocery store made it stupidly inexpensive to stock up and because my wife and I had been somewhat negligent before now in creating recovery discs for our various Windows operating systems (and, it turns out while Flash Drives have become ubiquitous and reliable, laptop computers have started to suck and break down at a rate that implies flat-out corporate corruption!), we decided to stock up on SanDisk Cruzer Blade flash drives. Each Cruzer Blade is an 8 Gigabytes flash drive that runs through USB 2.0.

For those unfamiliar with flash drives, these are convenient little pieces of computer hardware that essentially act as a portable hard drive. They are a male USB port connected plugged into a very small board and it holds any sort of computer information that can be held on a standard hard drive. Because virtually every computer these days has a USB port (the "U" stands for "Universal!") this becomes a remarkably efficient and easy way to transfer information from one computer to another and to walk around with files. Far more durable than floppy discs and easier to transfer information to than a CD-R, especially now that CD drives on computers are no longer universal by any means, the flash drive is a remarkable piece of technology that makes files portable between computers in a way that is often as easy as clicking a flash drive into a USB port!

The SanDisk Cruzer Blade is a one and five-eighths inches long by 5/16" wide by 1/4" thick piece of plastic that is red and black. One end has a USB interface which plugs into any USB port - it is a standard type of port on computers, the flat-looking interface that is rectangular shaped. There is no protection on the Cruzer Blade for the USB port, so one risks getting dirt or other elements in one's computer if one carries the Cruzer Blade around a lot. Given that several of mine are in storage for deep back-up, this has not been much of a concern for my usage. In an office environment, the Cruzer Blade and its exposed end ought to be fine. At the opposite end from the male USB jack is a small loop in the plastic base that can be connected to a strap (like a shoestring or a lanyard) that allows one to carry their Cruzer Blade around their neck (strap of any kind or keychain is NOT included with this flash drive).

Whenever you plug the Cruzer Blade into a computer that has Plug and Play capability (Windows XP or above, according to the back of the card this came on) the computer will register the drive and usually open a window to show the contents of the drive. In Windows, files may be dragged onto the drive or dragged off the drive to copy files to or from the drive. It is that easy. Unlike having to spend minutes loading large files with multiple floppy discs or having the inconvenience of having to find a CD burner for a CD-R/CD-RW, the Cruzer Blade is literally as easy as plugging in and dragging (or copying) files to it!

The Cruzer Blade has a 8 GB capacity which means most people can replicate their entire data collection from their primary computer and save it on here! This makes for a great back-up option in case of fire or disaster or covertly transferring information! I was very pleased that a single 8 GB flash drive was able to create a recovery disc for Windows 10. While it took a few hours to create initially, the time it saves in restoring my wife's crappy new laptop to functionality is impressive. The only important functional detail to remember is that if you are plugging it into a PC or other Windows-based system, it must be properly removed from the system using the "Eject" option from the tool bar. Otherwise, some of the files may not open properly.

In addition to Windows-based systems, the Cruzer Blade plugs into USB ports on Apple computers running Mac OS X 10.6 or above. This means it can be a wonderful interface between any of the music-storing Apple products that have a USB port and a computer!

The Cruzer Blade is very convenient, though because of its small size, it may easily be lost. I got a strap for it pretty much right away because the red and black-colored module seems to blend in with virtually everything. A strap comes in handy in that regard and I've found that I tend to be quite glad that I put one on the end loop. Having been schlepping the tiny drive around, I've found that the Cruzer Blade is handy and durable. I've sat on it, dropped it and nervously spun it around on its strap. This flash drive is not indestructible, but as far as day to day wear goes it may as well be. Because of its small size, however, I have noticed that the Cruzer Blade gets much warmer than other flash drives I have used in the past. That was a bit of a surprise for me, but I have never kept the flash drive attached to a computer long enough for the heat to have any form of adverse effect upon the information stored on the drive.

With 8 Gigabytes of storage space, this packs a great amount of storage into a very discrete package. Anyone on the go who works with multiple computers will want to get one of these. This drive is inexpensive enough that if you keep an extra one by your bed with your essential computer back-ups, it's convenient enough to grab when you're scooping up the cats and fleeing fire, flood, tornadoes, etc. And as one who has important data to protect, that is exceptionally important to me! And with laptop computers that come with a lot of preloaded crap, it is nice to have a drive like this with just the essential Windows files in order to be able to reload one's computer with just the key components when Windows 10 and other programs inevitably crash.

For other flash drive reviews, please check out my takes on:
Kingston DataTraveler 32 GB Flash Drive
Verbatim 1 GB Store'N'Go Flash Drive
ATP Breast Cancer Awareness Flash Drive

7/10

For other electronics product reviews, please visit my index page for an organized listing of all of them!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Saving My Wife’s Video Files From Oblivion, The Kingston Technology DataTraveler 101 32 GB Flash Drive Works!

The Good: Easy to use, Does what it promises, Hard to damage, Great storage capacity
The Bad: Easy to lose, Often requires proper shutdown
The Basics: A good, convenient data storage tool for larger files, the Kingston DataTraveler 101 32 GB flash drive works!


Last summer, when my wife came out to Michigan before me for our big move, she was very anxious about her computer files getting lost or damaged. This made a lot of sense to me; she is a photographer and she has tens of gigabytes worth of files, many segregated into various projects she is working on. To make things easier for her, I picked her up a bunch of Kingston Technology DataTraveler 101 flash drives. Each one is a 32 Gigabytes flash drive that runs through USB 2.0.

For those unfamiliar with flash drives, these are convenient little pieces of computer hardware that essentially act as a portable hard drive. They are a male USB port connected plugged into a very small board and it holds any sort of computer information that can be held on a standard hard drive. Because virtually every computer these days has a USB port (the "U" stands for "Universal!") this becomes a remarkably efficient and easy way to transfer information from one computer to another and to walk around with files. Far more durable than floppy discs and easier to transfer information to than a CD-R, the flash drive is a remarkable piece of technology that makes files portable between computers in a way that is often as easy as clicking a flash drive into a USB port!

The Kingston Technology DataTraveler 101 is a two and a quarter inches long by 11/16" wide by 3/8" thick piece of plastic that is purple and silver. One end has a USB interface which plugs into any USB port - it is a standard type of port on computers, the flat-looking interface that is rectangular shaped. This end is covered with a metal cap that rotates around the center of the USB flash drive. When traveling, one may keep the male end covered with the metal protector. To access the USB jack, simply rotate the protector away from the top. At the end of the metal protector is a small loop that can be connected to a strap (like a shoestring) that allows one to carry their DataTraveler 101 around their neck (strap of any kind or keychain is NOT included with this flashdrive).

Whenever you plug the DataTraveler 101 into a computer that has Plug and Play capability (Windows XP or above, according to the back of the card this came on) the computer will register the drive and usually open a window to show the contents of the drive. In Windows, files may be dragged onto the drive or dragged off the drive to copy files to or from the drive. It is seriously that easy. Unlike having to spend minutes loading large files with multiple floppy discs or having the inconvenience of having to find a CD burner for a CD-R/CD-RW, the DataTraveler 101 is literally as easy as plugging in and dragging (or copying) files to it!

My wife moves large photograph and video files in under a minute and she has even stored video files that fill the flash drive to capacity in under five minutes, with flawless replay off the drive!

The DataTraveler 101 has a 32 GB capacity which means most people can replicate their entire data collection from their primary terminal and save it on here! This makes for a great back-up option in case of fire or disaster or covertly transferring information! My wife was able to back up her entire drive with a dozen of these and it became very handy for portable and secure storage of different projects she needed to have available for different clients (without anyone having to share a drive!). The only important functional detail to remember is that if you are plugging it into a PC or other Windows-based system, it must be properly removed from the system using the "Eject" option from the tool bar. Otherwise, some of the files may not open properly. While files are being transferred, there is an LED in the flash drive that lights up. When it is done, the transfer or file saving is completed.

In addition to Windows-based systems, the DataTraveler 101 plugs into USB ports on Apple computers running Mac OS X 10.5 or above. This means it can be a wonderful interface between any of the music-storing Apple products that have a USB port and a computer! It can also transfer files on Linux v. 2.6 and above.

The DataTraveler 101 is very convenient, though because of its small size, it may easily be lost. I got a strap for it pretty much right away because the purple and silver-colored module seems to blend in with virtually everything. A strap comes in handy in that regard and I've found that I tend to be quite glad that I put one on the end loop. Having been schlepping the tiny drive around, I've found that the DataTraveler 101 is handy and durable. I've sat on it, dropped it and nervously spun it around on its strap. This flash drive is not indestructible, but as far as day to day wear goes it may as well be.

With 32 Gigabytes of storage space, this packs a great amount of storage into a very discrete package. Anyone on the go who works with multiple computers will want to get one of these. This drive is inexpensive enough that if you keep an extra one by your bed with your essential computer back-ups, it's convenient enough to grab when you're scooping up the cats and fleeing fire, flood, tornadoes, etc. And as one who has important data to protect, that is exceptionally important to me!

For other flash drive reviews, please check out my takes on:
Lexar Jumpdrive Sport
Tribeca Pinkdrive
ATP Breast Cancer Awareness Flash Drive

8.5/10

For other electronics product reviews, please visit my index page for an organized listing of all of them!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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As My Data Storage Needs Increase, I Upgrade To The 8 GB DataTraveler Flash Drive!

The Good: Easy to use, Does what it promises, Hard to damage, Good storage capacity
The Bad: Easy to lose or destroy, Often requires proper shutdown, No indicator for data transfer.
The Basics: The Kingston DataTraveler 101 8 GB flash drive holds all I need it to!


While I have, for a long time, used my DataTraveler from Kingston, with 1 GB of storage space (reviewed here!), I recently had reason to upgrade. After five years of using the one flash drive, I needed a little more space. Plus, while the 1 GB drive has worked out fine, I’ve been a bit anxious about it because it now “leans” (the plastic portion is now at about a fifteen degree angle to the metal USB port end).

So, I upgraded to a Kingston Technology DataTraveler 101, an 8 Gigabytes flash drive that runs through USB 2.0.

For those unfamiliar with flash drives, these are convenient little pieces of computer hardware that essentially act as a portable hard drive. They are a male USB port connected plugged into a very small board and it holds any sort of computer information that can be held on a standard hard drive. Because virtually every computer these days has a USB port (the "U" stands for "Universal!") this becomes a remarkably efficient and easy way to transfer information from one computer to another and to walk around with files. Far more durable than floppy discs and easier to transfer information to than a CD-R, the flash drive is a remarkable piece of technology that makes files portable between computers in a way that is often as easy as clicking a flash drive into a USB port!

The Kingston Technology DataTraveler 101 is a two and a quarter inches long by 11/16" wide by 3/8" thick piece of plastic that is red and silver. One end has a USB interface which plugs into any USB port - it is a standard type of port on computers, the flat-looking interface that is rectangular shaped. This end is covered with a metal cap that rotates around the center of the USB flash drive. When traveling, one may keep the male end covered with the metal protector. To access the USB jack, simply rotate the protector away from the top. At the end of the metal protector is a small loop that can be connected to a strap (like a shoestring) that allows one to carry their DataTraveler 101 around their neck (strap of any kind or keychain is NOT included with this flashdrive).

Whenever you plug the DataTraveler 101 into a computer that has Plug and Play capability (Windows XP or above, according to the back of the card this came on) the computer will register the drive and usually open a window to show the contents of the drive. In Windows, files may be dragged onto the drive or dragged off the drive to copy files to or from the drive. It is seriously that easy. Unlike having to spend minutes loading large files with multiple floppy discs or having the inconvenience of having to find a CD burner for a CD-R/CD-RW, the DataTraveler 101 is literally as easy as plugging in and dragging (or copying) files to it!

I move music files in seconds, save word processed files as fast as to the hard drive and have even stored video files near a whole gigabyte on the DataTraveler 101 to transfer from downloads to my home computer.

The DataTraveler 101 has a 8 GB capacity which means most people can replicate their entire data collection from their primary terminal and save it on here! This makes for a great back-up option in case of fire or disaster or covertly transferring information! I was very pleased that the whole e-mail box I needed to back up was easily transferred to this new drive! The only important functional detail to remember is that if you are plugging it into a PC or other Windows-based system, it must be properly removed from the system using the "Eject" option from the tool bar. Otherwise, some of the files may not open properly.

In addition to Windows-based systems, the DataTraveler 101 plugs into USB ports on Apple computers running Mac OS X 10.5 or above. This means it can be a wonderful interface between any of the music-storing Apple products that have a USB port and a computer! It can also transfer files on Linux v. 2.6 and above.

The DataTraveler 101 is very convenient, though because of its small size, it may easily be lost. I got a strap for it pretty much right away because the red and silver-colored module seems to blend in with virtually everything. A strap comes in handy in that regard and I've found that I tend to be quite glad that I put one on the end loop. Having been schlepping the tiny drive around, I've found that the DataTraveler 101 is handy and durable. I've sat on it, dropped it and nervously spun it around on its strap. This flash drive is not indestructible, but as far as day to day wear goes it may as well be.

With 8 Gigabytes of storage space, this packs a great amount of storage into a very discrete package. Anyone on the go who works with multiple computers will want to get one of these. This drive is inexpensive enough that if you keep an extra one by your bed with your essential computer back-ups, it's convenient enough to grab when you're scooping up the cats and fleeing fire, flood, tornadoes, etc. And as one who has important data to protect, that is exceptionally important to me!

For other flash drive reviews, please check out my takes on:
Lexar Jumpdrive Sport
Tribeca Pinkdrive
ATP Breast Cancer Awareness Flash Drive

8.5/10

For other electronics product reviews, please visit my index page for an organized listing of all of them!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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The Best Little Flash Drive I've Used: Verbatim Store'n'Go Red!

The Good: Well, it works. Easy to use, Does what it promises, Hard to damage.
The Bad: Easy to lose or destroy, Often requires proper shutdown
The Basics: Well, the Store 'N' Go does exactly what it promises; it makes large amounts of computer data portable between computers with no software necessary to utilize it!


For little things, it's hard to beat the Verbatim Store 'N' Go Flash Drive.

For those unfamiliar with flash drives, these are convenient little pieces of computer hardware that essentially act as a portable hard drive. They are a male USB port connected plugged into a very small board and it holds any sort of computer information that can be held on a standard hard drive. Because virtually every computer these days has a USB port (the "U" stands for "Universal!") this becomes a remarkably efficient and easy way to transfer information from one computer to another and to walk around with files. Far more durable than floppy discs and easier to transfer information to than a CD-R, the flash drive is a remarkable piece of technology that makes files portable between computers in a way that is often as easy as clicking a flash drive into a USB port!

The Verbatim Store 'N' Go is a two inch long by 3/4" wide by 1/2" thick piece of plastic that has a transparent shell that reveals the tiny flash board inside it. One end has a USB interface which plugs into any USB port - it is a standard type of port on computers, the flat-looking interface that is rectangular shaped. The other end is a convenient plastic loop that connects to a one and a half foot long strap (like a shoestring) that allows one to carry their Store 'N' Go around their neck!

Whenever you plug the Store 'N' Go into a computer that has Plug and Play capability (Windows 2000 or above) the computer will register the drive and usually open a window to show the contents of the drive. In Windows, files may be dragged onto the drive or dragged off the drive to copy files to or from the drive. It is seriously that easy. Unlike having to spend minutes loading large files with multiple floppy discs or having the inconvenience of having to find a CD burner for a CD-R/CD-RW, the Store 'N' Go is literally as easy as plugging in and dragging (or copying) files to it!

I move music files in seconds, save word processed files as fast as to the hard drive and have even stored video files near a whole gigabyte on the Store 'N' Go to transfer from downloads to my home computer. The only wrinkle I've found using the Store 'N' Go so far is that my mother's archaic HP Pavilion laptop that is running on Windows 98 does not acknowledge it.

The Store 'N' Go has a 1 GB capacity which means most people can replicate their entire data collection from their primary terminal and save it on here! This makes for a great back-up option in case of fire or disaster or fleeing the Red Threat! The only important functional detail to remember is that if you are plugging it into a PC or other Windows-based system, it must be properly removed from the system using the "Eject" option from the tool bar. Otherwise, some of the files may not open properly. I discovered this the hard way. It is important, then, to not simply jam it in and pull it out. No, it requires a bit more sensitivity than that. You can jam it into a USB port, of course, but the computer has to be prepared for it to be withdrawn, else it will sometimes prevent the files from functioning properly.

In addition to Windows-based systems, the Verbatim plugs into USB ports on my MacBook Pro (reviewed here!) and other Apple computers. This means it can be a wonderful interface between any of the music-storing Apple products that have a USB port and a computer!

The Store 'N' Go is very convenient, though because of its small size, it may easily be lost. The strap comes in handy in that regard and I've found that I tend to be quite glad that the unit comes with the strap. Having been schlepping the tiny drive between my home and the library to upload ******** reviews (my phone line is currently down) for the last week, I've found that the Store 'N' Go is handy and durable. I've sat on it, dropped it and nervously spun it around on its strap. Nothing. I did, however, watch a friend take their boot to one (it was blue, but otherwise the identical product) and these things are not indestructible!

It is worth noting, as well, that the Store 'N' Go comes with a little cap that easily pops off to protect the USB plug when it is not in a computer. The cap has a small bump to keep it on and that works nicely, so it does not fall off and yet is easy enough to remove when one is ready to use it.

But for all my ability to write, it's hard to find anything more to say about this. It has one purpose: store information. It does that. I've not encountered any sort of magnetic field that has wiped clear that memory and truth be told, I'm not even sure it's possible. With 1 Gigabyte of storage space, this packs a great amount of storage into a very discrete package. Anyone on the go who works with multiple computers will want to get one of these.

And seriously, they are inexpensive enough that if you keep an extra one by your bed with your essential computer back-ups, it's convenient enough to grab when you're scooping up the cats and fleeing fire, flood, tornadoes . . .or the Red Menace.

For other memory products, please be sure to visit my reviews of:
Lexar CompactFlash 1 GB picture card
DataTraveler 1 GB Flash Drive
Tribeca Pinkdrive 2 GB

10/10

For other electronics product reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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One Chance To Wow Me Goes By The Wayside: Lexar 1 GB Picture Card Fails!

The Good: Great capacity
The Bad: Lost pictures!
The Basics: Having lost a whole vacation worth of images on a Lexar CompactFlash 1 GB picture card, I'm in no mood to be charitable to them.


When it comes to digital cameras, I've never been picky toward any one brand name. My wife, on the other hand, has had a lot more experience with digital cameras and flash drives. It is through hanging out with her and moving large sums of information between computers that I have come to truly appreciate some brands and their products. I have also come to loathe some memory products. When I began using her digital camera, I had no particular bias against Lexar. Indeed, the only reason I was down on the Lexar Jumpdrive Sport (reviewed here!) flash drive was the fact that it did not store much in the way of information or pictures. But now, having used her Lexar CompactFlash 1GB picture card, I think I'll be steering away from Lexar for the foreseeable future.

The reason for my loathing of the Lexar CompactFlash 1GB picture card is simple: ours lost all of the information on it. Without removing it from the camera, the contents of the picture card have become scattered and unreadable. You know the phrase "You only get one chance to make a first impression?" Well, when your first impression of a memory card is "it loses my entire cross country trip with my partner, including my wife's first experiences with caves, Western states and a Star Trek convention," that's pretty insurmountable. For my personal feeling, I'm wary of anything that has such extraordinary capacity because it leads to taking such risks as losing two weeks of images, but my partner is more liberal in that regard. Or, she was until last week when our Lexar CompactFlash 1 GB picture card failed and wiped itself.

Lexar CompactFlash cards are what my partner's Nikon Coolpix P5000 digital camera (reviewed here!) used and the 1GB capacity was impressive. That amount of capacity held 1,000 images when the camera was set to the middle quality level on the camera. Unfortunately, my partner used the card for a week and it failed. The thousand image capacity of the CompactFlash is wonderful for my partner, as she is a professional photographer and she was able to take pretty much unlimited pictures and then delete unusable ones en route to our next photo-worthy locale. For me, it's a bit too many pictures on the camera at a time, but then, I'm not a professional. For her needs, a gigabyte is pretty much the minimum for a day trip.

In other words, this would be a great picture card for professionals, but it managed to lose all of the images on it. Technically, they are on there in some capacity, but they cannot be extracted and that makes this card virtually worthless.


Basics

The Lexar CompactFlash Card with the 1 GB capacity is a small chip designed to store digital images on compatible cameras. This picture card is a medium sized, flat storage device that fits into virtually any digital camera that uses a fifty pin connection to a camera. The fifty pin connectors use two rows of tiny pins to insert into the female end of this card. For those who do not know if this is appropriate for your camera, this is information that every camera's manual will have. "Pins" in this case are actual tiny pointed, round metal pins in the depth of the camera's memory card slot (usually gold) that conduct the information into the video card. The easiest way to check is to read the manual or check the number of pins on your current picture card.

The Lexar CompactFlash card is approximately one and five-eighths inches wide, one and three-eighths inches deep and 1/8" thick! This is bigger than the most compact cameras' chips and not as easily lost. The chip may be kept in the camera or removed to plug into a chip reader to extract the data on it. This is medium size, but because most people never remove them from their cameras, losing them or damaging them from extracting them from the camera ought not to be much of an issue.

Capacity

As one might guess, the 1 GB Lexar CompactFlash Card holds only one gigabyte worth of visual information. This is an incredible amount of capacity for people who are spending a day out shooting the sites at places they are likely to only go once in their lives or just kicking back and getting great candids at a party or event, unless one is a professional in which case it can be filled in under ten minutes with the right camera! I have found the one thousand high quality pictures this will store to be great for the concept, but a bit nerve-racking when I find myself in more risky situations, especially considering ours lost all thousand of the images that were on it!


Durability

The Lexar CompactFlash card is essentially a tiny piece of plastic and it appears to be strangely more fragile than the smaller, thinner and more exposed chips I have used in the past. Without being exposed to sparks, energy sources, or any form of trauma, our CompactFlash lost the ability to read what was stored on it. Inside the camera and out, it cannot read what is on the card. It knows that the capacity is full (my wife was peeved when the device was filled up, then lost the information!) but it cannot read any of the images. Removing it from the camera, putting the chip in a chip reader, the information is still unreadable.

This is a relatively small chip and is easily lost, at least when compared to a flash drive (compared to a camera card, it is pretty much the standard size or somewhat larger). Users must be very careful while handling it. Still, even with taking proper care of this card, it gave up on us and once you've had a product give up like this, it doesn't matter what the ideal is in terms of capacity, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

Warranty

Lexar does not extend any warranty on the CompactFlash 1 GB card, but as they say, if you lose the memories, no warranty matters.

Overview

The Lexar 1 GB CompactFlash card is the worst card I've ever used in that it is the ONLY one to ever lose all of the information on it, even though it was used properly in a device it was designed for. That makes it very easy to not recommend and to pan as well.

For other memory devices, please visit my reviews of:
Fujifilm xD-Picture Card (256 MB)
Data Traveler 2.0 1 GB Flash Drive
Tribeca Pinkdrive 2 GB

1/10

For other electronics reviews, please visit my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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No Bells And Whistles: Kingston Technology's 1GB DataTraveler Flash Drive Makes A Fair Stocking-stuffer.

The Good: Well, it works. Easy to use, does what it promises, hard to damage.
The Bad: Easy to lose or destroy, Often requires proper shutdown, No indicator for data transfer.
The Basics: Very much what one expects from a flash drive, the DataTraveler 1 GB flash drive is adequate for virtually anyone with small data transfer needs.


It is hard for me to muster up a lot of words or enthusiasm for my new flash drive. I still have my Verbatim Store 'N' Go; actually, I sent it to a friend of mine to exchange a pretty large selection of information. But throughout the summer, Pepsi had bottle caps which had codes on them and when their promotion ended abruptly, I decided to cash them in to get a new flash drive because, well, it was free.

As a result, I now have a Kingston Technology DataTraveler, a 1 gigabyte flash drive that runs through USB 2.0 according to the package it came in.

For those unfamiliar with flash drives, these are convenient little pieces of computer hardware that essentially act as a portable hard drive. They are a male USB port connected plugged into a very small board and it holds any sort of computer information that can be held on a standard hard drive. Because virtually every computer these days has a USB port (the "U" stands for "Universal!") this becomes a remarkably efficient and easy way to transfer information from one computer to another and to walk around with files. Far more durable than floppy discs and easier to transfer information to than a CD-R, the flash drive is a remarkable piece of technology that makes files portable between computers in a way that is often as easy as clicking a flash drive into a USB port!

The Kingston Technology DataTraveler is a two and a half inch long by 3/4" wide by 3/8" thick piece of plastic that is white, save the logoed portion that is the center stripe and the end that has a loop that may be connected to a keychain or such. One end has a USB interface which plugs into any USB port - it is a standard type of port on computers, the flat-looking interface that is rectangular shaped. This end is covered with a simple plastic cap that must be pulled off to reveal the male end of the USB drive. The cap clicks back on and it is a decent way to protect the equipment. The other end is a convenient plastic loop that can be connected to a strap (like a shoestring) that allows one to carry their DataTraveler around their neck (strap of any kind or keychain is NOT included with this flashdrive).

Whenever you plug the DataTraveler into a computer that has Plug and Play capability (Windows 2000 or above) the computer will register the drive and usually open a window to show the contents of the drive. In Windows, files may be dragged onto the drive or dragged off the drive to copy files to or from the drive. It is seriously that easy. Unlike having to spend minutes loading large files with multiple floppy discs or having the inconvenience of having to find a CD burner for a CD-R/CD-RW, the DataTraveler is literally as easy as plugging in and dragging (or copying) files to it!

I move music files in seconds, save word processed files as fast as to the hard drive and have even stored video files near a whole gigabyte on the DataTraveler to transfer from downloads to my home computer. The only wrinkle I've found using the DataTraveler so far is that my mother's archaic HP Pavilion laptop that is running on Windows 98 does not acknowledge it. This drive does not come with any form of driver disc, though virtually any internet-connected computer will have no problem finding the appropriate driver for this particular model.

The DataTraveler has a 1 GB capacity which means most people can replicate their entire data collection from their primary terminal and save it on here! This makes for a great back-up option in case of fire or disaster or covertly transferring information! The only important functional detail to remember is that if you are plugging it into a PC or other Windows-based system, it must be properly removed from the system using the "Eject" option from the tool bar. Otherwise, some of the files may not open properly. I discovered this the hard way. It is important, then, to not simply jam it in and pull it out. No, it requires a bit more sensitivity than that. You can jam it into a USB port, of course, but the computer has to be prepared for it to be withdrawn, else it will sometimes prevent the files from functioning properly.

In addition to Windows-based systems, the DataTraveler plugs into USB ports on my MacBook Pro (reviewed here!) and other Apple computers. This means it can be a wonderful interface between any of the music-storing Apple products that have a USB port and a computer!

The DataTraveler is very convenient, though because of its small size, it may easily be lost. I got a strap for it pretty much right away because the white module seems to blend in with virtually everything. A strap comes in handy in that regard and I've found that I tend to be quite glad that I put one on the end loop. Having been schlepping the tiny drive between my home and the library to upload reviews, I've found that the DataTraveler is handy and durable. I've sat on it, dropped it and nervously spun it around on its strap. Nothing. I have watched people crush flash drives under their boot before, but I've not asked anyone to try risking a DataTraveler for that exercise. In general, though these are not indestructible as far as day to day wear goes.

As mentioned, the DataTraveler comes with a little cap that easily pops off to protect the USB plug when it is not in a computer. The cap has a small bump to keep it on and that works nicely, so it does not fall off and yet is easy enough to remove when one is ready to use it.

But for all my ability to write, it's hard to find anything more to say about this. It has one purpose: store information. It does that. I've not encountered any sort of magnetic field that has wiped clear that memory and truth be told, I'm not even sure it's possible. With 1 Gigabyte of storage space, this packs a great amount of storage into a very discrete package. Anyone on the go who works with multiple computers will want to get one of these.

And seriously, they are inexpensive enough that if you keep an extra one by your bed with your essential computer back-ups, it's convenient enough to grab when you're scooping up the cats and fleeing fire, flood, tornadoes, etc.

For other flash drive reviews, please check out my takes on:
Lexar Jumpdrive Sport
Tribeca Pinkdrive
ATP Breast Cancer Awareness Flash Drive

6/10

For other electronics product reviews, please visit my index page for an organized listing of all of them!

© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Lower Than Average Capacity Reduces The Usefulness Of Lexar's 256MB JumpDrive Sport!

The Good: Data is safely stored and easily transported, Durable
The Bad: Low capacity, Reduced ability to tell transfers are complete, Annoying rubber bumpers
The Basics: While the Lexar JumpDrive Sport adequately protects data being transferred between computers, it is more bulky and lacks capacity that will annoy most potential users.


One of the neat things about marrying someone younger who is part of the whole 21st Century phenomenon is being introduced to all of the outstanding pieces of technology that came out after I attended college that are now commonplace. As a virtual hermit, I have little mechanism for meeting others and keeping up with the new technical devices that have sprung up on the marketplace that might not be directly related to my work. So, for example, it was only a year ago I even learned what a flash drive was! Now, with my new wife comes an influx of different flash drives to review (I'm not exactly sure why she has so many!) and the first one that I discovered of hers that I did not like was her Lexar JumpDrive Sport.

The Lexar JumpDrive Sport is a little USB flash drive that comes surrounded by a rubber bumper and cap for added durability and portability. The thing is, flash drives are supposed to be convenient and the cap takes a bit to pull off because of the rubber bumper. So, while this travels exceptionally well in, say, a gym bag, it is remarkably inconvenient when it comes time to plug it into a computer. Add to that, the capacity is well below what most people who are transferring photographs and large files will need, whatwith its 256 MB memory capacity.

For those unfamiliar with flash drives, these are convenient little pieces of computer hardware that essentially act as a portable hard drive. They are a male USB port connected plugged into a very small board and it holds any sort of computer information that can be held on a standard hard drive. Because virtually every computer these days has a USB port (the "U" stands for "Universal!") this becomes a remarkably efficient and easy way to transfer information from one computer to another and to walk around with files. Far more durable than floppy discs and easier to transfer information to than a CD-R, the flash drive is a remarkable piece of technology that makes files portable between computers in a way that is often as easy as clicking a flash drive into a USB port!

The Lexar JumpDrive Sport is a two 3/8 inch long (with cap, over two and 3/4") by 7/8" wide by 1/2" thick piece of plastic that has an opaque red and black shell. Inside is the hardware, well protected by the rubberized sides. One end has a USB interface which plugs into any USB port - it is a standard type of port on computers, the flat-looking interface that is rectangular shaped. The other end has a little green LED that lights up when files are being transferred. Another inconvenient aspect of this particular flash drive is that the loop that allows the JumpDrive Sport to be connected to a lanyard or anything else is on the active end of the cap. Most have the connectors on the back end, which allows users to remain connected to the device while it is plugged into a computer or make it easier to stay connected to the actual device instead of just walking away with the cap!

Whenever you plug the JumpDrive Sport into a computer that has Plug and Play capability (Windows 2000 or above) the computer will register the drive and usually open a window to show the contents of the drive. In Windows, files may be dragged onto the drive or dragged off the drive to copy files to or from the drive. It is seriously that easy. Unlike having to spend minutes loading large files with multiple floppy discs or having the inconvenience of having to find a CD burner for a CD-R/CD-RW, the JumpDrive Sport is literally as easy as plugging in and dragging (or copying) files to it!

The only wrinkle I've found using the JumpDrive Sport, as far as file transfers go, is that my mother's archaic HP Pavilion laptop that is running on Windows 98 does not acknowledge it. There are, however, problematic aspects in relation to the devices overall capacity.

The JumpDrive Sport has only 256 MegaBytes of capacity which means most people will run out of room on the flash drive long before they have all their data backed up to it, especially with graphics or music transfers. The only important functional detail to remember is that if you are plugging it into a PC or other Windows-based system, it must be properly removed from the system using the "Eject" option from the tool bar. Otherwise, some of the files may not open properly. I discovered this the hard way. It is important, then, to not simply jam it in and pull it out. No, it requires a bit more sensitivity than that. You can jam it into a USB port, of course, but the computer has to be prepared for it to be withdrawn, else it will sometimes prevent the files from functioning properly.

The back of the JumpDrive Sport has a green light, an LED. Whenever the drive is being accessed, the back portion of the flash drive blinks, providing a very clear indicator of when the drive is active and when it is not. This is very convenient and helps one know well just how long files are taking to upload from the unit. And it is quick!

In addition to Windows-based systems, the Lexar plugs into USB ports on my MacBook Pro (reviewed here!) and other Apple computers. This means it can be a wonderful interface between any of the music-storing Apple products that have a USB port and a computer, at least for smaller files.

The JumpDrive Sport is very convenient, though because of its small size, it may easily be lost. This Lexar is virtually indestructible as there is a rubber bumper on the outside that keeps it protected from side shocks. It is worth noting, as well, that the JumpDrive Sport comes with a little cap that is much more difficult to remove than any other flash drive I have ever used. The cap is designed to protect the USB plug when it is not in a computer. The cap is kept on the flash drive by the rubberized bumper, so one has to truly pull it (like pulling against a very strong rubber band) to get access. This can be a pain for cramped USB hubs on PCs as well.

The Lexar JumpDrive Sport has one purpose: store information. It does that. I've not encountered any sort of magnetic field that has wiped clear that memory and truth be told, I'm not even sure it's possible. With only 256 MB of storage space, though, it is unlikely to meet most users needs these days, unless they are simply transferring text files.

They are inexpensive enough that if you keep an extra one by your bed with your essential computer back-ups, it's convenient enough to grab in case of emergency, though. But even for those needs, most users will want one with at least a gigabyte worth of capacity.

For other memory cards or USB drives, please be sure to check out my reviews of:
Tribeca Pinkdrive 2 GB
ATP Breast Cancer Awareness Flash Drive
Fujifilm xD-Picture Card (256 MB)

4/10

For other electronics reviews, please check out my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Just Past My Comfort Threshold On Capacity, The 256MB Fuji xD-Picture Card Is Great (But...)

The Good: Great capacity, Good warranty, Relatively inexpensive, Easy to use, Durable
The Bad: May be lost easily when outside camera.
The Basics: A perfect card with amazing capacity, the 256MB FujiFilm xD-Picture card overcomes the anxieties us paranoids have about such excessive abilities as this has!


Sometimes, a product is fine in its own right, but experience teaches those who use it valuable lessons. In my case, fear teaches me a lesson that experience has yet to illustrate to me. I love taking photographs. It's a hobby and while I am not all that good at it, getting married has encouraged me to preserve the new memories and experiences we are having together and I am generally thrilled with that. However, the more pictures I take with my camera, the more anxious I become about keeping the pictures on the card in my camera.

I have a Fuji Finepix camera (reviewed here!) and it uses Fuji xD-Picture cards. Despite my anxiety with continually moving up in sizes, I bought the 256 MB capacity while on my honeymoon and it worked as I hoped it would. I did not have to upload my pictures until night (I was able to easily go two days on the honeymoon before uploading, even when feeling free to take all of the pictures I wanted to take), but there were enough pictures on the card that made me feel anxious about keeping them there, encouraging me to upload them from the card. However, the number of pictures this card was able to hold put me at the threshold for my comfort level with picture cards. In other words, after a day and a half of shooting with my camera, this card made me anxious, not because I have ever had a Fuji xD-Picture card fail, but because if this one did, I was now at a place where I could lose vast amounts of pictures that I would like to be able to keep and enjoy!

This is a great picture card for professionals, but most people who travel with their computer and have anxiety over everything in the world failing, this is at or beyond the comfort of many users as an entire library of images fits on it! Truth be told, now that I am married with a photographer, I am discovering: 1. This is still painfully low capacity for a professional and 2. The Fuji Finepix camera is a pretty basic digital camera and no professional in the world is going to be using it for serious photography. That said . . .

Basics

The Fujifilm xD-Picture Card with the 256 MB capacity is hard plastic card that stores digital images. This picture card is a small, flat chip that fits into virtually any Fuji digital camera and any other camera that uses an eighteen pin connection to a camera. If you are unsure of whether or not that applies to your camera, either consult the camera's manual or carefully remove your current memory card and count the pins. "Pins" are the flat leads (usually a gold-color) that conduct the information, they are separated by faint nonmetallic bars. If your memory card has eighteen little bars then it is considered an eighteen pin lead and this product would be instantly compatible with your camera.

The Fujifilm xD-Picture card is approximately one inch wide, three-quarters inches deep and only 1/16" thick! This is small and easily lost. Fortunately, one of the more common camera accessories these days is a picture card wallet, so they should be easy enough to not lose. The xD-Picture cards are smaller than some and because most people never remove them from their cameras, that ought not to be much of an issue (and, as far as the travel concept goes, the space one saves with picture cards over film is likely to be eaten up by space needed for batteries to keep one's camera powered).

Capacity

As one might guess, the 256MB Fujifilm xD-Picture Card holds two hundred fifty-six megabytes worth of visual information. This is an incredible amount of capacity for people who are spending a day out shooting the sites at places they are likely to only go once in their lives or just kicking back and getting great candids at a party or event. I have found the seven hundred sixty-eight pictures this will store to be more than sufficient for even a decent family vacation. Still, I found it a bit nerve-racking when I find myself in more risky situations; the capacity allowed me to shoot fearlessly all day without worrying how many pictures I had left, but I limited some of the places I went for fear that the camera might get damaged and I would lose the hundreds of pictures I had already taken. When one considers how many pictures they honestly usually take while on vacations or at weddings or such, seven hundred sixty-eight is the fairly impressive amount. With my camera (and most peoples) there are various quality levels for the pictures taken. My FinePix offers four quality levels based upon the resolution of the shot taken.

At the minimum resolution (.3M) the 256MB card will hold 1936 photographs, but they will be the most grainy that the camera takes. Conversely, a 256MB chip will only hold 384 of the highest resolution images possible. My experiences have been that I do not like the result of the lowest resolution images and I burn through batteries and memory far too quick with the highest capacity ones. I keep my camera set to the 1M quality, which provides images that are a decent size with an impressive enough resolution and this picture card holds 768 pictures at the medium quality. With my increased desire to take photographs, I found I was quite happy I upgraded to the 128MB card, but was more anxious when I then upgraded to the 256MB card. In fact, I am more likely to use this on social trips (like weddings) than recreational (theme park) trips! Despite my concerns before my last trip, I did not come anywhere close to filling up the card with all 768 JPG files that are 6.40 inches (162.2 mm, 1280 pixels) X 4.80 inches (121.9mm, 960 pixels) with a 200 X 200 DPI resolution (though, honestly, that might just be the imaging program I open the pictures in) and True Color (24 Bits).

For those who can live with 768 great pictures between reloads or almost two thousand crappy ones, this is a great memory card for you. I suspect that this is the perfect amount for most people, even those of us who are paranoid about losing pictures on a picture card.

In my experience, even as the picture card gets full, there is no noticeable difference in transfer time (i.e. amount of time it takes for the image to get put on the picture card after it is taken) from when the picture card is empty vs. when it gets full. As well, there seem to be no advantages in the transfer speed on this card vs. other FujiFilm xD-Picture cards. The only thing that seems to have a real effect in transfer speed is increasing the level of quality of the photographs. The bigger the file, the longer the transfer time and as this picture card becomes more full at maximum resolution, it may take up to two seconds for the camera to be ready to take another shot.

Durability

The Fujifilm xD-Picture card is essentially a small, plastic chip and this style of picture card is a lot thinner than most picture cards I have recently come into contact with. Some picture cards are even self-contained with the pins all being protected on this inside. This is not the case with this style of picture card. The leads plug into a slot in one's camera (consult your camera manual for how to do that). As well, there are chip readers that may be plugged into computers to read the chips directly. It is important to note that software support for extracting information from this card is entirely dependent upon the user's camera or computer! This picture card comes with no software support, nor does it require any to use. It simply plugs into a compatible camera and is as easy to use as batteries.

However, this is a small device and is easily lost. As a result, users must be very careful while handling it and a picture card wallet is highly recommended. I have NEVER had this picture card lose a file. Proper care indicates that one should ground themselves (eliminate static electricity from the body) by touching something metal before touching the card. The only other way I can imagine to damage this is step on it or poorly packing it in a carry-on!

This is a durable card that most people will never need to take out of their camera.


Warranty

Fujifilm tends to have a five-year warranty on a lot of their picture cards, and this 256MB card has that. In all honesty, having used FujiFilm xD-Picture cards of various capacities for years, I have never had any need to cash in the warranty and I suspect this will last more than the five warrantied years.

This product has a five-year warranty and I cannot speak to how responsive the company is to replacing them when needed, as I have not needed to exercise that.


Overview

The Fujifilm 256MB xD-Picture card is great as far as capacity and usability go. I find myself endorsing it as a perfect card, despite my anxiety, but I suspect this will be the highest I ever go or recommend most casual photographers consider.

For other camera-related products or memory, please visit my reviews of:
CB-5L Charger for Nikon P5000 camera battery
Tribeca Pinkdrive 2 GB
Nikon CoolPix S60 digital camera

9.5/10

For other electronics product reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A Slick Way To Support Breast Cancer Research The Tribeca Pinkdrive Flash Drive Works!

The Good: Decent capacity, Durable, Stylish for those who like pink, Good charity
The Bad: Will not fit all senses of style, No bells and whistles.
The Basics: The Tribeca Pinkdrive helps fight breast cancer while moving files easily between different devices with USB ports.


I've been feeling pretty bad since October. The reason for this is pretty obvious to me; I was invited to participate in the Breast Cancer Research Write-Off and when the deadline got close, I submitted a review not recommending a tea whose proceeds benefited breast cancer research. This has become even more of a nagging at the back of my brain because my wife recently started making baby blankets to help raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation (check those out here!). So, when we were out on Black Friday and we saw the Tribeca Pinkdrive flash drive on sale, we decided to pick one up.

First off, it is worth noting that I did not need another flash drive and the sleek, pink stick-shaped flash drive of the Pinkdrive most assuredly did not fit my sense of decor. However, because Tribeca is donating a portion of the profits to breast cancer research, I felt picking up another flash drive for charity and review was a decent thing to do. And the Pinkdrive, despite not fitting my style (it goes quite well with many of my wife's lip glosses and nail polishes...) has quickly proven itself to be a reliable flash drive.

The Tribeca Pinkdrive is a USB flash drive which is one of the slimmer ones on the market. In fact, the Pinkdrive is barely wider than the USB port at the one end of it. Unlike most flash drives I have had experience with, the Pinkdrive was thicker - about 3/8" thick - and was made of a hard, glossy pink plastic. So, while in one dimension is seems like it is more compact than other flash drives, this is marginally bulkier in another, which is only a problem when one is squeezing multiple flash drives into a tight bank of ports. The Pinkdrive that I bought has a 1 gigabyte capacity and it comes with a hard pink plastic cap.

Flash drives like the Pinkdrive are essentially portable hard drives and this is in many ways a very average flash drive. The cap is a pink hard plastic block which snaps over the stainless steel male end of the USB port. This protects the metal end and the thinner chip-like leads inside it. The cap is easily removed by simply pulling on it and easily replaced by pushing it down until one hears it snap into place. Unlike other flash drives I have used, the cap is the only protection the Tribeca Pinkdrive offers; it is made of hard plastic on its sides which seems like it could be brittle if one attempted to crush it, but Tribeca seems to be banking on the idea that those going for this stylish drive will not be dragging it through the mud (literally or figuratively).

The Pinkdrive is simple to use: uncap the top to expose the male end of the USB connector and plug the Pinkdrive into the female end of a USB port on any computer device that has the female connecting end! It is that simple. The Tribeca Pinkdrive comes with no software, but any device that recognizes USB 2.0 will instantly accept and recognize the Pinkdrive. The beautiful thing about the Pinkdrive is that it truly is a universal flash drive; it may move files between Windows-based, Apple-based or unique platform (like Playstation 3) devices, so long as the device has a USB port!

The speed of file transfers varies based on the size of the files being moved and the already-used capacity of the Pinkdrive. My partner moves around more files than I do and she uses more complex files. I was very much on-edge about having a flash drive with a full gigabyte worth of capacity because that's a lot of information to lose if anything goes wrong. And yet, after almost two weeks of constant use, we've not lost a single byte of information! Information seems to be easily accessible on the drive with no problems recovering pictures, text files and programs we've tried moving from one computer to another.

While information is being transferred to or from the Pinkdrive, a tiny LED at the end of the flash drive lights up. The red light contrasts the pink of the Pinkdrive's shell and clearly indicates to users when it is in active use. When files are done being transferred, the light goes off and whatever software one is using may be accessed to properly eject the drive.

And while information on the Pinkdrive is secure, the casing is easy to scuff up. Because it is glossy, wear shows on it very easily (ours already has a few very shallow scratches on the glossy coating which are easily visible when the flash drive is held at an angle to a light source). But because the contents on it are safe, it is hard to kvetch about the casing. Then again, for those who are more style conscious, this may be a serious liability for the Pinkdrive.

But for those looking for a decent amount of capacity and a flash drive that looks good, the Pinkdrive fits the bill. Anyone who wants to give a stocking stuffer to those who are working to fight breast cancer will find the one gigabyte Pinkdrive is durable, affordable and charitable!

For other flash drives and computer products, please be sure to visit my reviews of:
ATP Breast Cancer Awareness Flash Drive
17" MacBook Pro
Acer Aspire 5532 Laptop computer

6/10

For other computer or electronic device reviews, please visit my index page on the subject!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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Socially Conscious Flash Drives: Yes, The ATP Petito Special Edition (Breast Cancer) Flash Drive Works!

The Good: Good capacity, Secure, Comes with a cap.
The Bad: A little pricier than less-stylish drives.
The Basics: A good flash drive, the Petio Special Edition is a little more expensive to offset the donation to an anti-cancer charity.

A few years ago, I think it would have been seen as ridiculous to consider a flash drive a fashion accessory. Truth be told, though, I came very late to the portable memory phenomenon. I didn't know what a flash drive was until a former student of mine showed me! But now, it seems not only are flash drives made to be fashionable and fit in with one's personal style, they are also intended to promote one's attitudes and causes, much like a bumper sticker. So, when I found myself in the market for a new flash drive, one of the ones I purchased to make a backup of my writing was the ATP Electronics Petio Breast Cancer Research flashdrive. I'm not a huge supporter of cancer research, but I figured for the few extra dollars, I might do something socially worthwhile with my money.

The Petio Special Edition is a sleek, pink rounded flash drive which reminds me actually of a lip gloss container. Its curves are definitely designed to look comfortable and feminine, but as one who loves breasts, I figured I could walk around with this flash drive and I'd not suffer adversely for it. ATP Electronics is donating ten percent of each purchase of the Petio Special Edition to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and that is a generally well-regarded charity, so I felt good about paying almost five dollars more for the 4 GB flash drive.

The ATP Electronics Petio Special Edition is a USB flash drive which is one of the thicker, curvier ones on the market. The Petio Special Edition is a bit wider than the USB port at the one end of it. The Petio Special Edition is wider (almost 1” wide) and thicker (approximately 3/8" thick) than most flash drives, which makes sense. If one is trying to make a statement with the flash drive, they want it to be visible and this certainly is. The Petio Special Edition has a 4 gigabyte capacity and it comes with a hard pearlescent pink plastic cap.

Flash drives like the Petio Special Edition are essentially portable hard drives and this is in many ways a very average flash drive. The cap is a pearlescent pink hard plastic cap which snaps over the stainless steel male end of the USB port. This protects the metal end and the thinner chip-like leads inside it. The cap is easily removed by simply pulling on it and easily replaced by pushing it down until one hears it snap into place.

The Petio Special Edition is simple to use: uncap the top to expose the male end of the USB connector and plug the Petio Special Edition into the female end of a USB port on any computer device that has the female connecting end! It is that simple. The ATP Electronics Petio Special Edition comes with no software, but any device that recognizes USB 2.0 will instantly accept and recognize the Petio Special Edition. The beautiful thing about the Petio Special Edition is that it truly is a universal flash drive; it may move files between Windows-based, Apple-based or unique platform (like Playstation 3) devices, so long as the device has a USB port!

The speed of file transfers varies based on the size of the files being moved and the already-used capacity of the Petio Special Edition. My partner moves around more files than I do and she uses more complex files. I was very much on-edge about having a flash drive with four gigabytes worth of capacity because that's a lot of information to lose if anything goes wrong. As a result, I have been using the Petio Special Edition more as a repository for my files where they are intended to go as a more permanent form of back-up. For the last half-year, this has been working perfectly for just that!

The Petio Special Edition does not have any external indicators – like LEDs - to confirm when it is in use. Thus, it depends completely upon the software one is using to know when file transfers are complete.

While information on the Petio Special Edition is secure, the casing is easy to scuff up. Fortunately, because the pearlescent pink shell has a matte finish, it does not show wear nearly as easily as other flash drives I have had!

For those looking for a decent amount of capacity and a flash drive that looks good, the Petio Special Edition does that quite well. The Petio Special Edition keeps information safe and so long as ATP Electronics is holding up their end, the flash drive is a socially conscious fashion statement for computer users!

For other computer products, please check out my reviews of:
Apple iPod Touch
HP Laserjet 6P Laser Printer
and the index page!

5/10

© 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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