View Full Version : USB flash drives: any particularly good ones?
Dorian Gray
2008-05-08, 11:43
Am thinking about getting a flash drive for general duties, as I'm finding my 512 MB 1st-gen iPod shuffle a bit small (and slow) for moving around the big files I'm dealing with more and more. Looking for at least 4 GB and possibly 8 GB capacity. Most important is high write and read speeds. Files will usually be written and read only once, so I attach equal weight to write and read speeds (i.e. the average of the two figures is the important thing). Cheap is good! Any tips? Does anyone use USB flash drives anymore?
Windswept
2008-05-08, 12:03
Am thinking about getting a flash drive for general duties, as I'm finding my 512 MB 1st-gen iPod shuffle a bit small (and slow) for moving around the big files I'm dealing with more and more. Looking for at least 4 GB and possibly 8 GB capacity. Most important is high write and read speeds. Files will usually be written and read only once, so I attach equal weight to write and read speeds (i.e. the average of the two figures is the important thing). Cheap is good! Any tips? Does anyone use USB flash drives anymore?
I know Costco stores are in the UK, so you should be able to order from their online store as well.
Here's one that has security encryption, if you'd like to have your files protected.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11180168&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|84|31022|31360&N=4013533&Mo=15&pos=0&No=9&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=31360&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC10626-Cat31022&topnav=
The Edge™ is the strongest USB Flash Drive Security in the market! 448-bit Encryption algorithms protect files and make the data impregnable and impossible to break! One of the Fastest Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Flash Drives available today!
I love flash drives.
I like the convenience of them, but I'm always losing the damn caps and that pretty much makes them dead to me. The last one I had was one of these (http://www.buy.com/prod/kingston-2gb-datatraveler-mini-migo-edition-usb-2-0-flash-drive/q/loc/101/207338577.html) (for about $15). Nice that it didn't have a cap to worry about, but bad because it was so small that it only took me about 3 days to lose it...and I'm pretty sure I ate it while I was eating jellybeans off my desk.
The Kingston brand has worked well for me, so I think the next one is going to be a DataTraveler 400 (http://www.kingston.com/flash/dt400.asp). Seems pretty fast (20MB/s read & 10MB/s write), so it's worth a mention for what you're looking for. Plus, no cap! (and bigger than a piece of candy)
I use this one (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingston-Technology-4GB-Flash-Drive/dp/B000M2GYF6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1210267215&sr=8-2) on an almost daily basis, and I've never been dissatisfied. It's a great bargain at that price, too. You can get the 8 GB version (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingston-Technology-8GB-Flash-Drive/dp/B0012X5766/ref=pd_sim_ce?ie=UTF8&qid=1210267215&sr=8-2) for another 10 pounds.
I found the Space Station (http://ultraproducts.com/product_details.php?cPath=90&pPath=691&productID=691) a really neat idea. It's basically six tiny 2GB drives in a credit card-sized package. Once i run out of space on my 1GB drives, I'll get one of these.
Dorian Gray
2008-05-08, 12:41
I know Costco stores are in the UK, so you should be able to order from their online store as well. [...] I love flash drives.
I'm living in France now actually. :) Yes, flash drives are fun wee things, aren't they?
Seems pretty fast (20MB/s read & 10MB/s write), so it's worth a mention for what you're looking for. Plus, no cap! (and bigger than a piece of candy)
Nice speeds. With large files my shuffle writes at 2.6 MB/s and reads at 3.1 MB/s. I've managed to avoid eating it so far, though I've been tempted!
It's a great bargain at that price, too.
Living in France, not the UK. Do I have to speak French or something? :lol: Those drives are priced right, but they seem to get mixed comments regarding speed.
Not really interested in the Space Station, though I can see the appeal.
Prices for flash drives have really fallen through the floor.
I have a Crucial 4GB ($50 at the Apple Store, probably a lot less elsewhere) that lives on my keychain in my pocket - it stores encrypted disk image backups of my work files. If my laptop goes TU, I can get up and running from a fresh OS install in under an hour, I figure. (I might have to fiddle with a couple things, so I give myself some slop in that estimate. ;) ) Pop it in the USB port, open the disk images, and everything else is done automatically. Do it at the end of each work day as I pack up, and it's quick and easy.
I also have a SanDisk 4GB that lives in our safety deposit box. I started mass-scanning our financial records and such, and it's *WONDERFUL*. That little stick holds *ten* full sized file storage boxes. Now 2-4 times a year, I just scan in the new stuff, sync it to the stick, and plop it back at the bank. Easy peasy. (Caveat: this was on clearout at Radio Shack ($30), probably because it was one of those &*(%@$ U3 Windows-only idiotic things. Borrowed a ThinkPad here at work for a few minutes and ran the uninstaller to wipe the firmware back to something sane.)
At some point I'm sure I'll upgrade the one in my pocket to 8GB, but I still have plenty of room at this point. :)
As for speeds, they seem to be more or less equivalent... as in, pretty slow. But, it's been a while since I mucked around with floppies, and I'm sure they're better than those were. ;) If I'm doing the daily-update on the work backup, it only takes a couple of minutes (Lotus Notes databases are monolithic and huge, otherwise it'd take a few seconds), but the first 2GB run took about 20-25 minutes.
Whatever you do, do NOT get a Corsair flash drive! At least not one of the rubber ones. They are extremely weak. The drive itself isn't bad, but the casing is poorly designed, with no reinforcement for the USB connector. The connector is held in place with just four weak little solder joints, so basically what you have is a circuit board soldered to a USB connector with a strictly ornamental rubber thing wrapped around it. It's designed to look "tough" but it's the least durable flash drive on the planet.
Now I have an Imation 2 GB one. It's red and plain. I like it. I would have done more research and gotten the *BEST ONE* but I needed it in a hurry and had to get one from Target, and that's what they had.
beardedmacuser
2008-05-08, 13:30
I've been using a Crucial USB flash drive for the last four years or so now. No problems. I use TrueCrypt (http://www.truecrypt.org/) to encrypt everything on it. As of version 5, there is now a Mac version of TrueCrypt available! Useful, I guess, if you're after cross-platform encryption compatibility.
Speaking of Target, they have Sony Micro Vaults (with retractable connectors) on an end cap in their electronics section for $10, which is kinda weird, because in their main USB drive section, they're selling the exact same drives for $30. But I inquired, and $10 was the real price. I'm thinking about picking one up today. I'm pretty sure it was a 2GB, but don't quote me on that.
I realize that's too small (and, erm, not on the right continent) for Dorian Gray, but for anyone else looking for a cheap (but not cheap-looking) flash drive, it might be worth a check.
rampancy
2008-05-08, 13:44
Whatever you do, do NOT get a Corsair flash drive! At least not one of the rubber ones. They are extremely weak. The drive itself isn't bad, but the casing is poorly designed, with no reinforcement for the USB connector. The connector is held in place with just four weak little solder joints, so basically what you have is a circuit board soldered to a USB connector with a strictly ornamental rubber thing wrapped around it. It's designed to look "tough" but it's the least durable flash drive on the planet.
You're talking about the Flash Voyager, right? I have a 1 GB and a 2 GB Flash Voyager, and I've had nothing but good experiences with them. They're extremely rugged in my experience, having survived being dropped, thrown, soaked, and being accidentally put in the washing machine + dryer at least once (oops). I've heard issues with the weak solder joints of the Flash Voyager but from what I understand Corsair's fixed those issues since then. From what I've seen they'll take an RMA on Flash Voyagers with broken USB connectors. (I guess they should, since they brag about their supposed 10 year warranty.) I've also found the support on their forums good too.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them myself (no, I don't work for them! :)) - my only qualm with them is that the cap is easy to lose, as the rubber can get a little loose after several months of continued wear. However, if you write Corsair they'll send you a new one for free.
We have a bunch of the Sandisk Cruzer Titaniums (http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Catalog(1167)-SanDisk_Cruzer_Titanium_USB_Flash_Drive.aspx) in our office. The retractable USB port is a nice touch - no cap to lose, yet stays out of the way. They have a good solid feel, and are weighter than the standard plastic units.
One of our people lost his last year. He found it this year. It survived about 6-9 months living outdoors, much of that under about 3 feet of snow, and still works and looks like a champ.
Here's what I found.
Old design:
http://i26.tinypic.com/2nkur6f.jpg
New design:
http://www.everythingusb.com/images/list/corsairvoyagergtpcb.jpg
The new one no longer has the gap between the PCB and the connector, so it should be a lot more durable. Still, the case is not rigid and is not designed to hold the connector in place firmly the way other flash drives do.
Windswept
2008-05-08, 17:38
A Costco link with their full range of flash drives.
http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?cat=21389&eCat=BC|84|1333|21389&whse=BC&topnav=&hierPath=84*1333*21389*&lang=en-US
Though, frankly, I've bought two flash drives from the locked rack at Walgreen's, simply because of the convenience.
http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=301611&navAction=jump&navCount=10&skuid=sku3397013&id=prod3398173
I also have a SanDisk 4GB that lives in our safety deposit box. I started mass-scanning our financial records and such, and it's *WONDERFUL*. That little stick holds *ten* full sized file storage boxes.
Do you still have the ten full storage boxes... as back-up for the flash drive, or did you get rid of all that paper? :)
I've been using a Crucial USB flash drive for the last four years or so now. No problems. I use TrueCrypt (http://www.truecrypt.org/) to encrypt everything on it. As of version 5, there is now a Mac version of TrueCrypt available! Useful, I guess, if you're after cross-platform encryption compatibility.
Hey, I loved this comment in the list of features:
Provides two levels of plausible deniability, in case an adversary forces you to reveal the password:
:D Wow, I can't help picturing the person at gunpoint, bravely trying to keep their company's files safe. ;)
We have a bunch of the Sandisk Cruzer Titaniums (http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Catalog(1167)-SanDisk_Cruzer_Titanium_USB_Flash_Drive.aspx) in our office. The retractable USB port is a nice touch - no cap to lose, yet stays out of the way. They have a good solid feel, and are weighter than the standard plastic units.
I do like having the flash drive fully enclosed during transport though. I don't like the thought of dirt or lint getting into it.
One of our people lost his last year. He found it this year. It survived about 6-9 months living outdoors, much of that under about 3 feet of snow, and still works and looks like a champ.
:lol: haha, what a great story. :) Mine fell out of my purse onto the floor of the car, and I couldn't find it for a while. Since it was black, it was harder to find than if it had been a more easily noticeable color. The one I'm using now is blue.
Last week, I bought a cool little flash drive holder from the check-out counter at Staples. It's like a little scabbard or sleeve, made of a sort of netting material, to fit one (or maybe two) flash drives. The holder has a clip on it, to attach anywhere quite securely. I haven't started using it yet though.
rampancy
2008-05-08, 17:43
We have a bunch of the Sandisk Cruzer Titaniums (http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Catalog(1167)-SanDisk_Cruzer_Titanium_USB_Flash_Drive.aspx) in our office. The retractable USB port is a nice touch - no cap to lose, yet stays out of the way. They have a good solid feel, and are weighter than the standard plastic units.
It's an awesome flash drive, but - bah, I looked up the specs and it has that stupidly useless U3 crap on it. Is there a non-U3 version of it?
jondaapplegeek
2008-05-08, 18:37
I think these (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-1GB-Micro-Vault-Tiny/dp/B000F9Q3KC) are awesome! Fit in your wallet very nicely. Thinking of getting one myself, actually.
edit: infact, i've just baught one! the the 4gb one (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-4GB-Micro-Vault-Tiny/dp/B000JKWXYW/ref=pd_sbs_ce_img_3) as I'm greedy!
It's an awesome flash drive, but - bah, I looked up the specs and it has that stupidly useless U3 crap on it. Is there a non-U3 version of it?
Nope. That's what I bought for $30 at RS - wouldn't have bothered, but for the price.
RowdyScot
2008-05-08, 18:57
It's an awesome flash drive, but - bah, I looked up the specs and it has that stupidly useless U3 crap on it. Is there a non-U3 version of it?
You could repartition the drive to get rid of it.
I think these (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-1GB-Micro-Vault-Tiny/dp/B000F9Q3KC) are awesome! Fit in your wallet very nicely. Thinking of getting one myself, actually.
edit: infact, i've just baught one! the the 4gb one (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-4GB-Micro-Vault-Tiny/dp/B000JKWXYW/ref=pd_sbs_ce_img_3) as I'm greedy!
I hope you don't have a MacBook. One of the people on Amazon said that it won't work in a MacBook's USB ports.
I'd personally stay away from drives with the weird plastic USB connectors that just use the exposed contacts. They don't seem to work as reliably (that is, there are plenty of USB ports out there that simply won't recognize them). Stick with the metal kind.
Plus, most of the reviewers say that those drives are unbearably slow.
I dunno... good luck to you, I hope you can use the drive.
rampancy
2008-05-08, 19:26
I hope you don't have a MacBook. One of the people on Amazon said that it won't work in a MacBook's USB ports.
I'd personally stay away from drives with the weird plastic USB connectors that just use the exposed contacts. They don't seem to work as reliably (that is, there are plenty of USB ports out there that simply won't recognize them). Stick with the metal kind.
Plus, most of the reviewers say that those drives are unbearably slow.
I dunno... good luck to you, I hope you can use the drive.
Yeah, OCZ has a line of drives with a similar form factor (http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/flash_drives/ocz_roadster_usb_2_0_flash_drive), and the Ultra SpaceStation's mini USB drives are like those too; with the contacts exposed like that I'm sure you'll run into problems down the road with the contacts getting worn or damaged, even if you keep them out of your pocket.
colivigan
2008-05-08, 20:16
Wow, this thread inspired me. I've been carrying around a 64 MB flash drive for years now.
I just ordered the Kingston DT100/8GB Data Traveler (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TXEE14) from Amazon. It's got the retractable connector.
Damn, these things are cheap now. Free shipping, too. :)
It's an awesome flash drive, but - bah, I looked up the specs and it has that stupidly useless U3 crap on it. Is there a non-U3 version of it?
You can't buy one without it, but it's fairly easy to uninstall. They come with a built in utility for uninstalling that frankly never worked for me on any of the ones I tried it on. But you can download a utility from the U3 company that does a good job.
I immediately uninstalled it on all of our units: U3 sucks!
Unfortunately, that uninstaller is... *ta-da!* Windows only.
So, if you don't have Windows, not only is the U3 useless you can't get rid of it. Nice, eh? I wrote them a pleasant, congratulatory, and supportive note about it. Really.
atomicbartbeans
2008-05-08, 23:03
I remove the casing from all my flash drives for that cool circuit-boardy look... just spray it with a clear coat of fixative to keep it from shorting on anything. I'll throw up a couple pictures when I get out of bed in the morning.
And yeah, fuck U3. :grumble: When I got my latest drives on black friday, I had to drive to my friend's house just to use the removal tool on a PC.
RowdyScot
2008-05-09, 00:40
I got rid of it in Disk Utility. Just erase the "disc" with U3 on it (don't eject it) and repartition the entire drive. Worked for me.
Dorian Gray
2008-05-09, 05:08
Thanks for the huge response, everyone.
I went searching for speed tests and found this (http://www.corecomputers.com.au/USBReviewDiagrams.htm). The important bits are the charts of read speed (http://www.corecomputers.com.au/ebay/general/HDTune.gif) and write speed (http://www.corecomputers.com.au/ebay/general/ISOTest.gif). Their write speed test with many small files is useless because they actually used large files (JPEGs). Strange presentation too (transfer rate on one chart, elapsed time on the other).
But one thing's clear: the Sony Micro Vault Tiny is very slow, barely beating my shuffle for write speed. At that speed, it would take 20 minutes to fill the drive. You'd be quicker burning a disc!
Luca, I had been considering the Corsair Flash Voyager. I don't fully understand what you're saying about it. Are you sure it isn't deliberately flexible to reduce the G-forces on the PCB in the event of a fall?
I'm sure. The old design on the Flash Voyager was crap, plain and simple. With a gap between the PCB and the USB connector, and no sturdy outside casing to hold it in place, you were forced to just hope that the four weak solder joints wouldn't flex (and eventually snap off).
The new design, as you can see from the above images, is meant to prevent the USB connector from moving up and down relative to the PCB. That's a good thing. I still don't trust the drives, though. If something were to fall on it while it's plugged into a computer, it would probably break right off (the old version at least).
rampancy
2008-05-09, 11:15
I'm sure. The old design on the Flash Voyager was crap, plain and simple. With a gap between the PCB and the USB connector, and no sturdy outside casing to hold it in place, you were forced to just hope that the four weak solder joints wouldn't flex (and eventually snap off).
The new design, as you can see from the above images, is meant to prevent the USB connector from moving up and down relative to the PCB. That's a good thing. I still don't trust the drives, though. If something were to fall on it while it's plugged into a computer, it would probably break right off (the old version at least).
Well, to be fair, if something fell on any flash drive while it were plugged into the computer, it would likely cause significant damage to it or to the computer, regardless of the make. I admit you have a point with the rubber getting loose around the USB connector, but from my experience the PCB and the connector are fairly solidly held within the casing; there's not a lot of room in the case in which the PCB could move around. Admittedly, I only recently bought my Flash Voyagers, so these were likely significant problems with earlier units. I keep the ones I have in my pocket, where they get jostled, squished, etc. around a lot, and I've still not experienced any problems with loose connections.
Come to think of it, there is one other problem with the design of the FV; because of its bulging rubber-plastic casing, it often blocks other USB ports or, is tightly wedged in to the USB port at an awkward angle if there are other devices plugged into adjacent ports. That's why I generally carry along a small USB extension cable with me along with my other laptop accessories.
I got rid of it in Disk Utility. Just erase the "disc" with U3 on it (don't eject it) and repartition the entire drive. Worked for me.
From what I've seen from other people with U3 drives, you can "erase" the volume in Disk Utility, but when you plug it in it comes right back. The only permanent way you can get rid of it is through the Windows-only installer.
From what I've seen from other people with U3 drives, you can "erase" the volume in Disk Utility, but when you plug it in it comes right back. The only permanent way you can get rid of it is through the Windows-only installer.
Indeed. It's not a regular partitioning, it is controlled in firmware. The 'uninstaller' re-flashes the firmware to remove the U3 crap permanently.
RowdyScot
2008-05-09, 14:03
Okay. You need to get rid of the launchu3.exe file, which is locked. I believe you can get rid of that by unlocking it with a Get Info, deleting it, and then repartitioning. It's been nearly a year since I had to do it, but I'm pretty sure that was it.
:err: How is unlocking and deleting a *exe* file going to do anything on a Mac? I mean, I can see how it might be a fix on Windows, but... did you actually get any space back with that? I'm not quite seeing how altering a file on a drive partition is going to change how the device disallows partitioning in the first place. The firmware presents it to the host computer as two distinct devices, not one. Which means Disk Utility can't do anything more than look at the two apparently different pieces of hardware, and shrug its shoulders.
To merge the two 'devices' into one, and make it one partition, requires flashing the firmware to make it *not* try and fool the computer.
Not saying you're falsifying anything, just saying that that doesn't match my experience or research at all. I mean, it's possible they changed the system as to not totally piss off everyone not on Windows, but...
Windswept
2008-05-09, 15:54
Unfortunately, that uninstaller is... *ta-da!* Windows only.
So, if you don't have Windows, not only is the U3 useless you can't get rid of it. Nice, eh? I wrote them a pleasant, congratulatory, and supportive note about it. Really.
Aw, c'mon and tell us what you said to them.
Puleeeeeeze... oh, pretty please?
This is one of those things that I'd really like to know. :) :p ;)
It was my usual cheerful, suave gentle persuasion.
I think I had only a couple rounds of "MORON GOATFUCKERS!" in there, for instance.
RowdyScot
2008-05-09, 21:45
:err: How is unlocking and deleting a *exe* file going to do anything on a Mac? I mean, I can see how it might be a fix on Windows, but... did you actually get any space back with that? I'm not quite seeing how altering a file on a drive partition is going to change how the device disallows partitioning in the first place. The firmware presents it to the host computer as two distinct devices, not one. Which means Disk Utility can't do anything more than look at the two apparently different pieces of hardware, and shrug its shoulders.
To merge the two 'devices' into one, and make it one partition, requires flashing the firmware to make it *not* try and fool the computer.
Not saying you're falsifying anything, just saying that that doesn't match my experience or research at all. I mean, it's possible they changed the system as to not totally piss off everyone not on Windows, but...
Like I say, it's been nearly a year. I'm almost positive it required unlocking something before I could erase it. It might have even been changing permissions on it first, but I'm pretty damn sure I didn't use Windows. I didn't have a PC or a Boot Camp partition when I bought the thing, and I know I didn't take it anywhere to remove it.
jondaapplegeek
2008-05-12, 16:02
I think these (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-1GB-Micro-Vault-Tiny/dp/B000F9Q3KC) are awesome! Fit in your wallet very nicely. Thinking of getting one myself, actually.
edit: infact, i've just baught one! the the 4gb one (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-4GB-Micro-Vault-Tiny/dp/B000JKWXYW/ref=pd_sbs_ce_img_3) as I'm greedy!
I hope you don't have a MacBook. One of the people on Amazon said that it won't work in a MacBook's USB ports.
It arrived today, and works great in my PowerBook, my girlfriends MacBook and the Windows machines at college - very happy!
Ah, that's good to hear. When my Flash Voyager's USB connector broke off, I was in China. There was no practical way to get it replaced under warranty, so I bought a flash drive at a Chinese department store. It had the weird plastic USB connector and it didn't work in the front USB ports of my work computer. Luckily it did work in the back USB ports, but it was a pain to have to do that. It also had trouble being recognized in my PowerBook. I often had to jiggle it around for it to be seen.
HP has some pretty nifty flash drives. Transcend is also a good brand. They've got extra caps since most people (like me) misplace them all the time.
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