A Better Mouse – um… I Mean A Better Data Trap update!
Written: Apr 25 '04 (Updated Jul 17 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Size, Speed, Shape, VALUE!
Cons: Price, though reasonable. No key chain connector. Write Protect switch flimsy, can fail.
The Bottom Line: This model is an excellent choice for those willing to pay a little more for quality.
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| glake's Full Review: Imation 17052 128MB Flash Memory |
UPDATE: see below.
Not that trapping is exactly the right word, but when you trap something you catch it and keep it in a safe place and that's pretty close to what this and many similar devices do. They are called Flash Drives, Jump drives, Mobile disks or USB drives. I've even heard them called Thumb Drives. A good technical name for them might be Micro-Portable, Solid-State, USB-compatible Data Storage devices but that's a mouthful! My review of the Lexar 512 Secure Jump Drive describes some standard features common to most USB drives. I'll mention many of those features here as well but you may want to check out that review for a few more details. They vary somewhat in size and shape but all are roughly thumb sized. They plug into any open USB port on your PC and instantly become available as a new drive on which to copy and store files. Like most USB drives, the Imation is fully plug and play for Windows 2000, ME and XP plus Mac and Linux. Drivers are available for Windows 98. Naturally a front USB port makes this easier, but if your port isn’t conveniently placed, Imation includes a short USB extension that can be permanently attached to your USB port and the USB drive can just plug into the end of that.
Size and Shape:
One of my complaints with the Lexar 512 Secure and some other models is that, while small, they aren’t small enough or shaped correctly to fit into the recessed front USB ports on my Compaq EVO. They are often also too wide to use in side-by-side USB ports if one is already in use. Also my laptop has horizontal USB ports and a wide USB would actually keep the laptop from laying flat. None of these issues apply to the Imation. It is among the slimmest and overall smallest USB drives I’ve seen. It fits so well that I’m now using the USB extension that came with it to make my Lexar more useful! Now I believe there are no dumb questions, but in my job as a computer professional, people constantly say to me ‘can I ask you a dumb question?’ One question that often follows is this. “Is the 512MB USB drive bigger than the 128MB one? And the answer is NO, not physically. You pay more for the extra storage space but the unit is still the same small size.
When I started this section with the heading “size”, you might have thought I was going to discuss the amount of memory available. So I will. Like most storage devices, the amount of storage capacity you need varies with the user. My first USB was bought as a 512 because that would fit almost any single file I have on my hard drive. So far, I’ve never had reason to put 1/8th that much on it so I bought this one as a 128. On the other hand, you can’t add on memory so if you’re only going to buy 1, it’s probably better to estimate your needs high. Other brands offer as low as 32MB and as high as 1GB capacity but Imation seems to only be available in 128MB, 256MB and 512MB.
Speed:
Though none really take full advantage of USB speed, they are still very fast. Many don’t list transfer rates but those that do brag 5 or 6 MB per second. This unit lists 8MB/secons write time and 6MBB/sec read time, which makes it among the fastest as well as smallest available! I tested the speed by copying a 110,632KB file from my hard drive to the Imation and then copying it back too a different folder on my hard drive. The file copied to the USB drive in just 20 seconds! Copying back to the hard drive was even faster at 15 seconds. This is near the full capacity of this drive but just for reference, if it would hold an entire CD worth of data, it would copy it in about 2 minutes. The more common 6MB drives would take 2-½ minutes and ones that run only at USB1.1 standard could take as much as 18-20 minutes for a CD’s worth of data.
The Imation Swivel:
The feature that this company advertises as its big advantage is their swivel cap. I’m notorious for leaving caps behind so this sounded like a big plus to me, and it is. Though it’s not really a ‘cap’. Photos never show this thing from the side but if you were to look at it on one edge you’d see that the ‘cap’ is really a U shaped cover which will protect the USB connector from getting loose dirt in it or maybe getting bent up, but I once dropped a USB drive in a dirt field and found it an hour later. If the drive falls in dirt, sand, or (heaven forbid) coffee, those contaminates would easily get into the drive connector. No brand I’ve seem claims their cap to make the unit water proof, but most caps seem tight enough that a quick dunk could be survivable. I’ve since seen that Lexar is making a new model with a rubber cap that stretches over the whole unit so maybe that’ll be my next review.
Other Features:
All USB drives get their power form the USB port so no power plug or batteries are needed. Imation, like most, claims it will hold the data for 10 years! The standard LED to tell you data is moving in or out is located on the side of the Imation USB drive which makes it a little harder to see than most models but I find my computer usually is telling me if a file is copying anyway so the light isn’t important to me.
The Imation unit also has a small ‘write protect’ switch on the side opposite the LED that prevents accidental erasing or overwriting data. This isn’t that important to me either, but if you like this feature you should know that not all USB drives have it.
UPDATE:After having several of these drives for sometime, I'm now looking at other models. I may post other reviews later but let me just say that this particular model has an issue I wasn't aware of originally. The write protect switch is quite flimsy. While I never actually use it, it does get pushed accidentally sometimes while inserting the drive in the PC. That's inconvenient if it's a rear port! But the real problem is, they break, I now have 2 that are unusuable, one broke in the write protect position and i can no longer add anything to it, the other must have shorted something because the PC will no longer recognize it at all. So if you need write protection, look for a sturdier model, but if not, look for something that doesn't have this vulnerability or be extra careful when handling this model.
Another ‘feature’ that is often overlooked is how you’re going to keep from loosing this valuable, but tiny, tool. I almost lost one in a field because I had it loose in my pants pocket. Apparently it fell out when I pulled out my car keys. This is probably the most variable feature between brands. I’ve seen pocket clips on USB drives, and on their caps. Some have small key rings attached. Many just have a hole somewhere for you to attach a key ring. The Imation has a tiny hole at the back end. I doubt if I could find a ring small enough for it but it’s made for the included lanyard. The lanyard threads securely through the hole and is about a foot and a half long. It easily can be worn around you neck. I sometimes loop it around my belt and then put the drive in my pocket. But even loose in a pocket or purse the long lanyard should keep it from falling out without being noticed. There is also a quick disconnect clip about 4 inches from the drive end so you can remove the drive to use it without having to take the lanyard off of you neck. I personally might prefer a pocket clip on a real key ring connector but the lanyard is certainly adequate.
Security:
Lexar, Sony, Kingston and Iomega all have models that advertise some sort of password protection. The Imation does not say anywhere on the package that it has this feature and there is no disk or other included program file to facilitate it. However, the Imation web site has a file management program you can download for free. This program works just like the secure features advertised on other brands. It might even work on other brands though I haven’t tried that. You can partition some portion (you decide how much) of the USB drive to be protected. You can only access this portion of the drive by running the software and putting in your password. The software must be installed on every PC on which you want to access the protected files. One idea is copy the 1.2MB file onto the unsecured partition of the USB drive so you have it with you to install on other PC’s as needed. There are two minor drawbacks to every one of these ‘secure’ programs I’ve seen. One is that you can’t access both the secure and un-secure partitions at the same time. And two is that changing the size of the secure partition erases everything on the USB drive.
Price:
Updated 7/07: It's hard to find a 128MB flash drive anymore. Some 512MB units can be had for as low as $10 with $15 being an average rate for a 'decent' one. The 512MB verion of this is currently $14 where I shop so you could do better but it's not bad. This brand continues to be faster than the lower priced ones so the extra speed is worth something. Plus you get the swivel cap, and USB extension that don’t come with many other brands. Considering the overall package, I feel this drive gives you good value for your money.
Trivia:
Epinions member NC10 pointed out to me that the Storix brand of Flash drive looks identical and would appear to be made by the same manufacturer. I investigated and can’t find the Storix in any other size other than 64MB while the Imation starts at 128MB. Further searches lead me to believe that a Korean company called Hana Micron makes both. The model number stamped on the 128MB Imation is HMDS128, which I think, stands for Hana Micron Data (or Digital) Storage 128MB. Their site calls the unit the Hana Mobile Disk or the Axis (the word Axis is also on the Storix model) and they list sizes from 16MB to 1GB. They also have a plea for worldwide distribution partners, which I think they’ve found in Imation.
Bottom Line:
Providing computer and technology equipment to coworkers is part of my job and I’ll be encouraging them to use USB drives instead of burning CD’s or carrying floppies, or worst of all, taking home a laptop. If they have their own home PC, which most do, these relatively new devices make transporting files back and forth quite easy. This model is no longer my first choice due to the write-protect switch problems I'vew had but a higher capacity one would still be a reasonable purchase. This model is especially good for people who want to store Power Point presentations or large spreadsheets for meetings. In those cases the extra speed will be invaluable.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
glake
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Member: George
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Reviews written: 128
Trusted by: 123 members
About Me:
I like ALL kinds of movies and books but prefer to review the odd ones.
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