Love my JumpDrive, but there are Design Flaws that Lexar should Improve.
Written: May 07 '03 (Updated May 07 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Small Size, Easy to Use
Cons: Easily Broken, Parts easily Lost
The Bottom Line: Recommended, as long as you are aware of the design problems outlined in my review. I would not buy a larger storage (higher priced) model until the design is improved.
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| dyker's Full Review: Lexar Media PD064-231 JumpDrive 64MB portable USB ... |
I love my new Lexar 64MB jump drive. It is a no brainer on Windows XP. No drivers are necessary. You just plug it in and it works. Now that I have it I wouldn't go back to a floppy for data transfers unless absolutely necessary. I love having a drive with me at all times. I can throw on some family pictures and share them at a friend's house very quickly. And if my friend takes pictures on his digital camera I can yank them from his computer in a snap.
I keep it on my key-chain, and it is smaller than the key to my Honda Accord.
Let me tell you my three complaints that caused me to only give 3 stars:
1. The part that connects to the key-chain is very thin plastic and I've read other reviews on Amazon that warn it is easy to crack. I can clearly understand this now that I own it. The key-chain opening is small and made of very thin plastic. I suggest Lexar reinforce the spot where the unit attaches to the key-chain with metal, and also rubberize that opening and make the key-chain opening larger. This would make it similar in feel and strength to my Honda or Chrysler keys already on my key-chain.
2. I think larger models are USB-2 but I believe this is USB-1. Just be aware of that. Still pretty fast for data transfer but I don't think this is USB-2.
3. The cover for the USB connection doesn't "click" onto the unit. It slides on. The plastic cover slides over the metal USB connector similar to how a pen cover slides over a pen. But on most of my pens, the cover is pretty tight because the cover "clicks". On this unit, it is far to easy to slide off. It has slid off while in my pocket already. I see this as another design flaw that can be improved upon by Lexar or a competitor. The metal USB connector has two holes on either side of it. The cover could have easily been engineered to slightly "click" into these metal openings, giving the cover a solid feel, and insuring that the cover will stay on and not get lost in the laundry.
Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy this cheaper version again. But on the more expensive models (like the 256 or 1 GB version) I'd want my design concerns addressed before I risked breaking something that expensive due to the cheap plastic connector to my keychain. If a Lexar or a competitor comes out with with a unit like this that addressed my above concerns I'd buy that one in a heartbeat and give it 5 stars. I don't want to throw out 5 stars just because the unit stores data and is small. A "key chain" drive must also live in my pockets for more than a few weeks before it breaks or parts are lost from it.
So I do recommend this as long as you are aware of the potential pitfalls above.
If you buy this unit (or one of the larger units), be sure to attach a small metal ring to it, and THEN attach that metal ring to your key-chain. I guarantee this will extend the life of the key-chain connection. Normally, on a key-chain apparatus (like your car opener/unlocker) you'd have another small round metal ring for your key-chain to connect to. I attached one to my JumpDrive. This allows the unit freedom to "twist" a little bit when in your pocket without excessive force on the plastic. Without this, I'm certain it would have broken by now like it did for those Amazon reviewers.
I recommend this unit, but when you get it make sure to attach a small metal ring before putting on your key-chain to give it some flexibility in your pocket, or it will break. And keep close tabs on that connector cover.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dyker
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
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