Sandisk REALLY Missed the Mark on this One..!
Written: Nov 21 '07 (Updated Aug 03 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very small and light. Roomy. Retractable USB plug.
Cons: Heat, Readyboost, and Incompatibility issues. Doesn't feel durable.
The Bottom Line: Only recommended for storage and U3--Readyboost settings incontrovertibly altered the file system, forcing a format, loss of U3 programs.
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| kengland4's Full Review: 2GB Sandisk-Micro Cruzer USB 2.0 Retractable Pendr... |
---------------------------------Background-------------------------------------
I was a fairly early adopter of USB flash drives, and have a 512Mb PNY Attache that has never failed me, as well as a 1 Gb Ativa U3 drive, in which the U3 system never fails to load. The same cannot be said for this Sandisk...
---------------------------------Let's Take a Look at the Actual Unit--------------------
It is a poor design, consisting of a rickety black, very small unit, with a retractable USB plug. When plugged into a computer, the drive distractingly flashes "orangish" while being accessed, drawing the attention of small children and, possibly, pets. The U3 system then loads, and the menu system pops into the desktop tray on the bottom-right side of the screen. Small is usually good, but this is so small (and light) that you may lose it (the black color doesn't help, either). It's Mac and PC-compatible. Mine didn't come with a lanyard.
----------------------------------So What Does it Do?----------------------------
Being a flash drive, it is a portable hard drive, with a 2Gb capacity. You can carry any files with you, between home, work, and play. On car stereos with a USB port, you can play MP3, WMA, and any other supported music files; display devices, such as TV's and car-DVD players, may be able to display video content on it. Personally, I carry some picture files, some essential utilities to fix computer issues (like a free antivirus program), various text files, such as lesson plans for my teaching job, as a backup in case e-mail (or my notebook hard drive) fails (and I've had an issue where both, my laptop wouldn't boot, and I couldn't access my work e-mail--I just loaded my presentation onto my work desktop, and played it through the projector from there). And then, there's the whole "U3" bag o' worms...
U3 is a proprietary system that allows you to load and use U3-only applications on any Windows 2000 (SP4)-Vista system (with the proper USB drivers), as well as, potentially, synchronize your e-mail, web browser "favorites," personal documents, as well as, with the right (additional expense) software, surf the web anonymously, from any compatible computer; the U3 system does not work with Windows 98. It has been very useful for me, when using (free) antivirus and antispyware programs, when working on clients' computers, although this drive only comes with an antivirus program that scans the USB drive, and not the host computer. The Foxit Adobe Acrobat reader program has been invaluable when, in a fix, I needed to view an Acrobat file on a computer without a reader (sometimes you can only locate a reader that is quite large, and a lengthy, or impossible, download)--this is a free download for any computer, incidentally, here--http://www.foxitsoftware.com/downloads/ ).
Finally, this is a "Readyboost" device, which can be used to increase performance on Windows Vista computers. You plug it in, right-click on "device--> properties--->Readyboost," and select the percentage of storage you'd like to devote for this purpose. The remainder is available for use as a regular flash drive. However, this reserved portion isn't usable on any other computers unless this setting is changed , Mac or PC. It's recommended to set it to twice the actual (RAM) memory, so if you have 1 Gb of RAM, you would ideally set this device to the maximum Readyboost usage. With 1 Gb of RAM, I've set it to 1 and 2-Gb settings, but I haven't really noticed any difference. There is a perception of speed increase, but I would not buy this just for that purpose. It works by "caching" small files in memory, taking some load off of the "real" memory. I have heard of some problems with this unit no longer being recognized, so I wouldn't advise leaving it plugged into your computer for long periods of time. I also observed that 2 of my units (I've exchanged it twice) got really hot. Better to save that money for some good memory, if you need a speed boost. Incidentally, my Vista Home Premium review can be found here --http://www.epinions.com/content_379836927620
--------------------------------------------------In Use---------------------------
This unit appears to have compatibility issues with my motherboard, an ECS KN-1 Lite (socket 939). Leaving it plugged in, there were several times when my computer wouldn't boot up until I removed this device. I would later observe that the Readyboost was at a setting that I didn't select, and that I could not use memory that I had set aside for storage. The only thing I could think of was to format the drive, which I did, losing all of my U3 programs (but leaving the system intact). That prompted me to return the item for the 2nd time. Speaking to the manager, she spoke of another customer who'd returned several of these, and she also suspected motherboard incompatibility issues (he is in the IT business, maintaining numerous computers). It seems to work fine with my other computer, which has a different motherboard, but that's not good enough for a device designed to work "on-the-go." Others have reported great experiences with the device "after they removed the pesky U3 system." Lastly, my system has been reluctant to "safely remove" this device, and it's constantly being accessed. So I'm forced to remove it during access, risking data loss.
----------------------------------------------------In Summary-------------------------
This is a great little device for storage, when you can find it on sale, and when it works with your target devices. The retractable plug gives it a slightly smaller form factor, and reduces the possibility of data loss due to shorting it out due to contact with electrically-conductive surfaces. The Readyboost sped up web browsing for me, but I really don't miss it when it's not there. You may experience incompatiblity, inconsistency, and heat issues, as I did.
For some interesting travel pics and related activities, check out my profile at http://www.epinions.com/user-kengland4
Here are some of my favorite reviews--
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Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
kengland4
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Member: Kevin England
Location: Signal Hill, CA USA
Reviews written: 99
Trusted by: 40 members
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