Maybe you can take it with you
Written: Jan 20 '03 (Updated Jan 20 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Portable, durable, convenient
Cons: A little expensive
The Bottom Line: If you have the need to take data too and from work, buy one of these and stop emailing files to yourself.
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| stevelarrison's Full Review: Cyclone Flash Key (128 MB) (4003) |
Portable storage has long been a problem for some people. Because of the nature of the work I do, having the ability to transfer files too and from work is a necessity.
In the early 90's, I remember thinking how convenient 3 1/2" floppy drives were because they allowed me to transport 1.44MB of data in a device that would fit in my shirt pocket (unlike 5 1/4" floppies). But of course, 1.44MB isn't hard to fill up.
When LS-120 drives came out, I loved the convenience of being able to fit 120MB of data on a floppy that was the same size as the 1.44MB drives. Of course, the proprietary nature of the format required me to get LS-120 drives for my work machine and my home machine, and limited me to convenient data transfer on only the machines I used most.
I have used just about every type of high-density portable data storage imaginable.
So far, without a doubt, the portable "Flash Key" devices are the most convenient.
Tell me more about the CD Cyclone
At just over 3" long, you can either attach it to your keychain, or you can just store it loose in your pocket. These devices are durable enough that you won't hurt them in day to day activities.
Being based on USB technology, most modern PCs are compatible with the Flash Keys. Though I haven't attempted to use mine in Linux yet, use in a Windows environment is simple. Plug-n-Play recognizes the device when you plug it into a USB port, and it will appear as a drive in Windows Explorer. You simply drag and drop files to and from it just as if it were a hard drive. Performance is slower than most modern hard drives, but it is a little faster than an Iomega zip drive.
Personally, I use it to transfer programs. (Essentially ASCII text files, or, depending on the development environment, binaries that are understandable by an Integrated Development Environment like Oracle Forms or Microsoft Visual Basic. However, they are suitable for other uses. Most modern motherboards are capable of booting from a USB device. PC Technicians can take boot-disks for multiple different versions of Windows with them. Also, because it appears as just another hard drive to Windows, there is no reason you couldn't use them to transport MP3s too and from work.
Though I haven't tried it personally, the vendor site mentions they are compatible with Macs. I have used multiple versions of Windows without problems. I have yet to try one in a Linux environment.
Available sizes range from 16MB to 512MB. Though they were more expensive when I bought mine, current prices range from $25.41 for a 16MB drive to 346.99 for a 512MB drive. The 128MB drive I purchased can be found online for 78.48 at www.buy.com .
Aside from portability and speed, there is one more reason why I choose that CD Cyclone version of the Flash Key. Other vendors that I have seen use a cheap, plastic cap to cover the USB interface. I have yet to see one with a tethered cap, and they seem like they would be easy to lose. While the CD Cyclone cap isn't tethered either, the size makes it a little easier to find if you set it down on someones desk at work.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
stevelarrison
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Member: Steve Larrison
Location: Scottsdale, Az. USA
Reviews written: 171
Trusted by: 198 members
About Me:
Beer, the answer to, and the cause of all life's problems.
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