Features

• Plugs into a standard USB port and requires NO software
• Ideal for quickly transferring files from a laptop to a desktop or vice versa
• About 3 inches long and less than half the width of a business card
• Works with almost any OS: Windows XP, Me, 2000, 98, and MacOS 9

Reviews (1)

The age of "Star Trek" type storage is here
Specifications: Like most "USB ram drives" this device is the size of the average disposable lighter and about as heavy. The interface is USB version 1.1, which means that you can expect a transfer rate of about 1.5MB a second. The ram configuration is static, which means that you cannot upgrade the drive for greater memory capacity. The drive is plug n play for Windows ME, 2000 and XP only. Other operating systems will need a driver update.

Performance: Plugging this drive into the USB port of my computer, the drive was instantly recognized and installed. Within "MY COMPUTER" it was listed as a removable drive for ME, 2000 and XP. I have not tried any other OS.

There is no special formatting necessary to get the drive to work with Windows operating systems. These drives behave as any other hard drive. Files can be written and deleted with simple drag and drop actions. Copying enough files to fill the entire 256MB of this drive took about 5 minutes, as expected.

Quality and Fit: These drives are small enough to put into your pocket, and easy to misplace as well. All manufactures offer some way secure the device to a tether and wear around the neck or on a key chain. Unfortunately, the case these devices come in are often flimsy and will likely wear out and break eventually, exposing the ram and board inside to the elements. Additionally, The cap that protects the USB connector will likely be lost within a couple of weeks. Again, this exposes the device to the elements and limits the mobility characteristics.

This drive is small enough to fit into a USB interface without an additional cable extension, though one is provided. It is a tight fit when there is another USB device next to it though.

Other issues: Because not all computers have Windows ME and up installed on them, you will need to take the driver CD with you when you take your "ram drive" out to remote locations.

It is sometimes inconvienent to plug the ram drive into USB Ports on the back of a computer. A front USB port on a computer is a welcome site.

Because the drive uses the USB 1.1 interface, the read and write speed is limited. Other drives use the USB 2.0 standard and can read and write data much faster. Above 256 Megs this becomes relevant.

Other drives have the ability to change out multiple ram cards to make the USB drive truly flexible. Those drives tend to be twice the size however.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

-Does everything it should do, and fills an important void in computer storage
-Very Small and convenient for transport
-USB interface available on most all computers made within the last 5 years
-All recent computers use ME and above for a OS (USB Plug N Play)
-About a million read/write operations before the ram fails

Cons:

Features

• 256 MB of storage space
• Can hold any kind of data--MP3 files, pictures, video, etc.
• Data protection light that blinks until your data is safely stored
• Built-in hole where you can add an optional key ring
• PC and Macintosh compatible

Reviews (114)

Compact and fast
Beats the Sony Micro-Vault 256MB in terms of physical size and price. This unit does not ship with drivers but you can go to Lexar's web site to download Win98 drivers if needed. It is plug-n-play right out of the package with WinXP and Win2000-SP3 (I'm not sure about earlier service packs). Also works with Macs.

Transfer speed is about twice as fast as typical USB 2.0 flash card reader/writer. Takes about 30sec to write a 130MB file to the unit; read is much faster. There is a built-in LED to indicate read/write activity. It's ideal for transfering data between PCs and laptops without built-in floppy drives - definitely a better solution than using Zip-drives.

Unit is made in China, but that seems to be typical of most electronic devices nowadays. It would be ideal (more rugged) if the case has been made of aluminum instead of plastic. The pocket clip that's part of the cap can be easily snapped off - at the very least, this clip should've been made with metal.

A great timesaver in college
The Lexar JumpDrive 2.0 Pro is my first entry into this type storage device. As a College Instructor teaching Computer Applications courses, I am frequently transferring files between various Windows operating systems. With no writable CD drive, transferring files larger than 1.44 MB requires zipping or mailing ' and these are very limited options. For me, the JumpDrive solves many problems including backing up critical files quickly and transferring large files (photos, Access databases, PowerPoint presentations, etc.) between PC's.

The first time I plugged the JumpDrive into a USB port, the drive worked. On Win-98 PC's I did need to install the driver. A Sony Vaio laptop running 'XP' and a Sony PC running 'ME' both recognized the JumpDrive immediately. One caveat: Close the JumpDrive before unplugging. This is accomplished by clicking the icon located on the status bar.

All in all, the Lexar 2.0/Pro JumpDrive is a great investment, and I found no price better than that on Amazon.com.

This is a great value for the money!
This is a fantastic piece of technology and I really like it. I originally purchased the Lexar 128 Megabyte Jumpdrive, but used it so much I ended up buying this one and keeping the other as a spare at home.

If you think about it, there really are only 4 ways to exchange technology between computers (for the average person).

You could use a floppy drive -but they are not standard anymore on next generation computers, and they only hold 1 megabyte of infomation -hardly enough to handle more than a picture or two.

Or, you could use a Zip drive. But here's the problem. You now have 100, 250, and 750 megabyte drives, and though you can read any of the older zip disks with a newer drive, you CANNOT WRITE ON THEM (and the reading process is REALLY slow). I made this mistake, and I am stuck with a 750 Megabyte drive that no one else has, so I can't do much more than backup my own data.

Or, you can burn information to a CD-rom and move it that way. Yes, you can do this, IF you have a burner and a blank cd on the computer you need data from, but that very likely may not be an answer either for casual transfers.

Amd finally, what I had been using most of the time, email. You can realistically email up to 3-5 MB of pictures or files. Pretty easy to use, and everyone has it, but not a solution for photos or large files.

This is where the jumpdrive comes in -and I think it is the perfect replacement. It is the size of your little finger and (this version) holds 256 MB! Best of all, the price has come down to a point that it is a great value.

Here's how it works. You pull of the cap and plug the drive directly into your comuter's USB port. (You don't need any software or drivers to preload -you just plug it in to any computer.) When it is plugged in the computer automatically recognizes it as a new drive right on your desktop. I.e. Go to your "My Computer" section and it now shows up as "Lexar Media (H:)" You then treat it like you would any other drive -you can save files to it, or you can just drag and drop files to it.

Here's another cool thing about the Lexar version of this drive. There is a little green light on the memory stick that lights up and blinks when it is first plugging in, and also when it is loading data. This will prevent you from removing the stick before the data is loaded -which is usually something that happens very quick!

I am very happy with this portable drive. It is something that is effortless to use, and is small enough that it can basically hang on your keychain so you have it wherever you need it. (In fact, there is actually a hook on the top of the drive so you can clip or hook it to whatever you want.)

The only thing to keep in mind is that it is a little small, and can get misplaced easily. If you are not going to carry it with you (with your keys), I'd recommend putting it somewhere that you are not going to forget, or tying a bulky keychain to it so it can't get lost.

Editorial Review

With Linksys, there's no need to burn CDs or use slow floppy disks to move data. The Linksys Instant USB Disk makes portable data storage easy. When you need to transfer data, music, graphics, or multimedia files from one computer to another, the Instant USB Disk is the ideal mode, whether you're at home, in the office, or on the road.

This durable, shock-resistant, solid-state storage device is certified to retain data for at least 10 years. It complies with USB specification 1.1, which means you get full USB plug-and-play connectivity for hot-swappable, cable-free convenience. And it's bus-powered, so it doesn't require an external power supply. It even includes a pocket clip, and a key chain hole further simplifies transport.

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

The SanDisk Cruzer is the world's first portable, pocket-size storage device with upgradeable flash memory. Its compact size lets you slip it into a pocket or handbag whenever you need to move image, video, audio, or data files for personal use or for work. You can even use it as expansion memory for a digital media device like a camera or a portable music player.

The Cruzer comes with a removable, 256 MB Secure Digital memory card; most other USB drives come with embedded, nonremovable memory. This all-in-one unit plugs directly into the industry-standard USB port, and needs no additional components or driver. It gets its power directly from the USB port.

Features

• Self-powered, no installation software required
• 128 MB of storage space
• Enables you to password protect your data
• Can hold any kind of data--MP3 files, pictures, video, etc.
• PC and Macintosh compatible

Reviews (3)

Best and fastest of what I've seen so far! Good name brand!
This was my first mini drive. Since I have 2.0 USB ports and WinXP, I went shopping for a USB 2.0 drive. I bought and returned 2 Lexar Jumpdrive Pro 2.0 and a SanDisk Cruzer Mini.

Their performance was awful under WinXP Service Pack 1 (SP1). In all cases the Iomega performed my benchmark of receiving a 44MB directory in appx. 1 min. 30 secs, while the allegedly faster 2.0 models I tested required 3-5 mins.+. I am attributing this to a flaw in WinXP SP1 (and not my machine) since I repeated the benchmark on a Best Buy demo computer with the same level of WinXP and again the Mini Drive beat the Lexar hands down.

I then downloaded the Win98 driver from Iomega's site for my 5 year old Dell (installed very very cleanly) and this time the 2.0 device timings improved dramatically to about 1 min. 30 secs., but the Iomega also improved to 1 min. 10 secs.

Since I'm not yet sure what is causing the 2.0 drives to deteriorate under WinXP, I am sure that the Iomega USB 1.1 Mini Drive runs at very acceptable levels under WinXP with 2.0 ports and under Win98 with USB 1.1 ports.

In other words, in today's Windows software environment, the Iomega Mini Drive runs acceptably fast, is consistent across Windows platforms, and is just ... well, a safe purchase if you want this type of device.

Worthy of mention is that the physical construction of the Iomega was far and away the best. It's size is smaller than most others I've seen, and it is flat enough to fit in a USB port alongside a USB cable attached device, without encroaching.

The case has good ergonomics designed into it, besides being a very professional looking, handsome, gray (like today's computer chasses). The end cap is large, bears a shirt pocket clip, and fits securely. The non business end of the drive has an attachment with a keyring which, if nothing else, will make it more difficult to lose, and it also lends to its appearance.

Iomega is a good company with a useful web site and acceptable technical support. I can't come close to saying this about the pathetic SanDisk site and the slightly less anemic Lexar site. There are also some free downloads available for the device which I haven't explored yet, but do take a look and see if they interest you.

So ... if you want this type of device, value performance, stylish looks, quality construction, and good vendor support, all at a reasonable price, consider this one. Can't vouch for the 256MB model since I didn't try it, but I do wish I had the extra capacity. You can basically leave it installed all the time and have the convenience of fairly adequate removeable storage for backing up frequently changing data, in my case a web site I'm actively maintaining, my Eudora mailboxes, and Excel spreadsheets.

From sketchy information on the Internet, it appears that Iomega will be introducing 2.0 versions of this device. Several vendors like HP have been advertising them but are all out of stock. If I can iron out the nagging XP performance issue, I will be buying 2 of the 256KB 2.0 models. They will probably fly and I trust Iomega will ensure that happens.

Good luck with your purchasing decision. You will likely find that this device is a "keeper", as I have.

Great bargain!
My work teams travels a lot and frequently transfers large files, so I asked our IT department to get each of the members a USB drive. They selected Iomega. The drives have been a great success. They have all worked reliably, and endured a lot of jostling in briefcases. As the review above states, the cap is very sound and stays on well. I've been using mine for about six months now and it has not gotten loose. I highly recommend these drives.

One word of warning for travelers: I've gotten stopped going through airport security with this drive in my briefcase a few times, and the screeners frequently have no clue what this little device is. Fortunately, they've never tried to confiscate it.

very easy to use and relatively secure locking clasp
I have used this device repeatedly with my iBook Mac running OSX 10.2.4, a WindowsXP desktop and multiple Windows NT machines at work and at conferences. It is truly a delight to use and I have not had any problems whatsoever.

I must say that I did look at a few other flash drives and I thought this one had one of the better 'locking' mechanisms. The cover has not come off in my pocket inspite of some hard use (and constant opening and closing of the cap too!).