need a reliable, fast, 2gb+ USB stick

[Joe 90]

Hi,

Just wanted people's recommendations on a new USB stick. Currently using a DataWrite 8gb stick which i picked up for a steal @ £35 - but its never been the same since i put it through the washing machine after forgetting it was in my jeans :embarassed:

it now keeps 'forgetting' its got stuff on it after i plug it in and try to access a folder so think its time for a replacement.

want something thats fast (cose i run portable apps) and fairly high storage - any ideas :)

[Feek]

Yes.

Fastest currently available..

2Gb - http://www.expansys.com/p.aspx?i=119936

4Gb - http://www.expansys.com/p.aspx?i=122896

I've got the 2Gb one being used as a readyboost cache on Vista, but only because the 4Gb wasn't available at the time *ponders*

[Joe 90]

cheers Feek :) looks like a rather nice stick.

can't find it on Kelkoo though :( might just go for that 4gb if i can't find anything else after lunch

[LeperousDust]

How much faster than "normal" is that? It says on the description:
Write Speed max up to 18MB/sec.
Read Speed around 30MB/ sec
My cheapie Kingston seems fast i suppose but i wouldn't mind it being a little more reactive when i'm filling it up to dump large files soewhere else...

[Joe 90]

How much faster than "normal" is that?


4. How fast is USB 2.0?
USB 2.0 has a raw data rate at 480Mbps, and it is rated 40 times faster than its predecessor interface, USB 1.1, which tops at 12Mbps. Originally, USB 2.0 was intended to go only as fast as 240Mbps, but in October 1999, USB 2.0 Promoter Group pumped up the speed to 480Mbps.

As far as we know, effective rate reaches at 40MBps or 320Mbps for bulk transfer on a USB 2.0 hard drive with no one else is sharing the bus. Flash Drives seem to be catching up too with the some hitting 30MB/s milestone. For all we know, USB interface could become become the bottleneck for flash drives as early as 2008.

:) taken from - http://www.everythingusb.com/usb2/faq.htm

[Joe 90]

anybody know how good these are - www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=553817

:)

[Jasper]

I was about to recommend the Corsair Voyager - used to have one, but it mysteriously disappeared - incredibly fast read/write

[Joe 90]

well i ended up ordering the 4gb Voyager through Ebuyer last night in the hope it'd arrive today - I used google checkout for the second time and a couple of clicks later realised it'd just been ordered using the default details i used last time - those being my mum's card and my home address so now i have to wait till i go home at the weekend to pick it up, and then pay my mum what i owe her!

I fully support making things easier on the web, but that was just too easy! it was like 16:40 and a lack of concentration due to the thought of home time cocked everything up! :(

[Feek]

It concerns me that a site remembers your card details, I'd not be chuffed with that.

[Mark]

It's becoming more and more common. What really concerns me though is sites remembering CV2 details. In the UK, that's highly dodgy. Google checkout, being US, doesn't use them and quite possibly doesn't offer the same level of cardholder protection afforded by the Consumer Credit Act. If I'm going to be buying stuff in the UK, I want to use a UK payment service to pay for it.

[Joe 90]

aye I don't remember it saying it was gonna store the data :s

and cheers Mark - hadn't realised that re:CCA

i'll have to go make sure its forgotten everything...

[Robert]

Is it worth using the readyboost feature?

[Feek]

Depends how much physical RAM you've got. If you have 1Gb then it's definately worth it, if you have 2Gb then it will only occasionally be used and if you have 4Gb then nope.

[LeperousDust]

I've played around with it on my laptop when it's docked its only got 1gb and tbh when i'm using it docked with readyboost and without on battery i seriously can't see the difference... Definately not enough to even be worth plugging it in and out everytime anyway, i'd rather use it to store data :)

[MarcLister]

I have a Sandisk 2Gb USB disk. Very nice and small.

http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(1222)-SDCZ4-2048-A10-SanDisk_Cruzer_Micro_Skin_USB_Flash_Drive_2GB.aspx

Going for £13.99 on Play.com. http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/904314/SanDisk-2GB-Cruzer-Micro-USB-2-0-Memory-Flash-Drive/Product.html

[Matblack]

I'm using a Kingston DT Mini Fun, I got it from DVD.co.uk for about a tenner, seems to do the job with Vista, don't know how fast it is though :)

MB

[Joe 90]

these corsair flash voyager GT is ace :D

and i like the idea of this encryption app but haven't set it up yet as i don't really want to limit the 4gb incase i need it and don't have a PC where i can install the app.

[Mark]

I consider those apps to be evil - the Lexar one nearly broke my laptop while I was on holiday. :(

[Joe 90]

:o why? how?

[Stan_Lite]

its never been the same since i put it through the washing machine after forgetting it was in my jeans :embarassed:


I did that with my 16Gb Corsair Voyager - was ok the first time and I thought, "Phew". Wasn't so lucky second time round though :( Get bugger all now, not even a flashing light.

£100 down the swannie :'(

I've tried using the readyboost thingy on my desktop and on the lappy, both have 2Gb RAM and couldn't notice any discernible difference.

[Mark]

:o why? how?
I can't remember unfortunately, and since I can't remember the error, I can't google for it either. Anyway, suffice to say I uninstalled the software sharpish.

[Joe 90]

right well i'll not bother with it then :)