SanDisk has launched what it calls a paperclip-size USB thumb drive, designed to fit on a key ring and store from 2GB to 16GB of data.
SanDisk Cruzer Blade
The Cruzer Blade is not the smallest-ever thumblet drive but is about half the size of an ordinary USB thumb drive.
Traxdata claims to have the world's smallest thumb …
They always say this - and then put the keyring loop in the plastic body of the USB stick where it snaps off. If you want to put a USB stick on your keyring, get one where the USB stick swivels out of a metal clip - and the keyring loop is part of the metal clip.
Of course they can, the limiting factor is the USB connector (there's room in there to put the chips). You will have to remember to tie a piece of string to it if you don't want to use pliers to extract it though (just like certain products for women)
I'm pretty sure I bought one of these babies in Currys about 3 months ago. It's certainly similar in physical appearance and it's smaller than my thumb but stores 2GB.
There's nothing special about this drive at all. It's smaller than a lot of drives, but nowhere near as small as the smallest (I've had my Pico-USB drive for nearly 2 years now). And there's nothing ground breaking in terms of storage either.
The title of the article should be 'Sandisk launches totally uninteresting USB drive'. Slow news day?
The smallest seem to be the micro SD readers, I've a Kingston model, takes an 8GB card, 20mm x 12mm x 2.5mm - and having loaded it up you can put the SD card in your phone.
I've had one from Argos for many months. It was so tiny I kept losing it in the depths of my backpack until I bought a little aluminium pill capsule from Muji and popped it in, snuggled in a bit of tissue to keep it from crashing around. Amazing little thing. I am trying not to give it a name.
I've gone through a few of those Pico USB items linked... and they're just too small, I can't manage to keep them. I'm not the sort of person who loses things frequently, but I've given up on tiny usb sticks, even though those Picos are actually pretty fast (for a USB flash device.)
Oh well, haven't lost this massive Kingston pivoting deal in months, yet.
Sponsored article perhaps? Otherwise, it's just really old news.
#
Anyways, had a 4 GB one of these for months. Cheap enough, works. Being a non-pro, I didn't realise there would be no cap for the plug (Argos just billed it as a USB Memory stick, so I assumed it would), and I do prefer to keep electrical connections covered when not in use :/ Other downsides are, well, it's a bit TOO small, if you want to physically label these for finding stuff in a jiffy out of a pile, and the plastic loop is just asking to be broken - although I did manage to persuade a 1mm keyring through it without damage.
Yup, I bought two of these in Argos months ago (around easter I think). They're OK but by no means the smallest. In fact Sandisk themselves do a smaller one.
For the one I keep on my keyring I bought one of the Sandisk 8GB MicroSD cards that comes with a tiny USB adaptor (http://www.sandisk.com/products/mobile-memory-products/sandisk-mobilemate-micro-reader) and that makes a pretty cost-effective and really tiny USB drive, about half the size of this supposedly new Sandisk offering, and I can always upgrade it as prices drop by swapping the microSD card for a bigger one.
On a keyring it's always tied to the bunch of keys so one can't really have a USB drive that's too small (i.e. easily lost). Works for me.
Had mine (8GB) for months and months, seems very reliable and plenty quick enough so far. Even works when windows is booted in safe mode which a lot of other USB drives apparently don't (about the only one in the office that worked when we needed to put emergency AV updates on to all boxes).
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SanDisk launches Cruzer Blade USB thumblet drive
SanDisk has launched what it calls a paperclip-size USB thumb drive, designed to fit on a key ring and store from 2GB to 16GB of data. SanDisk Cruzer Blade The Cruzer Blade is not the smallest-ever thumblet drive but is about half the size of an ordinary USB thumb drive. Traxdata claims to have the world's smallest thumb …
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Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 10:54 GMT
Rupert Stubbs
Pc world is your friend for these #
They're half price in pc world (Uk) - I just got a 4gb one for less than a tenner. Seems to work.
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 10:54 GMT
Gareth Lowe
Launched? #
What? I've had one of these for months. 8GB, 13.49ukp.
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 10:55 GMT
Simon_E
These are new? #
I bought mine (16Gb) back in mid April. For not quite £22...
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 10:55 GMT
Robert Ramsay
"keyring" #
They always say this - and then put the keyring loop in the plastic body of the USB stick where it snaps off. If you want to put a USB stick on your keyring, get one where the USB stick swivels out of a metal clip - and the keyring loop is part of the metal clip.
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 10:59 GMT
Natalie Gritpants
Review Fail! - Can't go smaller #
Of course they can, the limiting factor is the USB connector (there's room in there to put the chips). You will have to remember to tie a piece of string to it if you don't want to use pliers to extract it though (just like certain products for women)
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 11:01 GMT
Anonymous Coward
I think I have one of these... #
I'm pretty sure I bought one of these babies in Currys about 3 months ago. It's certainly similar in physical appearance and it's smaller than my thumb but stores 2GB.
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 11:01 GMT
68K
Why is this news? #
There's nothing special about this drive at all. It's smaller than a lot of drives, but nowhere near as small as the smallest (I've had my Pico-USB drive for nearly 2 years now). And there's nothing ground breaking in terms of storage either.
The title of the article should be 'Sandisk launches totally uninteresting USB drive'. Slow news day?
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 11:35 GMT
Anonymous Coward
micro SD reader #
The smallest seem to be the micro SD readers, I've a Kingston model, takes an 8GB card, 20mm x 12mm x 2.5mm - and having loaded it up you can put the SD card in your phone.
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 12:06 GMT
Anonymous John
Keyring? #
Great! So you can lose all your keys on the train as well as a shedload of confidential data.
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 12:26 GMT
Hollerith 1
Damm near lost the thing #
I've had one from Argos for many months. It was so tiny I kept losing it in the depths of my backpack until I bought a little aluminium pill capsule from Muji and popped it in, snuggled in a bit of tissue to keep it from crashing around. Amazing little thing. I am trying not to give it a name.
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 12:41 GMT
James 93
Finally #
Yay, at last i can own a thumb drive to go on my key ring. My poor Sandisk Titanium that currently sits on my keyring is a thing of the past!
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 14:25 GMT
Anonymous Coward
PNY #
Picked up a couple of PNY Micro Attache when last in the States.
Fit nicely on a keyring with RSA SecurID and Kingston Microsaver key.
8GB: ~$20 a pop.
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 15:57 GMT
Nexox Enigma
Ehh... #
I've gone through a few of those Pico USB items linked... and they're just too small, I can't manage to keep them. I'm not the sort of person who loses things frequently, but I've given up on tiny usb sticks, even though those Picos are actually pretty fast (for a USB flash device.)
Oh well, haven't lost this massive Kingston pivoting deal in months, yet.
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 20:17 GMT
Shane Orahilly
Sponsored article perhaps? Otherwise, it's just really old news. #
Anyways, had a 4 GB one of these for months. Cheap enough, works. Being a non-pro, I didn't realise there would be no cap for the plug (Argos just billed it as a USB Memory stick, so I assumed it would), and I do prefer to keep electrical connections covered when not in use :/ Other downsides are, well, it's a bit TOO small, if you want to physically label these for finding stuff in a jiffy out of a pile, and the plastic loop is just asking to be broken - although I did manage to persuade a 1mm keyring through it without damage.
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 20:17 GMT
Anonymous Coward
hmm #
Got three of these for €28 each a month ago
Posted Wednesday 28th July 2010 20:18 GMT
Stuart Halliday
Duh. #
Maplin has been selling these for months....
Posted Thursday 29th July 2010 08:48 GMT
Mips
I put mine in my pocket... #
..and it gets lost in the small change. Tried to buy a newspaper with it, then I nearly fed it to the dog, thought it was a dog treat. Oops.
Posted Thursday 29th July 2010 09:03 GMT
Julian
Not new, and even Sandisk themselves do smaller #
Yup, I bought two of these in Argos months ago (around easter I think). They're OK but by no means the smallest. In fact Sandisk themselves do a smaller one.
For the one I keep on my keyring I bought one of the Sandisk 8GB MicroSD cards that comes with a tiny USB adaptor (http://www.sandisk.com/products/mobile-memory-products/sandisk-mobilemate-micro-reader) and that makes a pretty cost-effective and really tiny USB drive, about half the size of this supposedly new Sandisk offering, and I can always upgrade it as prices drop by swapping the microSD card for a bigger one.
On a keyring it's always tied to the bunch of keys so one can't really have a USB drive that's too small (i.e. easily lost). Works for me.
- Julian
Posted Thursday 29th July 2010 11:54 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Available in the UK for ages #
Had mine (8GB) for months and months, seems very reliable and plenty quick enough so far. Even works when windows is booted in safe mode which a lot of other USB drives apparently don't (about the only one in the office that worked when we needed to put emergency AV updates on to all boxes).
This topic is closed for new posts.