Excellent. Better than my previous flash drive. However I suggest purchasing the 8gb (even if you dont need the 4gb for storage, the extra 4gb can be used as ram for windows readyboost and speed up your computer (explained below). Whats most important to me about this flash drive is how the USB is contractable (slides in and out) instead of sticking out and having a cap to it. I had a flash drive that used a cap, it was a hassle putting the cap somewhere (getting lost), or if having the flash drive plugged into your usb port permanently having the cap just linger around on your desk. After half a year of moving around from box to box, the USB eventually broke off! Keep in mind a flash drive contains very important information (could be your lifes work done on the computer). And for it to break like that? Its the reason why you have a flash drive in the first place ... in case your computer crashes, its backup. What do I need backup for my backup now? That is good advice though I'll mention it and that is to purchase two flash drives in case one gets lost or broke. So anyway, on to the Sandisk Cruzer 4gb ...
After researching Amazon on best usb drives, I came across this, it was on my to buy list, somebody got one for me christmas and I was happy and surprised to see it was the Sandisk Cruzer. Im very specific on the items I want, if I ask for a specific set of tools, I dont want just any set of tools. Im specific in the USB flash drive I want ... and this is it. However I received the 4gb, I would rather have the 8gb. All well we'll see how long 4gb will last before getting maxed out.
Not only does the Sandisk Cruzer here have the retractable usb, but also an orange led light when plugged in. Lets you know its working at least and its pretty. Fast blinking means its communicating (being accessed, or transfers from/to), slow blinking means its plugged in the usb.
There is also two nice surprises that may make your life more enjoyable ...
Upon opening the box it comes in, inside was a little sheet that says "50 FREE SONGS". You get a 14-day free trial [...]. Give them credit card information (I used a pre-paid visa). Download 50 songs, and cancel before 14 days expires and your card wont be charged. Simple as that, keep the 50 free songs. After 14 days, depending on the subscription you chose (basic for example) its $11.99 per month and you can download 24 songs. So its 50 cents for each song. You can get pricing down to 41 cents. I thought songs cost $1.00 so Im happy with Basic and paying 50 cents although the 50 free songs may be plenty for me.
AND the Sandisk Cruzer has something known as U3 applications. As quoted from their Introduction from Help and Support, "U3 Smart Drives are special - here's why
The U3 smart drive is a new standard that takes world of flash drives a big step forward. It enables USB flash drives to be much more than just a storage device. U3 smart drive technology enables you to carry your applications on the flash drive right along with your data."
On my previous flash drive, it was there just to store my files I type out. With this U3, the flash drive can store much more than that. You can store games, internet stuff (browsers, emails), music and videos, protection like mcafee, I even have a portable microsoft openoffice. Here is a list of the following programs you can downlopad on to the usb drive ... (it takes up 596mb, and you'll have 3.08gb left)
(Games)
Mystery Case Files - Huntsville
Atlantis
Magic Vines
Sudoku
Mahjong Towers Eternity
(Internet)
YouSendIt
Mozilla Firefox for U3
Thunderbird
Trillian
(Music/Video)
Vioh Web Player ... installation failed the first time, completed the second time
Winamp
(Utilities)
DMailer Sync
Launchpad Tour
OpenOffice ... took awhile to install this. If it looks like the download stalled on you, just leave it and it'll pick up eventually
Evernote
Signup Shield
McAfee VirusScan USB ... free for 1 month. Buy for $4.99. Takes 20 minutes to scan.
Before installing these you'll be asked if you want to make the flash drive U3 capable or to use your flash drive for files only. I clicked more info to understand more about what U3 is and was sent to a website with a quick video on what U3 is. I think the short video was excellent. Much nicer than having to read about it. I liked this U3 stuff so yes, I want U3 on my flash drive. Installation of all the above applications took about 10 minutes cause the OpenOffice "stalled", and the Vioh Web Player failed to install. After installing these (you can install some, all or none of the above just checkmark the box), you have the option to receive updates by email about U3 programs and other SanDisk products (give them your email addy) and you can offer them your feedback so you can help them improve the product. I offered to give them my feedback but received a "general error message" so was unable to. I clicked finish to go back and install the Vioh Web Player. In the bottom right corner of my desktop theres an application that says "Cruzer". Click on it once and you get the Sandisk Menu (as big as your windows start menu). Very user friendly and easy to understand. When you unplug the Sandisk from the usb drive, it'll go away so its a temp icon, not a permanent desktop icon. On the left are the U3 Smart Programs you have installed. On the right there is the following ...
"Explore Drive G:" ... when clicking on this you're able to view whats on the flash drive. Theres "Documents" and "Launch U3". In the "Documents" folder, theres 4 sub-folders: Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos. This is where you can organize your files. When opening the "Launch U3" it brings you back to the Sandisk Menu. The Sandisk Menu and U3 programs are whats installed on the flash drive, aka "Drive G" which is the USB port its plugged into. So you have an organizational folder, and the new U3 programs on your flash drive.
"Settings" ... Theres a couple you may want to do here so dont overlook it. Click once on settings and you can go to U3 Launchpad Settings (come here) or Programs Settings (come here also). U3 Launchpad Settings ... most is default stuff you dont have to worry about. 1) Preferences (leave as is) => Language (English), Smart Drive Name (Cruzer), reset all "Do Not Show again" checkboxes ... 2) Automatic Updates (leave as is) => Automatically check for updates of the U3 Launchpad (already checked) ... 3) Autorun (come here to install launcher) => Autorun U3 Launchpad (already on autorun, keep it like that unless you want to manually find the flash drive when you plug it into a usb drive, if manually, double click "LaunchU3.exe" when prompted, Launcher => "If the U3 Launchpad does not autorun on this computer when a U3 smart drive is inserted, you can install a small program on the computer to detect the insertion of a U3 smart drive and run the U3 Launchpad." Go ahead and Install the Launcher. It may not need to be installed but it may prevent a future problem if the U3 programs dont load correctly. It installed instantaneuosly, there was no file to download but it takes up 1.28 MB on your computers hard drive. It can be removed here in U3 Launchpad Settings, or uninstalled through your Control Panel ... 4) Capacity => Total: 3.77GB (hey I thought it was 4GB!), Free: 3.08 GB (if you install all the U3 programs it offers when you first plug it into the usb) ... 5) Uninstall (leave as is) => Uninstall U3 Launchpad ... 6) Security (come here to enable security if you want this flash drive to be password protected) => Enable Security "use password protection to restrict acces to your U3 smart drive. Password protection will be enabled the next time your U3 drive is inserted". If you have user accounts on your computer that are password protected, it would be wise and a good idea to click Enable here. I highly advise doing this because flash drives being as portable they are and storing important personal information, anybody can just pull it out of the usb drive and have access to your personal data. Two warnings: If you forget the password you will be unable to recover your data. I've never forgot my password have you? lol And highlighted in red is the following "NOTE: If the USB drive is locked, it can only be unlocked on a Windows PC (Vista, XP, or 2000). Unlocking the USB drive on a MAC or Linux OS is not possible." What it means to lock a usb drive is to password protect it. In order for somebody to USE that usb drive, they must enter the password. This is good if you dont want somebody to plug their own flash drive into your computer and transfer all your files to it. You are already protected if you have a user account that requires a password at windows startup. If you want free software to lock your usb drives, [...] If you want to pay $19 - $39, check out [...]. Type in your password, retype it, then type in a password hint (in case you half forget =P). Next is PROGRAM SETTINGS (come here) ... these are the U3 programs you installed. You're giving the option to start a certain program upon insertion of this flash drive. There are three that are checkmarked for this by default, these would be: Evernote, SignupShield Passwords, and McAfee VirusScan USB. Leave as is if you want, or uncheck all three. Feel free to uncheck SignupShield Passwords, its protection for your password, come on now what my password needs a password? Theres also Add Programs (come here if you want to check out more U3 stuff. I found a couple I was interested in.) => U3 Download Central, Cruzer Program Wizard, and Install from My Computer. Feel free to go to U3 Download Central and view what else is available to you. LOTS of stuff, here are some categories: Games for your PC, U3 Audio Video, U3 BackUp & Sync, U3 Business, U3 Design and Photo, U3 Education, U3 Email, U3 Games, U3 Internet, U3 Security, U3 Utilities, U3 Web Browser. Some are Free, some are Trial. Im not too impressed with their additional selection. They only offer 5 games for your PC (your computer, your instant messenger, yahoo, or pogo offer much more games and for free). The trials for some U3 programs are expensive costing you 7 euros a month, or 55 euros a year. Some U3 programs are incompatible with Windows Vista (updating the launcher can eliminate that problem, and theres a Microsoft U3 update for Vista (KB940199) I got that from wikipedia. You may find a couple you'll like so feel free to browse through. I recommend Weatherbug. I use that on my PC here for weather forecast, temperature, weather alerts. Go to U3 Internet => Weatherbug for U3 => Free => theres pricing at the bottom for a subscription to rapidshare where you'll be downloading. Click on free user. They punish you by making you wait 60 seconds for not being a premium user before you can download. (LOL) OR you may have to try again in 2 minutes because many people are downloading from their server right now and you are not a premium member. Kind of discouraging for this U3 service (I'll have to try again tomorrow) ... Cruzer Program Wizard => skip it if you installed all the U3 programs, or go back to it if you would like to install more. Go to the website [...] for additional U3 programs ... Install from My Computer => (please wait while I play a game of Solitaire that I moved to the flash drive). ooh I won it =). Im using Windows Vista, not sure if it made a difference but I was unable to locate the already-installed games on my computer. I had to go to start menu => programs => games => solitaire, right-click => send to => Cruzer (G:). I now have solitaire on my flash drive and can play it on anybodys computer. It would be a lot easier to do option B of right-clicking the file or game you want then sending it to the Cruzer instead of going through the Launchpad, Settings, My Computer and locating the file route.
"Add Programs" ... explained above.
"Help and Support" ... if needed
"Sandisk U3 website" ... if wanted
"Enable Security" ... encouraged
"Games for your drive" ... games you can purchase [...]. Play free for one hour, then buy for $6.99 each (I looked at another site offering downloadable games, $6.99 seems to be the going rate). I saw a couple Id be interested in playing and I'll be purchasing a couple soon. Having a detailed game on a usb flash drive would be pretty neat, why not put a couple on there and carry them wherever you go. Much better than Solitaire, and youre not able to copy a cd-version game like SimCity on it lol. So $7 for an adventurous game on a usb drive, very cool. You may be able to transfer the game to other computers and share your games like that, I dont know yet but Im sure its doable.
When removing the Sandisk Flash Drive ... I had just pulled it out, I plugged it back in and after typing my password (if you enabled security) received a message called Unsafe Eject: "During the last use, this U3 smart drive was not properly ejected. This may result in data loss. Use the eject button in the U3 Launchpad to safely eject the U3 smart drive before unplugging from the computer." I dont know how important this issue is but Im sure data loss will only occur if you pull it out while in the middle of transfering a file. My last flash drive didnt give me a hard time of pulling it out when not being used lol.
As mentioned above there are (3) U3 programs that by default will open when you start the launchpad here. They are SignupShield Password (signup with them if you want, I chose cancel cause Im satisfied with the security I have now, a password is enough, I dont need to protect my password!), McAfee VirusScan USB (the pop up asks me to register with McAfee so this USB device is protected from the latest threats. Feel free to do so, its very quick registration, give name and email, opt in or out of their "newsletter", then it starts scanning the files on the Sandisk). Evernote asks you to open a free account, or to log in. Choose a screenname, a password, and type in the confirmation code they give you through email. You can log in online. If you dont want the SignupShield Wizard, go to the Launchpad => Settings => Programs Settings => SignupShield Passwords => uncheck Start on Insertion.
And thats my review. I want to mention when you get the AutoPlay and you have the option to speed up your system using Windows ReadyBoost ... of the reviews I have read online about it, it will help so feel free to install it. Ready Boost will help for online games you play, as well as loading your desktop (instead of 45 seconds it can take 15 seconds for example). Your computer initially has probably between 512 MB and 2 GB RAM. The flash drive you're using (this one for example, is 4 GB of memory). What Windows Ready Boost actually does is use your memory stick as RAM to speed up your computer. When it asks "Space to reserve for memory speed", if you intend to use your memory stick, dont use all. Instead reserve between 1,000 and 2,000 MB for general use of the memory stick. An idea of how much 1,000 MB is (1 GB), this review here if copied and pasted in wordpad and saved to the flashdrive is only 16 kb. A 37-page pdf file (Adobe Acrobat) is 450 kb. A webpage is usually between 20 kb and 1 mb. Amazons homepage is 760 kb for example. A picture taken from a camera (from mine anyway) is between 1.5 and 2 mb. And a 4-minute song is about 7.4 mb. An indepth game would be between 3 and 50 mb (solitaire, freecell, or minesweeper are a measly 2 kb). The u3 openoffice is 219 mb! So at the expense of 1,000 mb you can store 50 songs, 200 photos, 4 big games, 50 webpages, and all the notes / typing you can do. If you're big on multimedia (need storage for music, photos, or movies) you should go for a 300+ gb external hard drive anyway. Of this 4gb ram stick / flash drive / u3 smart drive / usb thingy (so many names for it why cant they just use 1) I opted to use 2000 MB of the 3070 MB thats available. Purchase the 8gb Sandisk Cruzer, use 2gb for yourself and use the other 6gb for additional ram to speed up your computer. When you put 2000 mb towards readyboost, it will show up in your flash drive as 2,048,001 KB in use. If you want to "uninstall", right click and delete it from your flash drive. It is not a program that is installed on your computer. |
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"Great USB Flash Drive!"