bhtooefr's Journal: Kingston DataTraveler II 256MB Review

Cost: $28.00 (ZipZoomFly.com, 2005-05-03)
Approx. $0.11/MB

Package: Drive only

Included software: SecureTraveler

Drive features: Minimal

Drive speed: USB 2.0
Read: Fast (11MB/s theoretical)
Write: Fast (7MB/s theoretical)

Cap retention:
New: Excellent

Physical durability: Very good

Electronic durability: Good, but read the update

Physical Size: Thick, but still fits in a dual-stack port.

Power consumption: 100mA according to Windows XP SP1, but my Belkin USB 1.1 hub (which I can't get WinXP to recognize as a powered hub - only as an unpowered) doesn't have enough power to drive it, even though it is rated as 100mA per port when in unpowered mode.

Upshot: This'll get updated, but here's what I have to say now. It seems like a VERY solid drive, with many good design characteristics. However, ZipZoomFly has an error on their product page for this drive - they say it includes a lanyard (which was one of the reasons I chose this particular drive - I'm never going back to storing the drive in my pocket), but it does not. Actually, I'm going to go on a limb and say that Kingston changed the product itself, because Kingston's page has the same description, except without the "with lanyard". FWIW, it's not like it'll cost a lot to get a lanyard for it...

Update 2005-06-04: The drive is broken :-( The USB connector got bent about a month ago (I HATE laptop USB ports...), and the connector finally broke on the inside. Read my latest JE for more... FWIW, I'm NOT attributing this one to poor engineering, but rather carelessness on my part. A friend who had a 512MB SanDisk Cruzer Mini did the same exact thing to hers. Mine lasted for a month after it happened, so not so bad...