I'm a middle aged man who's never had a flash drive before and I couldn't be happier with how easy this thing is to use. I wanted to backup my pictures from my laptop and PC and it was as simple as plug in and drag and drop to to the flash drive. No software to install, directions to follow or formatting to be done. Exactly what I needed. I have over 4000 pictures loaded on this 64 GB flash and there's still over 20 GB left for more. I'm already getting another one to for videos now that I know it's this easy. If I can do this, anyone can.
No doubt, I lack the technical expertise to evaluate this flash drive – many reviewers provide excellent spec information on the quality parts and superior processing performance of the Cruzer. But I do have the hands-on expertise to say it is an awesome piece of equipment. File-sharing services may eventually make these drives obsolete, but for those who love securing their data on something they can see and hold, the SanDisk is outstanding. I use these little beauties to back up my computer. I can also easily download my huge graphic files to share with colleagues.
The price has really come down, and for those who worry about the security of emailing files or cloud computing, flash drives offer a no-frills, secure, and easy solution to your storage and sharing needs. I also like the sliding USB connector. It stays tucked inside the case when not in use, but is easy to plug into any port. I love flash drives; there’s something very James Bond-ish about them. Like keeping a landline phone around to plug in when your Internet-enabled package gets knocked offline, keep a couple of these high-performance accessories around as a portable backup system.
I bought two 256GB drives to archive photos and videos. Flash drives are ideal for this purpose because they are small, convenient, inexpensive, reliable, and have plenty of memory for thousands of photos, etc. I purchased USB 2.0 drives instead of USB 3.0 because my computer’s output has 2.0 only. You can check which you have on your MAC, for example: apple/about this mac/system report/USB.
Two things to keep in mind: 1) Although read speed is decent, write speed is VERY slow. If you intend to write files to the drive often, you might be better off getting a stand-alone external hard drive instead. For archive use, write speed shouldn't present a problem. 2) If you are going to load individual files larger than 4GB, you need to reformat the drive first. Formatting is a fairly simple process, I found instructions for doing so via Google. After formatting, the large files load with no problem. NOTE: format BEFORE you start loading any files, because all data is erased in the process.
I bought the 16 Gb model of this drive, in fact I bought two of them. The first question most people would ask is why. With 32, 64 and even 128 Gb drives costing only pennies more why buy such a small capacity? The easy answer is because that’s all I need. In today’s technology the most common media to use to make a restore disk for your computer’s operating system is with a USB thumb drive, for most laptops these days that’s the only media you can use. A typical restore disk needs between 9 - 12 Gb of storage room, making a 16 Gb drive the ideal capacity.
WHY SANDISK
A restore drive is one of the most task critical things I can do and it’s important to me to choose the brand I trust the most. To date I’ve never had a problem with SanDisk so choosing them for this task was an easy decision. As far as which model, out of a seemingly endless selection of choose from, this one has the feature that the plug end withdraws into a protective shell. That’s a plus if you’re concerned about data protection. And it has a large flat area on the side of the case to label the contents, a restore disk is useless if you can’t easily find it. The drive is small and easy store.
SPEED
The speed of drives like this isn’t always the most important thing (in fact it never is, data integrity is always first). Some tasks like restoring an operating system are going to run at the speed they want to, a faster drive isn’t going to make that much difference. Always choose dependability as your first priority.
A friend asked me to pick up a flash drive for her. I logged onto Amazon and glanced through the SanDisk Cruzers. They have been my go-to flash drives for years. Currently, I have a 256 mb, a 16 gb and now a 32 gb on my desk. I use all three in solving software problems on friend's computers. So I ordered the 32 gb for the friend and ordered one for myself as well. As always, they work instantly, perfectly and quickly. Great products!
Feature Product
- Reliable storage for photos, videos, music and other files
- Transfer with confidence when moving images and other content
- Retractable design keeps the connector safe
- SanDisk Secure Access software with 128-bit AES encryption and password protection
- Compatibility- USB 2.0
Description
Take it all with you on reliable SanDisk USB flash drives Transfer with confidence when moving images and other files from PC to PC or other CE devices
Great for pictures
I've used a number of thumb drives over the years. SanDisk Cruzers have always been in my list of go-to drives for design and dependability. When my 6-year old 16GB Cruzer was no longer big enough to hold all my portable apps and music, I knew I had to turn to another Cruzer for the same performance and guaranteed life expectancy. Why Cruzers, you might ask. Well, my 16GB went through the wash a number of times and still worked after allowing it to dry out before using it. I also lost it in my garden while I was weeding the garden in the Fall. When planting in the Spring, I found the drive in the dirt. I cleaned it off with rubbing alcohol and let it dry out. After snow, rain, frost, thaw, etc., the darn thing still chugged along after I plugged it in. At that point, for me, I was sold on Cruzers for life.
Admittedly, for me, transfer speeds aren't a major concern. I only use the drives for portable apps and music storage. Except for work laptops, which are newer but require encrypted devices, I use a much older Toshiba that has USB 2.0 jacks on it and have a Toyota Tacoma in which I use the drive to play music. So, 3.0 transfer speeds mean little to me and this 2.0 would work quite well. You have the option to download for free and use SanDisk's encryption software. I don't keep sensitive software on portable devices. So, I didn't have a need for it. I also reformat my drives, wiping them completely clean before using them. So, I don't use any pre-installed software, etc.
The housing on this Cruzer is made of a thick plastic, quite substantial, but neither bulky nor heavy. The thing I really like about Cruzers is how the USB insert slides back in the housing to protect it; and, there is a built-in LED light that shows when the Cruzer is transferring data. The Cruzer has a small metal rod built into the housing, which would allow you to put a lanyard on it if desired. My one gripe about new Cruzers, and the reason for a four-star vs. a five, is that they no longer come with lanyards. Even cheaper drives come with lanyards. Cruzers should too, as the lanyard would allow you to attach the drive to your keys.
Final Verdict: For dependability and endurance, I have no problems recommending the SanDisk Cruzer line of thumb drives. If this is anything like my old one, it'll give me (and you) years of life and data backup. If I have a reason to change my review, I'll do so ASAP. 'Til then, happy transferring.
I am in the process of moving my pictures off of CD’s and onto jump drives and am looking for high quality, high storage devices. SanDisk is a trusted brand, so I was excited to find such a deal on this 32GB disk.
I found the disk to perform as expected. It hold loads of pictures, creating an easy way for me to organize my photos from the last few years. I did notice the more photos I added to the disk, the slower it got, not a pace that was inconvenient, just one that took a little more time to get loaded up with photos.
In terms of the design of the disk itself, the sleek black look is nice. It has a small metal bar on the back that could be used to attach to a key chain or something similar. The red button is fairly easy to push open and close, but not so easy that it will accidentally open when in a bag or purse. Once the drive is extended, it is easily inserted into a computer without the drive pushing back into the case (a problem I have had with other disks).
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend it to anyone looking for a drive to save photos or other things on. I will purchase another when this one is all full.
I bought three of these memory sticks. One was for me and the other two were for each of my sons. We have all used ours and have had no issues at all with them. They seem fast enough for me to upload from and to download to and their capacity is correct. They are sturdy and have been used numerous times without any sorts of issues. These weren't very expensive but they are fine for most needs. I may buy a couple of more for things I want to store off the computer now that I see how durable and reliable they are.
So far it's been fantastic. I use it in my car to play 100s of music files but I also use this same drive to transfer other data from my computers.
The price is good for the quality one gets!
***Update*** I feel compelled to update my review as this rugged little flash drive has been data storage perfection. I bought this Sandisk Cruzer (128 GB) in June of 2016 and not only has it seen non-stop usage - also it has proven to be extremely tough and like a tiny vault.
I will typically leave it connected in my car (1000's of audio files) but also will bring it inside for use (fast transfer speeds) w my iMac.
*One thing I've been extremely impressed with is the extreme temperatures that this flash can endure. I have inadvertently left it in my
car during summer days when the temp in my car climbed over 100 degrees F, as well as during this winter which saw many record-breaking low temps (minus 18 degrees!) where I am. The Cruzer remains flawless - I have even dropped it down a few flights of stairs I will confess!
To sum up, don't hesitate if you need an affordable, portable option for data storage - it's a real bargain and as a flash drive it's equivalent to what a Volvo or Subaru is to automaker durability.
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