-- How do they fit so much information into a single tiny chip? ---
In 1945, a computer was the size of a house. It had about as much storage capacity as a talking greetings card. It took some extremely brainy people to program it and clunked out computations in a few minutes. It ran on ... Read review
Advantages: USB2.0 compatible. Small and covenient. Very cheap. Disadvantages: Easy to lose. Key fob very flimsy.
-- How do they fit so much information into a single tiny chip? ---
In 1945, a computer was the size of a house. It had about as much storage capacity as a talking greetings card. It took some extremely brainy people to program it and clunked out computations in a few minutes. It ran on valves and needed to be repaired frequently.
I remember when computers used to cost about £200 for a model with a mere 32Kb (that is ... ...Archimedes for £700 with a whole megabyte of storage space. I thought I was never going to use all that up! It has been said that in 1981, Bill Gates's opinion was that no-one would ever need more than 640Kb on a computer! - however, on further investigation it seems that this is just a salacious rumour. (Wired - Did Gates Realy Say 640K is enough for anyone?)
Fast forward a few years and you can now fit a gigabyte of data (that is ... more
-- How do they fit so much information into a single tiny chip? ---
In 1945, a computer was the size of a house. It had about as much storage capacity as a talking greetings card. It took some extremely brainy people to program it and clunked out computations in a few minutes. It ran on valves and needed to be repaired frequently.
I remember when computers used to cost about £200 for a model with a mere 32Kb (that is 32,000 characters) of memory. In 1990, I bought an Acorn Archimedes for £700 with a whole megabyte of storage space. I thought I was never going to use all that up! It has been said that in 1981, Bill Gates's opinion was that no-one would ever need more than 640Kb on a computer! - however, on further investigation it seems that this is just a salacious rumour. (Wired - Did Gates Realy Say 640K is enough for anyone?)
Fast forward a few years and you can now fit a gigabyte of data (that is 1024 Megabytes, or just over a billion bits) - or 2GB if you want to splash out a bit on an updated model - into a single chip. It can be yours for the laughable sum of £2.50. In 1990, a typical gigabyte of storage cost about £10,000. (USA Today)
-- How easy is it to use all this technology? --
Plugged into the USB (Universal Serial Bus) socket - one of those square things that you plug your printer / scanner into on your computer - the USB drive appears on your computer as a separate disc drive - on mine it is drive F. It is highly reliable against data loss (these are much more secure than a floppy disc). Data on these should last for around ten years (that's much more secure than a floppy disk or even your hard drive).
-- How much information can this drive hold? --
If I were to keep writing this review - how long would it take me to fill it? I would need to type around 670,000 pages (in text format) to fill up the drive completely. At a rate of three pages a day, it would take 611 years to fill it up! I'm not going to need that much storage space for text files. (Don't worry - the review won;t be all that long).
However, I could fill it up with images. If you are busy snapping away on a digital camera, you get files that may be around 3MB in size. Therefore, this would store just 333 photographs. There is even less space if you want to store music files, and even less to store movie files. A film lasting 2 hours fits on one DVD - that is a whopping 4.7GB! You could probably get about half an hour of a compressed movie file on to the USB drive.
So if you have really enormous amounts of data to back up, get a recordable DVD drive for your computer. Personally, I don't really use my computer for storing anything bigger than pictures, so I don't have one. Essential data can be backed up quite happily on to my USB drive. However, Kanguru make one which can hold - wait for it - 64GB. It will set you back about £300 though.
-- How secure is it? --
Probably the greatest risk is because the thing is so small that you will (if you are like me) lose it. Apparently you can even put the thing in a washing machine (according to Wikipedia) and, if it is thoroughly dried out, it will work fine. I'm not going to try this theory out, at least not intentionally.
Another disadvantage is that there is no way of write-protecting the information on this model, so I would make sure you have a back up on your computer. It is also easy for a thief to borrow it, write the contents onto any computer and replace the drive - so don't put any personal information on there!
However, the memory is physically very secure. There is a risk of losing memory by simply yanking it out of your USB socket without turning it off properly at first. This is done by clicking on the "Safely Remove Hardware" logo on your toolbar. As long as you remember to do this, it will be perfectly secure for around a decade. (This is for the same reason that it is important to shut your computer down properly when you turn it off - any memory sectors which are being used when you turn it off may become corrupted).
-- How fast can I access my data? --
It is High Speed USB 2.0 compatible - which means that it can be written to and read from at up to 60MB per second (not as fast as your computer's memory) but faster than my hard drive. This may vary, however, from USB drive to USB drive and I have been unable to find the exact figure for this model.
Anyway, it is certainly fast enough not to be noticeable!
-------------------
In summary then, this 1GB USB drive is very cheap. It holds shedloads of data and is very reliable. It is scratch resistant unlike DVDs and CD-ROMs and is not affected by magnets (unlike floppy disks). Apparently you can even stick it in your washing machine, though I wouldn't recommend trying it. Just remember to switch it off correctly before removing it from your computer. Don't put confidential, personal information on it (unless you want someone else to use your credit card details) and above all don't lose it!
Advantages: Compact, fast, reliable Disadvantages: Lack of transportation strap
I remember when USB flash drives hit the market a few years back when you could fit a staggering 16Mb worth of data on a device the size of your middle finger. Since then capacity has increased and prices have decreased at an alarming rate. For example you can now get 4Gb flash drives for cheaper than the original 16Mb drives which represents great value for money.
--Whats in the box --
Contents of the box are minimalistic to say the least, there ... ...can then use to attach the drive to your belt/keyring, etc. This device really is plug and play in its simplest form, there arent even any instructions supplied with it, mainly because none are required.
-- Useage --
Plugging the drive into a spare USB slot will give you an extra drive in Windows Explorer (My Computer) typically F but could be further down the alphabet if you are lucky enough to have multiple hard disks and CD/DVD drives. On viewing ...
craggybuk 02.08.2007
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Kingston DataTraveler I - USB flash drive - 1 GB
Advantages: Sturdy, well made, decent capacity, good price Disadvantages: only one choice of colour
...brand.
Step in the Kingston 1GB DataTraveler. I wanted security and reliability and so far the Kingston has stood the test. It comes in white only, and when data is being written to/from the stick a green light comes on to show its working - and that it shouldn't be removed.
In the same way as the other USB stick's I've used - it plugs into the USB socket and is recognised by Windows XP straight away. Speed can't really be commented on - the data ... ...come with anyway, and the Kingston will support). The main thing to remember is to 'stop' the USB device before physically removing it from the machine so you don't loose any data. This is done in windows by clicking the USB device icon (grey box with a green arrow) in the system tray - bottom right hand side of the screen. It will give you the option to 'eject', 'stop' or 'remove' the device.
The DataTraveler comes with a warranty but I very much ...
Mr_Gamgee 19.06.2007
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Kingston DataTraveler I - USB flash drive - 1 GB
Advantages: Universally accepted MAC or PC, Small Size but Massive Capacity Disadvantages: Only Comes In White!!
...Ebay buys I found the Kingston Data Traveller. At prices from £10 for a massive 1GB drive this has to be the bargain pen drive for every student or office worker out there. To start with it is simple plug and play with both Mac and Windows makes this drive so easy to use. Just plug it into your USB drive (both USB 1.0 and 2.0) and the drive instantly starts working, no drivers or downloads needed. It comes in many capacitys but i choose the 1GB version. ... ...my white MAC keyboard. Kingston are a very trusted brand of memory even though the price would make you think different, they are the best bargain pen drives that are on the market by far.
It also features both a keyring to attach the device to a cloth keyring holder or a metal and lace attachment device to attach the device to your keys, all included in the price
The warrenty (should you ever need it, I doubt that) is included in the box, as are ...
x2001slim_shady 13.11.2006
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Kingston DataTraveler I - USB flash drive - 1 GB
Advantages: Good size, Easy to use Disadvantages: Slow at times
This product is extremly good i feel
ill start with the only bad point i can think of, this is that is can be slow when getting nearlly full but still works well. Right now the good points its so so easy to use. all you have to do it plug into the USB drive and all PC's that i have used including libary, university, laptop and home computer all auto recognise and auto install the device so you can use it almost instently. to use the drive you just ... ...drive just like using a normal computer drive. Another very good point is the size, i normally used my other flash drives for transpoting work from school to home. When i got this new drive i have been transporting music, pictures and other files to and from home. this is a extremly good product and would highly recomend it. its defanatly worth the price.
hope this helped ...
looney_acorn 15.02.2006
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Kingston DataTraveler I - USB flash drive - 1 GB
Advantages: very reliable Disadvantages: flash drive used in vista is facing compatible problems with win xp
...the future of storage devices. kingston is very famouss name in the field of usb flash drives they introduced different forms and models of flash drives recently i bought this Kingston DataTraveler I - USB flash drive - 1 GB this is really great product from kingston its so fast secure and reliable this is compatible with windows vista and all other windows operating systems inbuilt drivers and made these product so easy to use. ...
nikitafondi 16.11.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Kingston DataTraveler I - USB flash drive - 1 GB
Product Information for "Kingston DataTraveler I - USB flash drive - 1 GB" »
General
MPN
DTI/1GB, DTI/1GBCL, DTI/1GB PK25
Product Type
USB flash drive
Storage Capacity
1 GB
Width
66.9 mm
Depth
20.4 mm
Height
9 mm
Weight
11.3 g
Enclosure Colour
Grey, Brown
Compatibility
Non-specific
Packaged Quantity
25 (specifications are for single item)
Memory
Interface Type
USB 2.0
Expansion / connectivity
Interfaces
1 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 PIN USB Type A
Miscellaneous
Works with Windows Vista
Works with Windows Vista
Compliant Standards
Plug and Play
Pricing Type
Kingston Cologo Program
Software / system requirements
OS Required
Apple MacOS X 10.x, Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP
Manufacturer warranty
Service & Support
5 years warranty
Service & Support Details
Limited warranty - 5 years
Environmental parameters
Min Operating Temperature
0 °C
Max Operating Temperature
60 °C
Manufacturer's product description
DataTraveler is ideal for home office, small business, schools and promotions. It's affordable and puts mobile storage in nearly anyone's hands. Lighten your load without emptying your wallet. Get affordable, mobile USB storage. Now you can store, carry and transfer files quickly in an affordable, convenient device. The DataTraveler from Kingston helps budget-conscious users break storage barriers, allowing you to easily store and move files in a device no bigger than a pocketknife. DataTraveler replaces the needs for floppies and the hassle of CDs. As easy as click and drag, the DataTraveler can hold just about any file you can think of - reports pictures, spreadsheets or other important documents. It works with virtually any device with a USB port - even cross-platform from Macintosh to PC and vice versa.
Related tags for Kingston DataTraveler I - USB flash drive - 1 GB »
Similar products and search queries by other users »
Kingston drive, Kingston DataTraveler drive, Kingston I drive, Kingston USB drive, Kingston flash drive, Kingston DataTraveler I drive, Kingston DataTraveler USB drive, Kingston DataTraveler flash drive, Kingston I USB drive, Kingston I flash drive, Kingston USB flash drive, Kingston DataTraveler I USB drive, Kingston DataTraveler I flash drive, Kingston DataTraveler USB flash drive, Kingston I USB flash drive
Are you the manufacturer / provider of Kingston DataTraveler I - USB flash drive - 1 GB? Click here
