SanDisk Cruzer Titanium - USB flash drive - 8 GB

...now!!

The SanDisk Cruzer Titanium stores data of course but has an extra trick up its sleeve that makes all the difference. The difference is down to the U3 launcher that resides on the device as a piece of software.

When the device is inserted into a USB drive the U3 program launches automatically and adds an extra icon to the system tray. When this "U3" icon is clicked you are presented with the U3 launch ...
...resemblance to the Windows Start menu.

The launch pad has a number of pre-installed programs already on it to give you a flavour of the U3 principle. Some examples are Skype, McAfee Virus Scan USB, Portable Vault & Mahjong. There are a number of others so I have included a picture of the menu.

U3 programs can be downloaded from their website onto the drive and will become part of the menu under the "More Programs" ... more

The world seems to be full of pen drives these days with varying shapes, colours & capacities. However one thing that never changes is the simple fact that they are a simple solid state storage device... until now!!

The SanDisk Cruzer Titanium stores data of course but has an extra trick up its sleeve that makes all the difference. The difference is down to the U3 launcher that resides on the device as a piece of software.

When the device is inserted into a USB drive the U3 program launches automatically and adds an extra icon to the system tray. When this "U3" icon is clicked you are presented with the U3 launch pad on the right which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Windows Start menu.

The launch pad has a number of pre-installed programs already on it to give you a flavour of the U3 principle. Some examples are Skype, McAfee Virus Scan USB, Portable Vault & Mahjong. There are a number of others so I have included a picture of the menu.

U3 programs can be downloaded from their website onto the drive and will become part of the menu under the "More Programs" sub-menu. Many are free and I have loaded Mozilla Firefox, Open Office, WinRAR & a couple of games. Take a look at "U3 Software Central" in your browser to get an idea of software including prices where applicable.

The Cruzer can of course be used as a conventional pen drive with the added bonus that you can have a security function selected. If this is done the user trying to access the data needs a password so anything you have on there is that little bit more secure. Transfer speeds are excellent with no complaints at all from me.

The side panel on the device glows a sexy blue colour and when data transfer is taking place it flashes which is useful to check all is working as required.

Finally, there is the added bonus that there is no end cap needed. The side panel has a slider that withdraws the USB fitting into the case. One downside to this is that it could be susceptible to dirt & liquid. The other problem I had was that when I pushed the USB fitting out and tried to push it into the USB slot on the PC the lock would often not work making it necessary to keep my finger on the catch while pushing. This is a minor issue that should not put you off buying one.

Overall a lovely little device that is well worth having. I look forward to seeing if many more U3 based programs emerge. If the U3 concept appeals to you then its a great tool especially in this slick, strong metal casing. If you just want a straightforward pen drive then I suggest this is not for you as there are far cheaper on the market. 

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