Customer Reviews

1GB Cruzer Micro with Skins USB Flash Drive Preloaded Software (Retail Package)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This drive is extremally small, and I saw alot of pictures before I bought it, but never appreciated it until I held it. I posted some pictures so you could see how small it actually is.
My dad had a 32 Mb Quickdrive that I bought him a couple of years ago. And I did some test with it just to compare the speed. Here are the results:


Quickdrive uploading 15.2 MB
1 Min 03 sec
Quickdrive downloading 15.2 MB
03 sec
Sandisk Micro uploading 15.2 MB
02 sec
Sandisk Micro downloading 15.2 MB
Instant

Sandisk Micro uploading 915 MB (small file sizes)
4.10
Sandisk Micro downloading 915 MB (344 small file sizes)
1 Min 5 Sec
Sandisk Micro deleting 915 MB (344 small file sizes)
2 Min 6 Sec

Sandisk Micro uploading 972 MB (2 Largefile sizes)
1 Min 42 Sec
Sandisk Micro downloading 972 MB (2 Largefile sizes)
58 Sec
Sandisk Micro deleting 972 MB (2 Largefile sizes)
Instant

You can see that loading two large files sizes was more than twice as fast as the many small files sizes. And deleting wasn't even comparable. Also during these tests the drive didn't get hot.

I hope this helped everyone out.

EDIT 3/23/06: My dad got the memorex 2 gb TravelDrive and now it's just laying in his secretarys desk. The plastic loop where you put the keyring through broke off and he almost lost it. I told him to get this instead.
Ended up he got the sandisk micro and loves it! So it's better then the products before it and the products out now!

The Micro has been my favorite flash drive, design and functionally; I have Micros of several sizes from 128MB to 1GB and I intend to get more as the capacity increases.

Apart from the same kudos that I've given the other Micros, this drive was the first one to exceed the capacity of a CD, so that makes this one even better.

This device transfers data to and from devices that support USB Flash drives (computers etc.) very quickly and efficiently, and requires absolutely no drivers in plug-and-play operating systems like Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Mac OS X. Use it as storage for your MP3 player, keep your important documents backed up on it, or even work right the drive--with performance like this, the possibilities are endless. The Micro also supposedly comes with built-in security for each unit, but I've never used it.

The slim 'Micro' physical design also deserves a standing ovation. The actual unit is very short and isn't much wider than a USB port, so it fits anywhere. The cap is pretty smug and when you take it off to use the drive, it fits conveniently on the reverse end. If you loose the cap, it comes with extras, or you can buy them separately.

I accidentally left my 1GB SanDisk Cruzer Micro in my shirt pocket when I did my laundry today. With dread, I recovered it from the bottom of the washing machine after the end of a warm water load. I expected water to flow out when I removed the cap, but to my surprise, there was no water under the cap. The translucent plastic cover and cap somehow kept the water out!

I took off the plastic cover and cap and let the memory key sit for an hour just in case there was any little bit of water that needed to dry. Then, with much hope, I plugged the key into my computer and happily found that all its contents are intact.

This is a quality product. The excellent design saved me from having to buy a replacement. However, I have since attached the neck line to make it bulkier, so I do not make the same mistake again.

This lockup Problem is Acknowledged by Sandisk Tech Support:
If I plug the micro into the USB2 port on the front of my computer the computer will lock. Dead instantly. Frozen screen. It would work fine from the USB2 port on the rear of the computer. I called Sandisk. They said they knew about the lockups (Caused by the power draw of the micro), and I'd just have to use the rear port! They said it was my fault/problem! This is the only thumbdrive I've tried that causes this problem. Sandisk still sells these things even knowing this is a common issue!
ALSO:
It's slow vs. current flash drives. My OCZ purchased to replace this one is between six and twenty times faster (bigger gain on smaller files). And it doesn't lock my computer. I gave away the micro (warning the person I gave it to about the lockups).
ALSO:
When I bought the thumbdrive I also bought the MP3 Player that works with it. The MP3 player was made of such crappy plastic and the battery hatch broke within a month. I was glad because the interface was indecipherable. I have a shuffle now.

I own 8 different models of flash drives made by various manufacturers (including two other models made by SanDisk).

This is the one which travels with me, around the world, and carries my life on it. At the moment, it lives indefinitely on my keychain, and I'm trusting it with about 3000 personal files.

Originally, I chose it for the large keychain hole. Sadly, some dope at SanDisk has decided to 'shrink' this hole in the 'updated' design model (now available). It's a subtle change, but NO THANKS. I prefer the original, chunky-keychain-hole design.

But the real reason I keep it and use it? SUPER TINY and reliable. I barely notice it on my keychain, being no heavier, and only twice as thick as a metal key. And after a year and a half of HARD use and MUCH travel, it is still working fine. No, it ain't the fastest one I own, but it sure ain't the slowest one either. Speed is pretty average, which is adequate for me.

Incidentally, the other SanDisk model that I owned (the regular Cruzer model) is probably my least favorite one. Not only did my own Cruzer not work properly, but I 'accidentally' broke the same model owned by my co-worker. HOW EMBARRASSING! Not that I believe it was really my fault - that model was a real piece of junk. I wouldn't trust it to chew my bubble gum for me, let alone carry my data.

WARNING: When I say this model is relaiable, that is not to say that I don't back it up every now and then! They do sometimes go missing!!

I purchased one of these units and it worked for about two weeks and then just stopped working. I tried it on two separate computers (work and home) and it could not be accessed. I googled "cruzer micro problems" and found a lot of other people have experienced similar issues. These units are definitely hit or miss, which isn't how it should be. My Lexar flash drive works fine in both computers so I know its not a problem on my end.

The Cruiser Micro 1.0 Gb comes with three colored(mine were pink, blue and clear) sleeves that act as a cap for the device itself. Depending on its current use, they slide on and off the flash drive.
...but they slide a bit too easily.

So when you're all out of sleeve, your poor flash drive has nothing to protect it from the harmful elements of your book bag or the static on your sweater when you wear it around your neck.

BUT, this flash drive never had a chance to lose all three sleeves. It died randomly when I was trying to save a programming project on it. It started off saving like it usually does, but this this time it took a ridiculous long time for a file that was under 2 Mb. But I let it save anyways without disturbance. After about 5 minutes, it finished, or at least, the save window closed. I opened up Windows Explorer but was unable to access my hard drive. The drive never worked again. Please note that while the drive was connected to my PC it wasn't smacked, touched or jarred as my tower is several feet away from all physical motion.

On the bright side while it was still working, I enjoyed all that external harddrive space. And the bright LED that lit up was particularly useful when figuring out if data was still being sent from the computer. I didn't care for the programs that came with it, but it had some sort data encrypter if anyone is interested.
All in all, I think I got what I paid for.

This is a hardy little flash drive. I've owned it for about 1 year and it helped me while I finished school. It has also become an invaluable work resource on the road. It's been through the laundry twice and come out with flying colors.

Pros:
1. Large file capacity makes it easy to transfer data files, pictures, and music files with ease.

2. Hardy body style (metal with rubber sleeve, much better than old plastic body style)

3. Small size makes caring it around a breeze

4. Slim design does not block other USB ports - this is one of my favorite features and the reason I own 2 San Disk flash drives.

Con's:
1. While rubber sleeve is nice, it can slide off easily, not sure I would have made this a removable feature

2. Not easy to snap cap on back of unit. I really like a feature that keeps me from losing the cap, old San Disk allowed for this.

3.I didn't end up using the locking software. It was a bit confusing, so I simply deleted it from the flash drive.

Overall:
Good product, slim and easy to carry around. Worth looking at if you are searching for a good flash drive at a reasonable price. Make sure you do your research to find one that best fits your needs. I think San Disk has some newer models that I would consider next time I buy, if I can ever manage to break it...

Pros: Reliability, Size, Speed, The way it attaches to your key ring
Cons: Skins slide too easily
I work for a company that purchases a lot of USB flash drives. This one is by far the best, and is now the only one we purchase. Unlike many we have purchased, this drive works in every USB port we have ever tried it in (some others, particularly the Lexmarks) don't work well in the USB ports in Dell monitors and some USB hubs). The part where you attach it to your key ring is part of the drive (not the lid or some removable part) so it's not going to fall off your key ring like some others do. I don't really care about the removable skins, they actually are a bit of a nuisance as they tend to slide forward when trying to plug the drive in, but they do protect the drive. This drive is also considerably smaller in physical size than most others. As for speed, it rivals or exceeds any other USB flash drive we have used.

Reviewers of Sandisk Cruzer drives have sometimes stated that their read/write speed is less than 480 MB per second. I have seen this in several forums.

The Sandisk Cruzer 2.0 flash drives are capable of transferring data at the advertised speed but ONLY if you are transferring data between the Cruzer and another drive thats just as fast.

For example if I transfer photos from my 256 MB Cruzer to my 1 GB Cruzer it is almost instant. However if I transfer photos from my computers hard drive to my Cruzer Micro 1 GB drive it takes much longer. The reason is even though the Cruzer can read or write data at 480 MB per second, my computers hard drive can only read or write data at 33 MB per second.

The portability and convenience of these tiny drives is so great though that speed for the most part is secondary. They are so easy to use. You just do a copy/paste to or from the Cruzer and your done.

I'm sure that if you buy one you won't be sorry.