Customer Reviews

Kingston DataTraveler I - 4 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive DTI/4GB

5 star:		(937)
4 star:		(269)
3 star:		(65)
2 star:		(51)
1 star:		(92)

 

 

For the guy who posted above, there is no lanyard included with this flash drive.

I got this a couple days ago. Looking for something that could hold large files to let me switch from a laptop to desktop and back more easily (no more toting a whole external hard drive back and forth).

Other than cost (and this seems to be a good bargain), my other issue when looking at flash drives is speed (also I didn't want any of that U3 crud). I transferred a 490 MB file to the flash drive in just about 3 minutes. That's more than fast enough for me.

The flash drive has turned out to be a silver lining too. After I found out I would not be able to install Linux on my desktop, I found that I can actually install various Linux distros to the flash drive and boot from it instead (search for pen drive linux), with plenty of space still to spare.

After opening the package, I popped my DTI/4GB into a USB port and copied a number of relatively small files to it (310 files totalling 5.1 mb). It took a full 2 minutes (that's 44 kBps), which was slow enough to convince me I'd gotten a lemon (I copied the same files to my old Sandisk Cruzer 1 gb in 20 seconds). After a couple emails to tech support, Kingston advised me to return it for a new one.

The new one arrived quickly, but performed identically to the old one. For kicks, I installed Sandra 2008 and benchmarked the device's performance. I found that, for small files (512 B), the transfer rate was barely 1 kBps. I contacted Kingston support again, this time providing more details about my testing and the benchmark results I'd gotten out of Sandra. The tech confirmed that this is a low-end device, that the slowness I was experiencing was normal, and that I probably should have sprung for something in their DTS line (too rich for my blood).

Now the good news. If you don't tend to copy a lot of small files, you'll probably be perfectly happy with this device. Once the file size gets to about 256 kb, writes to this drive speed up nicely. Reads are always fast. And tech support was exemplary. My only other complaint would be that the cheap plastic case does not inspire confidence.

No matter how you look at it, however, this is not a 5-star item by any stretch of the imagination. Not even for the money.

Kingston 8GB DataTraveler USB flash drive - High Speed USB

In terms of meeting it's function, this Kingston Data Traveler seems very good so far, certainly as good as the other smaller capacity ones I own. And the 8 GB capacity on this guy makes it very useful for a lot of large file backups or USB storage and transfer. There are a few things to keep in mind but overall this is a solid product.

Pros:
+ Kingston brand is well deserved
+ Reliable performance
+ Nice capacity of 8 GB has you future proofed as smaller USB drives start to disappear
+ Durable body and NAND memory stands up to a lot of abuse
+ Compatible with old and new Mac and PC Operating Systems (XP, Vista, OS X)
+ Very light
+ Rear bar to connect a lanyard or keychain
+ USB 2.0 connection is backwards compatible for older computers
+ Very quickly mounts and stops
+ Less scum-ware and needless apps than some other drives
+ Easy to format and enable encryption to protect your data

Cons:
- Cap comes off easily and can be lost; inferior to retractable designs
- Lanyard or extender accessories not included
- Doesn't have the good looks of some drives like the Sandisk Cruzer Micro
- Still somewhat slow speed in copying large files, limited by USB transfer rate
- Same old body is larger than it has to be
- Keychain / lanyard attachment bar is too easily broken
- Pricing here doesn't change to reflect when this item goes on sale elsewhere

This is the same design that Kingston has used for these Data Traveler USB drives since the 1 GB I got quite a while ago.

Transfer speeds are comparable to other drives, but still slower than one would like. Load ups are fast and stops are only a little slower.

In order to enable encryption, there are a few ways but the best may be to use another tool to encrypt the drive after re-formatting it. This way you can test the drive as well as use the encryption you prefer.

The main real competition is from Sandisk, whose Cruzer Micro has a tab to retract the USB connector SanDisk 8 GB Cruzer Micro USB 2.0 Drive with U3 SDCZ6-8192-A11 (retail packaging). That way there's no risk of losing the cap, but there is more chance of getting dust in it. It is more expensive though.

Kingston produces some retractable ones as well.
Kingston DataTraveler 100 - USB flash drive - 8 GB - Hi-Speed USB - black
Kingston DT100/8GB Data Traveler 100 8 GB USB 2.0 Drive

Conclusion

This is a nice capacity in a small USB drive. Just watch the price and make sure you're getting it on par with prevailing prices

Enjoy!

This thumb drive is exactly what I wanted. Cheap, reliable, and without some kind of vendor supplied crapware that automatically runs when you insert the drive.

I use truecrypt for creating/using an encrypted partition. Works fine, but one word of warning. Format the encrypted partition as FAT. An NTFS partition running on a thumb drive can have dismount issues. Eventually, those issues will trash the partition.

I've run this drive for a month now and it has been fine even though it bangs around in a pocket with phone, knife, change, etc. A corsair drive failed after a few days of this treatment.

I found this thumb drive to be a very good one. It is 4GB, so it holds a large amount of data, and software. It is relatively tough, I have carried it in my backpack and have had NO problems with it. Also, I just bought a new laptop with Vista, and it works wonderfully! However, I also bought a Sandisk 4GB Titanium Drive and it was not compatible with my new laptop. Overall, I love this Kingston drive!

The Kingston Technology DataTraveler 16GB USB Flash Drive is the latest update from Kingston in their standard design. This model doubles the capacity of the Kingston 8GB DataTraveler USB flash drive that I have used alongside my many other flash drives for almost a year. All of these drives have worked very well for me.

The 16 GB capacity on this guy makes it very useful for even more file backups or USB storage than other drives. There are a few cons to this standard design, but over time they have come to seem even more minor. This is a solid product. I will have to use it a little longer before I can report on any other minor differences in durability or performance.

PROS:
+ 16 GB capacity allows even larger data backups than ever before
+ Durable NAND flash memory stands up to a lot of abuse
+ Compatible with Mac and PC operating systems (XP, Vista, OS X)
+ Kingston brand has well deserved reputation for quality
+ Reliable performance
+ Very light case
+ Rear whole to connect a lanyard or keychain
+ Rear bar to hold the cap while in use
+ USB 2.0 connection is backwards compatible for older computers
+ Very quickly mounts and stops
+ Less scum-ware and needless apps than some other drives
+ Easy to format and enable encryption to protect your data

CONS:
- Cap comes off easily and can be lost; inferior to retractable designs
- Not as attractive as the Sandisk Cruzer Micro
- Not crazy about the color scheme for the 16 GB model
- Slow USB rate still limits file transfer speeds
- Old body design is larger than needed
- Rear bar is easily broken or pulled out

Kingston has used the same design for these Data Traveler drives since the 1 GB I got quite a while ago. One thing that is different between each drive is the color scheme. This is a very minor detail, but the maroon accents on the 16 GB drive are not all that attractive compared to the purple used with the 4 GB model, for example.

Transfer speeds are comparable to other drives. In general, I think that top USB transfer rates have come to be much slower than I would like. In this case it's a trade-off for convenience. Load ups are fast and stopping the drive before removing it only takes a second.

There are a few ways in order to enable encryption. The best way may be to use another tool to encrypt the drive after re-formatting it. This way you can test the drive as well as use the encryption you prefer.

Kingston's DT100 and Sandisk's Cruzer Micro are alternative drives that also have retractable USB connectors. That way there's no risk of losing the cap, but there is more chance of getting dust in it.

Just as a small tip, the rear bar on the back of the standard Data Traveler drive can hold the cap in place while the drive is in use. Just *click* it onto that bar before you plug the drive into your USB port. So in that sense, the retractable models are still more convenient but you can minimize the chances of losing the cap with this one.

The SanDisk 8 GB Cruzer Micro does tend to be more expensive. Both the Kingston DataTraveler 100 and the Kingston DT100/8GB Data Traveler tend to add a little width, while the DT110 is designed to be much thicker for those who don't want a small drive.

Personally, I think selecting the drive which is priced the best at the moment might be the right strategy. I have never run out of uses for these drives and they also make great stocking stuffers.

CONCLUSION

It seems like thumb drive capacities continue to increase, and 16 GB is large enough to do complete data directory backups for many people. This much storage in a small USB drive is very useful. The price also seems to be more reasonable compared to previous drives. I definitely recommend you check this out.

Enjoy!

But after reading some of what is here, I felt the need to chime in and give this item the credit it is due and the positive rating it has earned.

Do I care about color schemes? No. Do I care about the possibility of cap loss? No; I tend to take good care of devices that contain sensitive or personal data. Do I care that a supplier may have delivery issues? Well, yes; but I'm not going to penalize an item and skew perceptions just so I can vent.

I own two drives of this same design and have nothing negative to say about them. Of these drives I ask very little - provide a bunch of storage space and don't lose my data. They do both of these very well.

One last word on the cap-less design: it may be a great choice for those who lose parts to stuff, but I have a hunch that the 'catch' that prevents unintended retraction will become worn after a time, rendering it difficult to use. A drive of this design that I have been borrowing from a friend is starting to show signs of this behavior and it's only a few months old. I could be wrong about this prediction, but I do know that the capped design will never experience this.

Good capacity, compact, cheap, from a known company with a reputation for reliability. I bought this as a backup device. It will fit easily not only into a pocket, but also into someone else's fire-resistant offsite file space. Data retention on these devices is supposed to be good, and with a batch of these, I never have to worry about where to keep an extensive backup set - they'll slip into a safe deposit box (unlike a stack of CD's) or into spaces between papers in a fire-proof cabinet. Unlike DVD-R's they have an establshed track-record on long-term data retention and will not be damaged by laying up against other objects in a drawer that may cause minor but destructive warps to a DVD.

Kingston, I've found, is more Mac-friendly than Sandisk or Lexar, and this 4-gig lightweight over-achiever literally shatters capacity and price barriers (remember when you couldn't get 128 mb for under fifty bucks?). No problems with performance--provided you can find the thing or don't inadvertently throw it out with a chewing gum wrapper. Your best bet is to attach it to a key ring, the sooner the better. But now comes the other, admittedly lesser, of the challenges: hanging on to the cover. If you attached the drive to a key ring or lanyard, the challenge is now even greater since the back part of the device won't be available for attachment of the cap.

One solution: spend an extra five bucks for the slightly larger Kingston drive with identical capacity and a retractable USB connection. Problem: it has no ring or hole--nothing to attach a key or neck chain to. Another solution: pick up the deeply discounted Sandisk Cruzer for twenty bucks. Problem: much of the memory is used up by Sandisk's gratuitous programs which, moreover, are not designed for Mac-compatibility.

I'm still waiting. In the meantime, maybe I'll get lucky and come across my latest Kingston that's MIA.

[Later: Transcend makes an affordable retractable flash drive (JetFlash V10) that attaches easily to a key ring and is noticeably faster in transferring files than this Kingston. Moreover, it's Mac-friendly, since its Vista software appears in the drive only if you choose to install it.]

To be fair, I did not purchase these particular items from Amazon, but rather through the university where I work, for my department. But they were all brand new Kingston Data Traveler 2GB in the original individual hard plastic packaging. I noticed that some of the other readers who purchased several of these items commented on the terrible failure rate, and thought I'd throw in more data. The 28 that do work are great, but the odds of getting a good one are absolutely unacceptable IMHO.