Lexar LEHZE8GBASBNA Echo ZE 8 GB USB 2.0 Backup Drive

by Lexar

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 5 x 7 inches ; 1.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0031RG29M
• Item model number: LEHZE8GBASBNA
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 6, 2010

Product Description

Capacity: 8 GB

The Lexar Echo ZE: Your Simple, Automatic, Portable Backup Solution Whether you're a business professional on the road, a student doing homework at a friend's house, or someone simply using a laptop in a cafe, it's important to ensure the files on your netbook or notebook are protected. Lexar Echo portable backup drives provide a convenient way to automatically back up your files on the go.

Thanks to Lexar Echo ZE's backup software functionality and its extremely easy-to-use interface, saving and protecting valuable data such as documents, presentations, photos, audio, and video files is no longer a tedious task. Restoring data is just a click away.

Its tiny profile makes the Lexar Echo ZE a plug-and-stay solution

Faster File Saves
Unlike traditional backup software, Lexar Echo backup software provides you with an option to store only new and modified files, thus reducing system overhead.

Built-In Versioning
Define the number of versions you want to keep, preserving multiple iterations of a file for later use. At any moment, you can travel back in time to access a file's previous version, and you'll be prevented from losing any data, even if a file was inadvertently modified or erased.

Continuous, Automatic Protection
Leverage continuous data protection (CDP) technology to automatically detect changes to files and back them up onto the storage device without user intervention. You won't need to worry about manually backing up data or scheduling it; Echo backup software will take care of it for you 24/7.

Custom Configuration
Filter by file extension, date, or size. With numerous configuration options, Echo backup software provides a flexible tool that allows you to easily choose the data you wish to backup.

128-Bit Encryption for Safe Data
The Lexar Echo ZE offers optional 128-bit AES encryption for your backup data, so you'll really have peace of mind if you're working with sensitive data on the go.

Cross-Platform Support
Your data is seamlessly available whether you are using a Mac or a PC system. Echo backup software delivers the same powerful backup features and ease of use on both platforms for a consistent experience.

Reliable, Automatic Backup of Essential Files In Three Easy Steps
The Lexar Echo ZE provides powerful automatic backup, yet it's easy to use. You can get live, automatic backups in three simple steps:

Step 1) Launch the built-in backup software on the Lexar Echo ZE, select your language and accept the license agreement.	Click to view larger
Step 2) Create your profile name and, if you want encrypted backups, create a password to access your encrypted backup files later.	Click to view larger
Step 3) Select your backup plan: choose Automatic to quickly and easily back up your key folders (Documents, Photos, etc.), or choose Custom to select your own folders and schedule. Then click "Apply" and you're all set. That's all there is to it!	Click to view larger

Find the Lexar Echo Backup Solution That's Right For You
Lexar's Echo series offers a number of portable backup solutions in different sizes to ensure that you can find the protection that's right for you.

	Lexar Echo SE	Lexar Echo ZE
Size	54.2mm x 21mm x 10.44mm	20.1mm x 15.1mm x 7.6mm
Storage Capacity	16GB to 128GB	8GB to 32GB
Write Speed	10MB/sec	Not Rated
Read Speed	28MB/sec	Not Rated
Usage Model	Ultra Portable	Plug & Stay
Backup Software	Lexar Echo Backup Live and incremental backup Targeted backup Versioning Multiple profiles	Lexar Echo Backup Live and incremental backup Targeted backup Versioning Multiple profiles
Security	AES 128 bit	AES 128 bit
Compatibility	Windows and Mac	Windows and Mac
Warranty	5 Year Limited Warranty	2 Year Limited Warranty

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Worked ok...eventually, May 29, 2010

By 

RG (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Lexar LEHZE8GBASBNA Echo ZE 8 GB USB 2.0 Backup Drive (Personal Computers)

(What's this?)

I'm not crazy about the design of this drive. It's poorly thought-out. It's small, which is the only positive. But what am I supposed to do with a cap on a drive designed to be plug-and-stay? Put it in a drawer and forget about it? And if I ever do want to take it anywhere, there's absolutely no place to attach a lanyard or keychain or anything. Very user-unfriendly design.

But design limitations aside, let's talk about performance. If it works well, I can live with the design limitations. So I tested it against my other flash drives (I'm running Windows 7).

Backup test - unencrypted (using the included software)
2.8GB, 8200 files
Echo ZE 8GB - 113 minutes
Echo SE 16GB - 16.5 minutes
OCZ Rally2 8GB - 17 minutes

Straight file copy, 1.3GB, 4800 files:
Echo ZE 8GB - 54 minutes
Echo SE 16GB - 7 minutes
OCZ Rally2 8GB - 6.5 minutes
Sandisk Cruzer Titanium 2GB - 11.5 minutes

Then I deleted the files I just copied:
Echo ZE 8GB - gave up after 20 minutes, about 400mb had been deleted. It kept freezing so I just quit.
Echo SE 16GB - 2 minutes
OCZ Rally2 8GB - 2.5 minutes
Sandisk Cruzer Titanium 2GB - 3.5 minutes

So as you can see at this point, the performance is absolutely horrible. It's by far the slowest drive I have ever used. And not just by a little bit. I was ready to give it a 1-star review and call it the worst flash drive ever. But instead I reformatted it to NTFS (it's FAT32 by default) and re-ran the same tests and got these results:

backup - 27 minutes
copy - 10 minutes
delete - 2.5 minutes

A HUGE improvement. Still not fantastic, but at least it's in the ballpark. I'm not sure why I needed to format it to NTFS. All my other flash drives are FAT32.

As for the backup software, it's kinda mediocre. The ability to encrypt and password protect your backups is nice. The backup features are fairly minimal. As another reviewer noted, it doesn't allow you to pick and choose individual files. You either have to choose certain file types or entire folders.

Overall I'd give it 3 stars because the performance (even with NTFS) is only so-so, the backup software is mediocre, the design is lackluster, and I had to figure out on my own that I needed to reformat it just to get average performance. I'd definitely recommend the Echo SE over the ZE. It has all the same functionality with much better performance and a better design (capless, retractable, with a notch for a lanyard).

6/1 - edit
Sorry I made a huge error when I first posted the review. I had all references to the ZE and SE reversed. The SE has superior performance and is the drive that I would recommend, not this one. I've corrected all the typos.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Most HANDY-Mini Backup Drive?, May 24, 2010

By 

USMC Combat Vet "Retired!" (Oceanside, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Lexar LEHZE8GBASBNA Echo ZE 8 GB USB 2.0 Backup Drive (Personal Computers)

(What's this?)

I only have the smallest 8 GB version so it's usefulness as a true backup drive is pretty limited. But first things first. The product arrived and after declaring WAR on the packaging...I actually thought they forgot to ship this unit at first. It is that small! Insert it into the USB port of your choice, and it only protrudes out about 1/4 inch. Simply amazing and makes it so easy to just leave installed at all times. So I plug it in and had a problem right away. The default backup program was not there! It offered me to open to view files, or do a MAC backup, or allow my Windows 7 to do IT'S backup, but no Windows backup (the Lexar Backup that is).

I had to wait till Monday to contact tech support. It is a call paid for by ME, not a toll free call.....it is to Berkeley California. I am put through the expected dozen prompts to get to the correct department (I hoped), and FINALLY, arrive to the correct extension. Now I am on hold for 20 minutes (remember, it is ME paying for this call!) and eventually get a support rep named Dorothy. From India.....NOT happy now and the language barrier is one of my toughest encounters ever with this particular woman. But she turns out to be able (after putting me on hold again while she "researched" my problem), to help me. She gives me the link to the software download I had not been able to find online myself, to allow me to download the proprietary software my unit was missing. But not so fast, have to do a FORMAT of their drive first, and not a quick format, but the ugly kind. Long story short, I eventually got through all the hoops and plugged the drive back in and sure enough, it finally works.

Now if you want one of these tiny drives to really do a REAL backup, I am sure you know that 8 GB is probably not going to be a big enough drive? You may want to consider one of their larger drives instead. But it is so worth the effort to use whichever size, if for no other reason, than to have this hardly even noticeable thing plugged in all the time to backup on the fly. You can schedule your backups, or do the way I am doing, and that is LIVE BACKUPS. Takes care of everything on the fly. It is a completely flexible system, choosing the most important items (to some?) or you can set up specific items to take care of. Love the encryption tool as well. It's just nice to have this very minuscule thing you never even notice, taking care of me when I am being my ordinarily lazy old self! The backups are quick enough, everything now works wonderfully after such a rocky start. I would give it 5 stars but the fact YOU have to pay to call tech support if you have any sort of problem, the fact my unit arrived missing some of the built in software, the fact I have to deal with outsourced support from India, well, I would rate this just 3 stars ordinarily but it just works WAY too well and is WAY too tiny and efficient to not give it 4 stars. Just remember to buy as much as you need. I didn't need more to use it for my intended purpose. I only need to back up documents and a couple other items so it's just perfect for me.

24 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, Something to watch over my files, May 6, 2010

By 

Phyllis Jean (US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lexar Echo ZE 16GB USB 2.0 Backup Drive LEHZE16GASBNA (Personal Computers)

This little backup is AWESOME!!! I was a bit skeptical when I purchased this but figured I would use it as a flash drive if it didn't work as stated on the product page on Amazon.com. This powerhouse is more than what it says on line. I plugged it in and it immediately went to work on my Mac. I clicked on the files I wanted it to backup and I was DONE! I am famous for not saving my PPT files or my excel files, having my system crash and losing all my hard work. I set this up so it saves a copy of my work every 10 minutes - and it will backup 5 versions!!! This is so great - and I leave it in my computer!! This is seriously the easiest and coolest backup I have ever used!

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