Customer Reviews

Lexar Media JD256-231 256 MB USB 2.0 JumpDrive

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

This is a generic review of Windows XP's support of USB 2.0 mini-drives that are attached to USB 2.0 hardware ports. If this is not your environment, then please pass on this review. Otherwise, you would serve yourself well to share my experiences and testing. The rating of the Lexar Jumpdrive Pro 2.0 will either be a 5-star or a 1-star depending on your environment, so I gave it a 3-star. (There was no problem with any of my 2.0 mini-drives when I tested them on WIN98 with USB 1.1 ports.) I'm not picking on the Lexar.

I'll go right to the bottom line and tell you that I've found that these drives may perform VERY poorly in Windows XP SP1. They will appear to perform well, compared with similar USB 1.1 drives, only if you are copying a very small number of very large files. They will perform incredibly slowly compared to their USB 1.1 brethren, if you reverse the scenario and copy a directory of say 500 or more very small files.

I'll provide the solution now and then tell you about some tests I've run. THE SOLUTION: Format your mini-drives as "NTFS". (THEY DO NOT COME FORMATTED THAT WAY!) If you do, they will perform very well on USB 2.0 ports under WinXP SP1. It does mean, however, that you won't have portability to a WIN95, WIN98, WINME system (if you want high performance in WinXP).

If I've still got your attention, read on please.

I own an Iomega 1.1 Mini Drive and have purchased and returned two Lexar JumpDrive Pro 2.0 devices, a SanDisk Cruzer Mini, and almost returned my newest, a PNY Attache 2.0. I've also had a dialogue with someone in a forum who issued a similar complaint about his Sony MicroVault 2.0 device. I kept the PNY to have something to test with as I probed this issue, and have now just purchased another Lexar JumpDrive Pro because it prices well, and it also performs well if formatted as "NTFS".

After considerable experimentation and a frustrating 20 or so hours on the internet, I made my discovery!

After reading an Amazon reviewer boast that he copied a single 135MB file in under a minute, I decided to try that myself ... and it copied quickly, considerably beating the performance of my Iomega 1.1 device. Astounded at this, I became curious about whether WinXP had an issue with FAT and FAT32 on these devices.

I created a benchmark of a directory containing 508 icons totalling only 1MB of data, occupying 2MB of disk. Formatted at the default FAT or FAT32, the copy took an incredible 2 min. 56 secs., and I could read each file name as Windows revealed them during the copy. I decided that, before returning the PNY, I would format it as "NTFS" just "to see what would happen". It copied in 2 or 3 seconds!!!!!

To prove to myself this wasn't a freak event, I went back to my earlier benchmark which was a client's web site having a root folder weighing 44MB and containing 1800+ files. It had previous copied to my Iomega 1.1 Mini Drive in 1 min. 34 secs., but on my Lexar JumpDrive Pro 2.0 and the SanDisk Cruser Mini 2.0 the times ranged between 5+ mins. to just under 10 mins. On the PNY 2.0 device formatted "NTFS", it took around 52 secs. My newly purchased Lexar ran in about the same 52 secs. (compared to 8+ mins. when formatted FAT32)

My final benchmark was a folder containing 3 files, weighing 44.5MB. They copied in 46 secs. to the Iomega 1.1, in 23 secs. to the PNY 2.0, and in 19 secs. to the new Lexar.

To lend a bit of credibility to these tests, I should tell you that I had taken the Lexar 2.0, the SanDisk Cruzer 2.0 and my Iomega 1.1 to a demo computer at Best Buy and the results were consistent. That machine was a Compaq Presario with 6 "Certified" 2.0 ports with WinXP SP1. So it's unlikely that my personal environment was unique.

This has been surely an oddball "review", assuming Amazon publishes it, but it should dramatically benefit many of you buying these devices. Thanks for your time.

Wearable on the keychain, the new Lexar USB 2.0 Jumpdrive is a 256MB flash memory drive that works on both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 interfaces. If you use Windows 2000 or XP, you don't even need to install any drivers; it's true plug-n-play. The transfer speed is good, although you won't get 480 Mbps on USB 2.0 due to bottlenecks with flash technology and the actual interface. But that's not a complaint at all since the speed is comparable to hard disk-based drives. And best of all, you don't worry about any moving parts being broken. Ultra-portable, high-quality, fast... I'm happy with my Jumpdrive, until the 1GB version comes out. :)

Just kidding. For those who need good portable memory for laptops, this compact little unit can't be beat. It bests its nearest competitor--the Sony Micro-Vault 256--in price, speed, and size. File transfers on a USB 2.0 connection are quick, faster than a ZIP drive, and the device is out-of-the-box compatible with Windows 2000 and XP; those with older OSs will probably need to download drivers. It does have some drawbacks, though:

--It's not very durable. A co-worker of mine dropped his, and the plastic--yes, plastic--case cracked; he's lost everything he had on the unit. Also, as another reviewer noted, the pocket clip doesn't hold up well. I don't recommend keeping it on a keychain or belt, where a simple jostle can send it flying. Keep it in your laptop bag or bookbag, or even in your pocket.

--There are mixed results when used with 1.1 ports. It's slow, (though still faster than most ZIP drives), and one may need a downloaded patch or two to get things running properly.

--Although it's supposed to be Mac compatible, a warning to Mac users: You may have some compatibility issues that are not easily resolved. Honestly, this works best with Windows.

Even with these problems, this is still the best portable memory on the market, and is the prime reason my ZIP drive is gathering dust.

The Lexar JumpDrive 2.0 Pro is my first entry into this type storage device. As a College Instructor teaching Computer Applications courses, I am frequently transferring files between various Windows operating systems. With no writable CD drive, transferring files larger than 1.44 MB requires zipping or mailing  and these are very limited options. For me, the JumpDrive solves many problems including backing up critical files quickly and transferring large files (photos, Access databases, PowerPoint presentations, etc.) between PC's.

The first time I plugged the JumpDrive into a USB port, the drive worked. On Win-98 PCs I did need to install the driver. A Sony Vaio laptop running XP and a Sony PC running ME both recognized the JumpDrive immediately. One caveat: Close the JumpDrive before unplugging. This is accomplished by clicking the icon located on the status bar.

All in all, the Lexar 2.0/Pro JumpDrive is a great investment, and I found no price better than that on Amazon.com.

I'm very pleased with the Lexar 256MB JumpDrive. I use it on my Windows 2000 SP4 system to perform daily "delta" backups in between my monthly CD backups. I use WinZip to zip up all files containing a set archive bit, copy the zip file to my flash drive, and then disconnect the flash drive. I attach the drive to the rear of my computer via a USB extension cable (not supplied).

This drive, though, does lack several features found on other flash drives that may affect your purchase decision. Since I just use it for bulk storage only, it's ideal for me.

Windows 2000 SP4

Pros:
. . . o USB 2.0 support.
. . . o Fast transfer speed.
. . . o Activity LED.
. . . o Built-in plastic key ring hole and plastic pocket clip.
. . . o Low price.

Cons:
. . . o No write protect switch.
. . . o No USB extension cable.
. . . o No neck strap/cord.
. . . o Supports only one filesystem partition.
. . . o No filesystem password protection.

For my data security needs, I own a different flash drive that supports all the features listed in the "Cons" section including support for one to two filesystem partitions where one partition can be password protected.

The Lexar JumpDrive 2.0 Pro is a good USB flash drive, and is "future ready" with USB 2.0.

What's good:
cool blue plastic shell; not painted so color won't rub off
USB 1.1 & 2.0 compatible; 4.5MB/s claimed write speed with USB 2.0

What's not so good:
Power hungy - wants 500mA from the USB port so it doesn't work on the USB port on my Mac keyboard. :( Other (USB 1.1) drives draw only 100mA.
Longish; not as compact as the regular JumpDrive

Overall a roomy drive for not very much money, and fast if you have USB 2.0. I only wish it drew less power. :/

This may not be a well-publcized fact, but the Lexar JumpDrive 2.0 Pro _does_ have a write-protect switch! There is a small slot in the side of the drive (near the L in Lexar) where you can stick a paperclip to move a switch toward the USB connector, and viola! The drive is now write-protected.

Admittedly, this is not a terribly well-positioned switch, but by the same token, it's great that it's impossible to un-protect accidentally.

I just thought I'd share this nugget with people, since even Lexar's own documentation dosen't mention this!

I've had my Lexar 256mb Pro 2.0 jump drive only a short time, but it has performed as other reviewers have described. Here's how to format it for NTFS, using Windows XP:

From the Start Menu, select Run, and type CMD.
In the window, type: convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs
In the example above, typing "convert G: /fs:ntfs" (without the quotes) would format drive G: with the NTFS format.

This takes only a few seconds and as mentioned in a previous review, it does improve the speed noticeably.

This product works great for me on WinXP and Win2000. However, I'm unable to use it through a 4-port unpowered hub, since apparently this drive needs more than 100mA of current. (powered hubs provide something like 500mA per downstream port.) If you have an unpowered USB hub, don't plan to use your jump drive with it. I'm a bit annoyed that nowhere in the marketing materials is this published - hence this review.
On the plus side - at least the driver told me about the power problem right away the first time I plugged it in so I knew what the problem was.

This drive has an actual capacity of about 249-250 MB. It works fine with both Linux [RHL 9] and Windows [2000, XP etc.] so far. The Win98 drivers require some work on your own. Some helpful driver links in this regard would include:

[1] http://www.everythingusb.com/hardware/index/Lexar_JumpDrive_Sport_user_reviews.htm
[2] http://outbox.lexarmedia.com/son-download209865/JDSport2.zip
[3] http://www.lexarmedia.com/drivers/files/JumpDrive_2.1.exe
[4] http://www.lexarmedia.com/drivers/index.html

Link [2] is especially non-intuitive, and I found it to be the necessary file for the usb drive to work, and I found it via [1]. It's sad that the Lexar website doesn't provide a direct link to that file.

Instructions:

Download driver file [2], unzip it.
Save all 3 files into a folder in your C: drive. Name it "Lexar"
Now plug in the JDrive Sport. When the Windows 98 wizard asks for a driver, just point it to the folder "Lexar" you created with the driver files inside it. If the windows wizard never popped up, try running the downloaded executable [3], and it will at some point ask for the driver, whereupon you can point it to c:\Lexar etc.