SanDisk SDCZ4-256-A10 256 MB Cruzer Micro with Skins (Retail Package)

by SanDisk

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.9 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001F21IS
• Item model number: SDCZ4-256-A10
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 28, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Sandisk's Cruzer Micro is an incredibly small USB Flash Drive (UFD) that connects to a computer's USB port. This Cruzer Micro features 256 MB of flash memory storage. You can easily store your key documents, pictures, music and video clips on a Cruzer Micro and transfer them to another computer with a USB port. The new version of Cruzer Micro with Skins provides the capability to change the color of your Cruzer with new covers and caps.

It includes value-added software (for Windows only) for data encryption (CruzerLock 2), and trial version for back-up (PocketCache), and Outlook synchronization (CruzerSync).

Specifications/Features:

• Dimensions: 7.9mm x 18.95mm x 52.2mm (H x W x L)
• Stylish, metal casing with changeable colored skins and caps
• Hi-Speed USB 2.0 certified (backwards compatible with all USB 1.1 ports)
• Compatible with Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP and Mac OS 9.1.x+, OS X v10.1.2+
• Includes lanyard and 2 additional colored skins w/matching caps

Product Description

The SANDISK Cruzer Micro reminds us again that SanDisk is the most innovative USB Storage Drive designer in the industry! This stylish, diminutive drive can be slipped into a pocket or purse for easy transport or data files, image files, video and audio, between home or office and virtually anywhere else. Fully compatible with Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP and Mac OS 9.1+, OS X v.10.1.2+

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

170 of 174 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great size, nice design, works well too!, May 2, 2004

By 

Tony M. Phan (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SanDisk SDCZ4-256-A10 256 MB Cruzer Micro with Skins (Retail Package) (Personal Computers)

Yet another entry into the increasingly crowded flash drive market, Sandisk's Cruzer Micro sets itself apart with a great form factor and nice design. It's almost half the size of my Cruzer Mini, which was run over by a car and replaced by this. Instead of a green LED, you get a nicer-looking blue one. The body is plastic like on the mini, and feels really solid.

Write speeds are decent on a USB 2 machine, and livable on a USB 1.1 machine due to the slow interface. You won't get anywhere near the theoretical 480 megabits per second (60 megabytes per second) USB 2 peak data rate due to limitations of the memory controller and memory chips themselves. In testing, I get a little over 3 megabytes/second of read/write speed on a USB 2 equipped computer, and about 600-700 kilobytes/second on a USB 1.1 machine.

The Cruzer Micro comes with about 249MB free out of the box, which is a relief coming from Memory Sticks with 70+ MB missing due to formatting and copy-protection space.

You can also use the Cruzer Micro as the memory portion of an mp3 player that Sandisk is releasing, but seeing as it isn't available anywhere yet, the jury is still out on this added feature.

Why did I dock it one star? In use on USB 2 machines, the Cruzer Micro heats up quite a bit with extended read/writes with large files. This was noticed on both a Sony VAIO laptop and a Dell Dimension Desktop. On USB 1.1 machines the Cruzer did not heat up. It wasn't quite hot, more uncomfortably warm. I always worry since heat is the enemy of many electronics, and other flash drives I've used don't heat up to quite this degree. I did an exchange, and the replacement did the same thing. My Cruzer Mini also did this, so I'm not sure what to make of it.

Aside from the small heat issue, it's a tiny flash drive that looks great and works well. With prices dropping all the time on flash drives, the convienence of transporting your files around is now very affordable. Highly recommended.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SANDISK micro cruzer - tiny, cool and rugged, September 5, 2004

By 

Dennis Maeder "DLM" (Suburban MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SanDisk SDCZ4-256-A10 256 MB Cruzer Micro with Skins (Retail Package) (Personal Computers)

PROS:
tiny - memory and mouse stack together on laptop USB ports
cool - blue light when idle, so you know its there
rugged - been through the wash no problem

CONS:
tiny - gets lost in pockets! Put this baby on your key chain.
cool - blue light flashes when busy (disco anyone?)
ragged - caps don't stay on (2 supplied)

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The MOST for your money, July 20, 2004

By 

N. Parsons "IT Specialist" (Orange County, Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SanDisk SDCZ4-256-A10 256 MB Cruzer Micro with Skins (Retail Package) (Personal Computers)

After researching SEVERAL drives, this is the one I settled on. Not only was the price truly unbeatable, but the performance is great. As mentioned by others, the writing is a little slow...but as long as it gets on there its fine...who cares 20 seconds or 40 seconds... The ruggedness of it is also very helpful. Being an IT specialist, I carry it on my keyring and keep drivers and setup files on it. It's never let me down, and never cracked, even in the tightest squeezes on roofs or under desks. The blue light is kind of fun too. In short, for the memory size (256 is ALOT more than you think!), the price and the ruggedness, you will NOT get a better drive. Stop looking now...this could be the useful purchase you make - I know it was mine!!!