MaximumPC 2006 09

E

ven though these USB keys look like

garden-variety thumb drives; there’s

more than meets the eye with this

group. Kingston’s DataTraveler is chock-full

of special software, OCZ’s Mini-Kart is the

smallest key we’ve ever tested, and Crucial’s

Gizmo Overdrive is light-speed fast. Let’s

take them all for a test drive to see if there’s

a worthy replacement for that hunk ‘o’ junk

on your key chain.

—TODD HASELTON

OCZ MINI-KART

The Mini-Kart is so small it could get lost

in a bag of potato chips if you weren’t

careful. Luckily, an included lanyard helps

you keep track of the wee device. Instead

of the standard rectangular metal USB

port, the Mini-Kart’s pins are out in the

open—it doesn’t even have a cap. Seems

iffy, but we ran the Mini-Kart through our

rigorous Pocket Test, and it (and our data)

survived

without any

problems.

The Mini-

Kart held

its ground

against the

competition

in speed

tests, and did

so without

all the extra

physical bulk

of the other

products.

The diminu-

tive size is really the Mini-Kart’s main selling

point. It doesn’t include any software at all,

which we’d normally ding a drive for, but

its low price makes us a little more lenient.

If you don’t care about security software

or have already purchased your own, by all

means take the Mini-Kart plunge.

KINGSTON

DATATRAVELER

The Kingston DataTraveler

is like the 1969 Mustang of

USB drives; it looks old but

has a ton of power under

the hood, thanks to its

preinstalled U3 software.

We last looked at the U3

bundle in April 2006, and

were unimpressed by the

included apps—most of

them being useless or meant for purchase.

This version of the bundle still leaves us

wanting more, but we have to admit that it

covers the basics. Utilities such as Skype,

Trillian, Thunderbird, and Firefox are must-

have tools, and they come on the key,

which is convenient.

For folks not in the know, the U3 interface

behaves like a Windows Start menu in your

system tray. You click it to access software,

look at the drive’s contents, or adjust settings.

Everything runs from the key, so you can plug

it into any PC and have all your favorite apps,

bookmarks, email, and so forth wherever you

go. You can even password-protect the drive,

although the contents aren’t encrypted.

The drive itself is rather bland-looking,

and is a standard USB-key size. It’s made

of plastic, so while we wouldn’t go BASE

jumping with it, it held up just fine during our

grueling Pocket Test.

Drives like the DataTraveler are a godsend

for travellers who frequent Internet cafes, but

we don’t think that’s a very common scenario.

For normal usage, the DataTraveler is simply a

solid key, nothing spectacular.

CRUCIAL GIZMO OVERDRIVE

Crucial pulled out all the stops with its new

Gizmo Overdrive key. This drive roars past

everything but Corsair’s fastest offerings.

The Gizmo’s read speeds are more

than twice as fast as the other drives’ and

its write speeds are 30 percent faster. This

kind of performance has a price, however,

as the Gizmo is twice as expensive per gig

as other keys we’ve tested.

Aside from its ability to swallow files

whole, the Gizmo includes awesome secu-

rity, dubbed PortableVault. It lets you add

files and folders into a 256-bit Blowfish-

encrypted partition. If you like to regularly

back up the data on your key (never a

bad idea), PortableVault includes a handy

backup utility that can also quickly restore

your files in case your key gets acciden-

tally formatted.

For portability, your options are to carry

the Gizmo in your pocket, or to wear it around

your neck, using the included foot-long lan-

yard. You cannot attach it to a key chain.

USB Flash Flood

Is one of these the key to your heart?

OCZ’s Mini-Kart is so thin

it could easily slide into

your wallet.

The Kingston DataTraveler sports the improved U3

interface, which lets you run all your favorite apps right

off the key.

Crucial’s Gizmo Overdrive has a silly name

but plenty of speed. It’s one of the fastest

flash memory keys we’ve ever tested.

$50 (2GB), http://www.kingston.com

KINGSTON DATA TRAVELER

SCORING

Decent software bundle

and good security.

SNORING^8

Looks outdated and cheap.

$28 (1GB), http://www.ocztechnology.com

OCZ MINI-KART

GO-CART

Ultra small, and you won’t

lose the cap because there

isn’t one.

SHOPPING CART^8

No software bundle, and

exposed connectors.

$96 (2GB), http://www.crucial.com

CRUCIAL GIZMO OVERDRIVE

BACKPACK

Fast speeds, encryption

and backup software,

handy lanyard.

FANNY PACK^9

Twice as expensive as

other keys. MA XIMUMPC

KICKASS

reviewsTESTED. REVIEWED. VERDICTIZED

84 MA XIMUMPC SEPTEMBER 2006

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