Sandisk 512MB CRUZER MINI ( SDCZ2-512-A10 )

Rating:
Summary: No problems
Review: I don't know what is up with the other reviewers sandisks but I've had no problems with it. It works well with Apple computers and and my Windows XP destop computer. As soon as I put it in the USB port it is recognised and compatible. Looks like only those who had had bad experiances with Sandisk wrote here. Either they have a weak USB port(it happens) or they got a screwed up sandisk cruiser(often happens if you dont properly 'eject' it from your computer, you just cant pull it out of the USB port when you are done).

Rating:
Summary: Favorite Christmas Present
Review: I got my flash drive for Christmas (2004) and have been using it constantly for the last 3 weeks. I can't comment on SanDisk customer support as other reviewers have. I can say that I love this flash drive.

I see it not as a backup system but as a really big floppy (in terms of space).

I was spending a lot of time burning CD-Rs to copy files I was working on. The flash drive has been quite convenient, and copying my files is much faster than burning a CD (and less wasteful when copying files that are works in progress).

I have used it with Windows 2000 Pro and XP Home (back and forth). So far no problems.

(I am taking the other reviews to heart and keeping backups of my files.)

Rating:
Summary: Had it for 1 day so far...no problems whatsoever.
Review: I had no trouble installing the device. Just plug into usb port and the computer recognized it. I transferred some files to and from various computers and laptops, so far so good. I give it 3* only because i only used it for 1 day. If and when it breaks down...I will report.

Rating:
Summary: USE WITH CAUTION
Review: I have a 512MB mini cruzer that was loaded with files. This technology sure is convenient until it decides to stop working. Be carefull. I have a classroom of 15 students and two of them have had these products fail. The reason I am leaving this review is that I just had mine fail. You will get an IO error and the drive can not be accessed. Sandisk support recommemdation? ........reformat the drive. Be sure to have back-ups of all your files because in my experience, these are not reliable products.

Rating:
Summary: I read ALL of these reviews and THEN bought one anyway
Review: I just got this in the mail a couple of days ago, so maybe I'm wrong here...but let me just say this anyway. I think it needs hearing.

This is the greatest device to come along in a while. Not the SanDisk Cruzer specifically, but thumbdrives in general. If you're a techie at all, you need to carry one or relinquish the title.

I was very queasy about all the 1-star reviews which mostly said "I just lost everything on the drive and it's broken and in the garbage can as I write this." Not those words exactly, but you get the idea.

I bought it anyway. I know there are computer users, and then there are computer lusers. Those 1-star reviews are, honestly, written by people who have no business using a computer. They are the kind of ignoramus that does not understand what C: means and still using AOL dialup at $20/month.

Listen up! I'm not saying you have to be smart to use this, but you can't treat the thing like it's a toaster! There's a big green light on the end of this drive. No! The end WITHOUT the plug on it. The light is very bright so I know you see it! You cannot remove the thing when that light is on! It will turn off after you do a "safely remove drive". Until then, it will probably remain lit. If you remove the thing when that light is on you deserve to lose your data.

Buy this thing. You will love it. Or even better, get the 1GB model. You can never have enough hard drive in your pocket.

Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread !
Review: I own several of these Cruzer mini's (2 of the 256 and 1 of the 512 size). They work great and are really fast (even with my "old" 1.1 USB ports). My Win XP computers (one at home, one at work) immediately recognized & installed the Cruzer Mini as soon as I plugged it in the first time.

I use them to back-up my important info on my computers. I also use one to transfer data from my work computer to my home computer every week.

Each is the size of a pack of gum and weighs only 1/4 ounce. I just carry one in my pocket.

No problem with the caps staying on.

Just be sure to always click the "remove hardware" icon in the service tray in the bottom right-hand corner of your computer screen before you unplug the Mini. This will keep it from being corrupted.

Rating:
Summary: Can't live without it!
Review: I use this Cruzer constantly. It truly makes my files mobile and gives super flexibility. No signs whatsoever of daat corruption.

Rating:
Summary: Very Convenient, But...
Review: I've had some problems with data becoming corrupted in my 128MB version. Whether this is due to the components found within the flash drive or whether it's being exposed to a strong magnetic field or radiation from sun storms that're doing it is beyond me. But a device like this needs to be ultra reliable to be effective. Mine hasn't given me any problems lately.

Rating:
Summary: So far, so good.
Review: Lately, I've been bringing my notebook computer to a local bookstore/cafe to do some writing. It's a cozy place but pretty noisy. The selection of music over the speakers wasn't the greatest either. I decided that I would make my own mix of MP3 music files and bring them along so I could listen to them through my headphones. Since I'm working on my notebook computer, I didn't want to run the files off of my hard drive, which would run down my battery. My solution was to load all the MP3 files on a Flash Drive - no moving parts, a much smaller drain on battery power. I purchased the SD 512 Flash drive. The following is my experience with this device:

The unit itself is a pretty small device. (See product details above for size, etc) and has a total capacity of 512mb. The actual usable memory is closer to 487mb or so. This is due to the software/operating/security program that is preloaded onto the drive. I run Windows XP on my notebook, and the SanDisk booted up immediately without any problems. You can "lock out" anyone from viewing your files by running the security program. Be careful not to quick click through the prompts as you may miss entering the password. You can also download the latest encrption software for free. According to Sandisk, the new lock/encrption program is fourteen times more secure and is a much better program.

Performance was smooth as silk. There were no drivers to install and the plug and play feature worked the very first time. I "mix" my MP3's on my desktop computer which runs Windows ME and transfer them on the Sandisk to my notebook which runs Windows XP. There were no problems in switching back and forth between systems. I've heard that you need to download drivers if you run Windows 98. I do not know how well this drive works under '98' but it seems to work great with ME or XP. I loaded and ran my MP3 files from the Sandisk and was able to play back my music files without a hitch. Since this is a flash drive, you can load practically any type of file you want on it, be it photo files, documents etc. I decided this particular drive would be used just for music files. There is a green light at the end of the drive which flashes rapidly whenever the drive is being used. Which brings me to the next point...

If you have not used one of these devices before, it is extrememly important to *disconnect the device properly* before you physically remove it. You must first click on the "remove device" icon. The operating system will disconnect and will then tell you that removal is safe. If you just *unplug the device* without proper shut down procedures, sooner or later, you will most likely either fry your unit or corrupt the data. This is not a defect with the unit, you must remove all flash devices in this manner. Those of you who are familiar with the Sony Playstation know that if you pull out the memory card before it is finished saving, you will end up with corrupt data or a damaged card. The same holds true for flash disk devices.

There have been reliability issues associated with this unit, but I am either a very lucky guy or the reports of failure are due to user error, i.e. unpluging the unit before shutting down properly. Perhaps their was a bad batch of them. I don't know. What I do know is that the unit has performed great, (so far), and I am very pleased with the performance and price. There are promotional discounts given my some vendors, so if you can snag one with a rebate, you'll be paying only a few dollars more for this 512mb over a 256mb.

As far as the music that's loaded onto my Sandisk Cruzer, I've got a good selection of trance, new age, classical and eurodance.
Just in case you wanted to know. <grin>

Rating:
Summary: Could not get it to work with usb 2.0
Review: My computer has usb 1 and 2. It would not work with the usb 2.0. I only got a nasty yellow exclamation point on the screen. I restarted the computer with the device plugged in the usb 2.0 port, and got only a black screen -- computer would not even start. It seemed to work fine in the usb 1.0 port. Frankly I would have been happy with that, but since it is advertised as usb 2.0 compliant -- then it should be so. I took it back.