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Top USB flash drives for your netbooks

I for one am a big fan of USB flash drives as i find them the most convenient way to move files from one computer to another. These days they are compact, offer quite huge storage capacity and come for very good prices. That’s why in the rows below I’m going to tell you a couple of things about what you should look for in an USB flash drive and then I’ll offer a couple of examples of good USB drives that should cover the needs of all the netbooks’ owners.

First, let’s see the features the differentiate flash drives:

storage capacity: right now, you can get anything from 1 GB to 256 GB.
speed: you should check write/read speeds before buying. You will definitely find them on the producer’s site or better in some reviews from current owners.
size: size is quite important, and you can get devices even as small as a coin these days.
security: if you plan to store important data on your stick, one that supports encryption is a must.
other features: retractable USB connectors, waterproof, sync tools, etc.

And now, the examples I picked according to my experience with them (only some, not all), features and marks/reviews from current owners .

Transcend JetFlash – perfect choice for regular users

Trasncend Jetflash - standard flash drive for everyday use

The Transcend JetFlash is the perfect flash drive for the regular user. It doesn’t excel in size, storage space or features, but brings over just all the things you would need: 1 to 16 GB storage space, small enough shape, weighs just 7 grams, solid build quality and protection cap for the USB connector, lanyard, etc. In terms of speed and reliability, here’s where it really kick ass, as proven by the 4.6 out of 5 given by owners on Amazon. And comes with backup&sync features pre-installed.

The device offers of course encryption and can be password protected, that’s why is a good pick for those looking to store important data. Although it’s not really meant for that, being more a standard USB drive for everyday use. That’s why prices are pretty low also, the base 4 GB version costs around $10, the 8 GB around $18 and the 16 GB one around $38.

SuperTalent Pico-C – as small as it gets

SuperTalent Pico-C - as small as it gets

There are some of you looking for USB flash drives as small as possible, that you could easily attach to your key chains . And here’s where the SuperTalent Pico-C line comes, one of the smallest in this segment. As you can see in the pictures, these drives are just around 3 cm long (just a little bit bigger than a coin) and weigh less than 6 grams .

Although they are so small, they offer also very good performance levels (write/read speeds are just in the standard range) and come with storage spaces between 4 and 16 GB . The device comes with a lanyard also, but lacks any type of encryption.

Also, since they are so small, the SuperTalent Pico-Cs are just a little more expensive than other similar USB Drives: $15 for the 4GB version, $21 for the 8GB and around $40 for the 16 GB one. But, if you want the tiny cool looking (with an aluminum finish) Pico-C flash drive, you won’t mind the extra bucks.

LaCie iamakey – the fancy flash drive

Not just a key, but a Lacie iamakey flash drive

Unlike the Pico-C above that was so small you could easily attach it to your keys chain, this one looks exactly like a key, as you can see in the picture on the right.

It’s called the Lacie iamakey and since it’s a Lacie, design and looks are at their best. But features run close also. This flash drive comes in only two versions, with 4 and 8GB storage space, but offers good performances: 10 GB/s write and 30 GB/s read speeds. Is also waterproof and scratch resistant, thanks to the full metal body.

So, the Lacie iamakey is an USB drive for those looking for something more special, fancier. That’s why the increased price over other standard devices in this segment was expected. The 4 GB version costs $23.59 and the 8GB will cost $32.99 . It’s true you can get others for half the price, but they’re not as good and definitely as better looking as these ones.

Corsair Flash Voyager – the heavy duty drive

Corsair Voyager - heavy duty flash drive

The above drives were either meant for the standard user or for the ones looking for something fancy. The Corsair Flash Voyager is different, is a heavy duty robust flash drive designed to offer high end performance in virtually any environment.

It comes in many versions with up to 128 GB storage space and comes with a resistant rubberized exterior that is meant to offer protection from scratches, dust, shocks and make the drive water resistant. There’s also a sealed cap for the USB connector. You can drop them, throw them, boil them or even run them with a truck (according to the producers) and they’ll still work. Oh, and Corsair offers 10 years full warranty for the Voyager.

Prices are a little higher than standard ones, but still affordable, the 4 GB costs $19.99 , the 16 GB costs $36.99 and the high capacity 64GB version costs just $111.49 after rebate (that with a 45 bucks price cut).

Conclusion

There are actually so many types of flash-drives on the market right now it’s impossible to list all the best ones. For your netbook, you should pick the one for you by focusing on the needs, budget and also by reading reviews from magazines and opinions of those that already bought the one. If you want more alternatives for the ones above, you could pick some from this list of popular USB flash drives here.

In the end, if i were to pick, I’d go for the Lacie iamakey as i really like the shape and the looks . What would you guys pick? Either from the list above or maybe some other i didn’t include. Please leave your feedback via the comments form below.

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Tags: netbook accessories, storage drive, USB accessories

Last updated: September 27, 2011 | Published: April 10th, 2011 | See the comments or add yours!

Author: Mike - wrote 636 posts - see all posts by Mike

Andrei Girbea, aka "Mike", is the Owner and Editor in Chief at netbooklive.com . He's been dealing with gadgets and writing about them for years and now focuses more on portable computers, like netbooks, mini laptops and touchscreen tablets. You can follow him on Twitter.

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dgatwood
I wouldn’t buy almost *any* flash drives that I’ve seen. They’re almost all junk. With only a couple of exceptions, flash drives basically come in four categories:
1. The ones with small caps that are held on by the USB connector. These caps press against the USB connector when you have the thing in your pocket, which means over time, they flex the connector and eventually break it. For example, the first and fourth ones on your list fall into this category.
2. Awful ones that lack any protective shell at all (and often lack activity lights, so you end up getting massive data corruption rather quickly). I’m speaking specifically about the second one on your list.
3. The ones with caps that get lost. Without a cap, you get dirt and pocket lint in the connector, and life is not much fun. I’m thinking, of course, of the LaCie above when I say this, though there are plenty of others with this problem as well.
4. The ones with no cap at all that either slide or flip. Because there’s nothing keeping dirt and lint out of the connector… you get the idea. At least these are moderately robust if you don’t mind de-gunking them once in a while, but they’re still not that great.
A good flash drive should look like the old C10 style Kingston DataTraveler drives, but made of metal instead of plastic, with a sturdy latch to keep the cover from falling off every time you pull it out of your pocket.
Alternatively, I’d settle for a screw-on cover tube like the XtremKey or the Survivor. They’re not ideal from a design perspective, but they’ll do.
http://www.gettingaroundinchina.com Fred Richardson
My experience is quite different from dgatwood’s. I started using flash memory about five years ago, have had few problems. Most live in my pockets, and are generally the cheapest I can buy. My second was a 512MB, I’ve lost the cap a couple of times: some brands come with extra caps; I’ve always managed to find a friend with an extra cap in a drawer. I have never had problems with connector breaking, and little trouble with dirt and fuzz: I glance in the end if the cap has come off and blow it out if I see anything.
I’m a travelist (professional traveler) focused on China, so everything I carry leads a hard and portable life: in pockets, backpacks, and bags; on trains, buses, and bikes. Rough and often not very clean, dusty or wet.
I’ve used a series of Mac PowerBooks and Duos, then iBooks with OSX. The past two years, an EeePC 901 running Linux, and I’ll be moving to an EeePC 1018p as soon as it arrives.
For backup, I’ve used floppies, Zip and Orb disks, and CD-RWs. Currently (past five years) I leave a portable HD at home with a mirror of my computer at departure. Traveling, I use flash memory. Started with memory cards and a PC slot adapter, then moved to USB flash drives, and now use micro-SD cards and a tiny USB adapter. Wow, what an improvement over the earlier methods!
In China, I can pick up the adapter anywhere for less than $1. I see them around in the states for $5. My most recent micro-SD is 8GB, cost me $8 in China, and with a little searching I can find them online for about the same. I have seven or eight of those now, mostly 2GB and 4GB. Again, I don’t pay much attention to the brand: I buy the cheapest.
I made a tiny wallet out of plastic business card covers, holds all the microSDs with room in each pocket for a tiny note. Stuck the whole thing together with double-sided tape… A cute girl sighed at my fumbling attempts and helped me stick it all together, a bonus! I carry that little wallet in my money belt, it has about the bulk of five folded US$100 bills: Nothing.
I read and hear reports of flash memory and USB drives failing: I’ve never experienced it, but… So I do rotating BUs every couple of days: I always have a number of BUs, each a couple of days older than the previous.
I don’t use any backup software, just wipe the chip and copy my documents folder to it. Takes less than five minutes… I update the note while it’s copying.
I use the (very) old 512MB flash drive when I use Internet cafes: I keep it loaded with Portable Apps. If I pick up some malware from the public computer: well, it’s a small drive, doesn’t have much on it.
Hope this helps!
Chandu506
What about kingston USB flash drive? I have not seen you mentioning about it.Is there any reason?