Introduction
As this is my first review at TE (actually anywhere) your comments/suggestions are most welcome.
OK, with the PR stuff outta the way let’s cut to the chase. I bought this drive from broar94 and it was he who asked me for a mini-review. With a little time on my hands nowadays I thought why not do a full-fledged review..
So here goes.
The Drive: Corsair Flash Voyager GT – 2GB
Model Number: CMFUSB2.0-2GBGT
Capacity : 2 GB
Dimensions : 8mm x 21mm x 70mm (D x W x L)
Read Speed: 34MB/s
Write Speed: 21MB/s
Warranty: 10 Years
Encryption Software Provided: TrueCrypt 4.2a
Here’s what the Corsair site has to say about the drive (and its younger brother the Flash Voyager)
Source: Corsair Memory - Flash Memory
[BREAK=Initial Impressions]
The drive with its bundled accessories
The drive looks really nice, unlike the other drab drives I had for comparison. The lanyard provided is a little too thick and loud for normal use. The USB extension cable could have been a little longer. But all in all nothing to complain about.
The drive in action
Nice blue LED which is also fairly bright
[BREAK=The Shootout]
To see what the drive’s got I decided to have a shootout between various flash drives I could lay my hands on, with HD Tach and ATTO Disk to benchmark them. Admittedly the other drives may not be in the same price range as the Voyager and only one is a 2 GB drive but since it is performance being measured here I think it doesn’t really matter.
The Contenders
(1) SanDisk U3 Cruzer Micro 1 GB
(2) Transcend JetFlash v30 1 GB
(3) Kingston Data Traveller Mini Fun 2 GB
[BREAK=Performance Comparison]
The starting lineup (the Cruzer went AWOL
)
The proof of the pudding
HD Tach
(1) SanDisk U3 Cruzer Micro 1 GB
(2) Transcend JetFlash v30 1 GB
(3) Kingston Data Traveller Mini Fun 2 GB
(4) Flash Voyager GT 2 GB
ATTO Disk Benchmark
(1) SanDisk U3 Cruzer Micro 1 GB
(2) Transcend JetFlash v30 1 GB
(3) Kingston Data Traveller Mini Fun 2 GB
(4) Flash Voyager GT 2 GB
[BREAK=Results]
(1) The Voyager BLOWS away the competition, with the Kingston Data Traveller a distant 2nd
(2) The Transcend is the laggard of the group but surprisingly has very decent random access times.
(3) The Kingston is by far the smallest of the lot (almost half the size of the Voyager)
(4) None of the drives has a cap which is attached to the body of the drive, making it very easy to lose the cap, or at least to drop it so that it ends up in the most inconvenient places. Reading around I discovered that this is the most common complaint against any flash drive. I really cant figure out why these manufacturers don’t have the sense to fix such a tiny issue. In this respect the SanDisk Cruzer is to be commended since it has a nifty little mechanism where the connector retracts into the body, making a cap unnecessary as well as protecting the connector from accidental damage.
Other Features
TrueCrypt
Basically what this involves doing is creating an encrypted “container†which can be mounted on one of the many virtual drives available. Any data can then be copied into/out of the container, and will be encrypted/decrypted on the fly. Don’t know much about this except that it works. There are plenty of encryption and hash algorithms available to choose from while creating the container. I had never before used an encryption software but a very detailed and useful user guide is a part of the software.
[BREAK=Final Thoughts]
This is one very satisfying drive. Even if the claims of “driving a SUV over the drive†are taken with a pinch of salt, there is no doubting the performance that this drive delivers. Various user comments at sites like Newegg seem to indicate that there are problems with the build quality (there have been reports of the USB connector breaking off from the body after a few months of prolonged use). This is particularly true of this drive’s younger brother, the Voyager. It remains to be seen whether Corsair learnt its lesson from all the feedback it received and if this drive will fare better.
Pros
(1) BLAZINGLY fast
(2) Looks pretty cool
(3) Rubber coating makes it waterproof, resistant to dirt
(4) Cheap for the performance it delivers
Cons
(1) Pretty large for its capacity
(2) Cap doesn’t connect to body
(3) Lint_Magnet
(4) Build quality a question mark
That's it guys.. Hope you liked the review
As this is my first review at TE (actually anywhere) your comments/suggestions are most welcome.
OK, with the PR stuff outta the way let’s cut to the chase. I bought this drive from broar94 and it was he who asked me for a mini-review. With a little time on my hands nowadays I thought why not do a full-fledged review..
So here goes.
The Drive: Corsair Flash Voyager GT – 2GB
Model Number: CMFUSB2.0-2GBGT
Capacity : 2 GB
Dimensions : 8mm x 21mm x 70mm (D x W x L)
Read Speed: 34MB/s
Write Speed: 21MB/s
Warranty: 10 Years
Encryption Software Provided: TrueCrypt 4.2a
Here’s what the Corsair site has to say about the drive (and its younger brother the Flash Voyager)
Code:
[LEFT]The Corsair Flash VoyagerTM family of USB drives is rugged, stylish, compact,
and reliable, making them ideal for transporting MP3s, digital images,
presentations and more. Flash Voyager drives are fully Plug and Play with most
operating systems and are backward compatible with USB 1.1. Their durable
rubber casing is easy to grip and water resistant.
The Corsair Flash Voyager family now comprises of two outstanding lines of
products. The Flash Voyager GT is designed from the ground up for speed,
optimizing transfer rates of both reads and writes. Flash Voyager now moves
own into the price/performance segment and is available in capacities ranging
up to 16GB!
Both the original Flash Voyager and Flash Voyager GT product line are
enclosed in the Corsair proprietary all-rubber Flash Voyager housing boasting
water-resistant properties, and these drives allows users to carry more
valuable data and applications without compromise. Several reviews of the
Flash Voyager products have demonstrated the ruggedness, durability, and
reliability of the Flash Voyager family. The Flash Voyager has been shown
laundered, baked, frozen, boiled, dropped, and even run over by a SUV in
many third party reviews. After all the punishment it receives, the drive
continues to work.[/LEFT]
Code:
FEATURES
• Plug & Play functionality in Windows® Vista, XP, 2000, ME, Linux 2.4
and later, Mac OS 9, X and later
• Includes the True Crypt security application allowing for a virtual
encrypted drive using AES-256 encryption
(bundled version of TrueCrypt is compatible with Windows XP and
2000 only)
• Lanyard and USB extension cable included
• ReadyBoost™ compatible
• Ten year warrantySource: Corsair Memory - Flash Memory
[BREAK=Initial Impressions]
The drive with its bundled accessories
The drive looks really nice, unlike the other drab drives I had for comparison. The lanyard provided is a little too thick and loud for normal use. The USB extension cable could have been a little longer. But all in all nothing to complain about.
The drive in action
Nice blue LED which is also fairly bright
[BREAK=The Shootout]
To see what the drive’s got I decided to have a shootout between various flash drives I could lay my hands on, with HD Tach and ATTO Disk to benchmark them. Admittedly the other drives may not be in the same price range as the Voyager and only one is a 2 GB drive but since it is performance being measured here I think it doesn’t really matter.
The Contenders
(1) SanDisk U3 Cruzer Micro 1 GB
Code:
[B]Specifications and Features: [/B]
o Capacity: 1GB
o Retractable USB connector
o Brilliant amber LED
o U3 smart enabled. Loaded with the following U3 programs
-CruzerSync synchronization software
-SignupShield password manager
-SKYPE "Make video calls from PC to PC"
-AVAST antivirus software
o Dimensions: 7.94mm x 20.6mm x 57.15mm (D x W x L)
o Hi-Speed USB 2.0 certified (backwards compatible with all USB 1.1
ports)
o Compatible with Windows 2000, SP4 and XP
o Certified Windows 2000 and XP(2) Transcend JetFlash v30 1 GB
Code:
[B]Specifications and Features: [/B]
o Capacity: 1 GB
o Fully compatible with Hi-Speed USB 2.0
o Easy Plug and Play installation
-PC-Lock Function: Makes JetFlashâ„¢ a key to lock your computer
-Boot-Up Function: Makes JetFlashâ„¢ a bootable device
-Partition & Security Function: Create a private partition with
password protection
o Driverless (Only Windows®98SE needs the enclosed driver)
o Lifetime warranty
o Dimensions : 8.1mm x 16.5mm x 60mm (D x W x L)
o Weight : 7g(3) Kingston Data Traveller Mini Fun 2 GB
Code:
[B]Specifications and Features: [/B]
o Capacity: 2 GB
o Fully compatible with Hi-Speed USB 2.0
o Comes preloaded with two games from BigFish Studios: Atlantis and
Magic Vines. Games require Windows 2000/XP and DirectX 8.0
o Dimensions : 8mm x 19mm x 38mm (D x W x L)
o Warranty : 5 years[BREAK=Performance Comparison]
The starting lineup (the Cruzer went AWOL
)
The proof of the pudding
HD Tach
(1) SanDisk U3 Cruzer Micro 1 GB
(2) Transcend JetFlash v30 1 GB
(3) Kingston Data Traveller Mini Fun 2 GB
(4) Flash Voyager GT 2 GB
ATTO Disk Benchmark
(1) SanDisk U3 Cruzer Micro 1 GB
(2) Transcend JetFlash v30 1 GB
(3) Kingston Data Traveller Mini Fun 2 GB
(4) Flash Voyager GT 2 GB
[BREAK=Results]
(1) The Voyager BLOWS away the competition, with the Kingston Data Traveller a distant 2nd
(2) The Transcend is the laggard of the group but surprisingly has very decent random access times.
(3) The Kingston is by far the smallest of the lot (almost half the size of the Voyager)
(4) None of the drives has a cap which is attached to the body of the drive, making it very easy to lose the cap, or at least to drop it so that it ends up in the most inconvenient places. Reading around I discovered that this is the most common complaint against any flash drive. I really cant figure out why these manufacturers don’t have the sense to fix such a tiny issue. In this respect the SanDisk Cruzer is to be commended since it has a nifty little mechanism where the connector retracts into the body, making a cap unnecessary as well as protecting the connector from accidental damage.
Other Features
TrueCrypt
Code:
TrueCrypt is a software system for establishing and maintaining an
on-the-fly-encrypted volume (data storage device). On-the-fly
encryption means that data are automatically encrypted or
decrypted right before they are loaded or saved, without any user
intervention. No data stored on an encrypted volume can be read
(decrypted) without using the correct password/keyfile(s) or
correct encryption keys. Entire file system is encrypted
(e.g.., file names, folder names, contents of every file, free space,
meta data, etc).Basically what this involves doing is creating an encrypted “container†which can be mounted on one of the many virtual drives available. Any data can then be copied into/out of the container, and will be encrypted/decrypted on the fly. Don’t know much about this except that it works. There are plenty of encryption and hash algorithms available to choose from while creating the container. I had never before used an encryption software but a very detailed and useful user guide is a part of the software.
[BREAK=Final Thoughts]
This is one very satisfying drive. Even if the claims of “driving a SUV over the drive†are taken with a pinch of salt, there is no doubting the performance that this drive delivers. Various user comments at sites like Newegg seem to indicate that there are problems with the build quality (there have been reports of the USB connector breaking off from the body after a few months of prolonged use). This is particularly true of this drive’s younger brother, the Voyager. It remains to be seen whether Corsair learnt its lesson from all the feedback it received and if this drive will fare better.
Pros
(1) BLAZINGLY fast
(2) Looks pretty cool
(3) Rubber coating makes it waterproof, resistant to dirt
(4) Cheap for the performance it delivers
Cons
(1) Pretty large for its capacity
(2) Cap doesn’t connect to body
(3) Lint_Magnet
(4) Build quality a question mark
That's it guys.. Hope you liked the review
