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Posted on May 30th, 2008 by David Bayon
The mini Flash marvel
When a Corsair rep turned up at Dennis Towers yesterday he told us he’d brought something pretty special to show off. We were therefore distinctly underwhelmed when he said it was…a flash drive.
But this flash drive needs seeing to be believed. It’s been passed all round the office, where it’s invariably been greeted with ooohs and aaaahs of grinning appreciation, and it’s already been suggested that we buy up a job lot of them to use in the Labs.
The reason for all the fuss?
Well, the Corsair Flash Voyager Mini is barely bigger then a 10p piece; it weighs so little we hardly even noticed it in our hand, let alone a pocket; it’s rubberised for durability, and holds a perfectly reasonable 4GB of data via its retractable USB connector.
Oh, and did we mention it’s going on sale for less than £16 inc VAT?
Considering our components editor paid £50 for a single gigabyte of bulky storage just a couple of years ago, the inexorable march and miniaturisation of USB storage is plain to see. And if this is how things are going it won’t be long before we’re carrying our entire hard drives in a pocket with our front door keys – for better or worse.
The ludicrously tempting 4GB Corsair Flash Voyager Mini is available here.
UPDATE: The Corsair is almost exactly the same thickness as a standard USB connector. And for those who reckon it blocks adjacent USB ports…
Tags: Corsair, Flash, storage, usb, Voyager
Posted in: Just in
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15 Responses to “ The mini Flash marvel ”
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May 30th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I want. Maybe a couple of them for that price.
May 30th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Agreed
May 30th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I reckon the Sandisk SD card with the flip out USB connector (both Jon and I have written about it in RWC) is perhaps a tad smaller. It’s certainly thinner.
http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Catalog(1096)-SanDisk_Ultra_II_SD_and_SDHC_Plus_Cards.aspx
Strange thing is, that device has been on the market for well over a year now – maybe even 18m – and yet no-one makes a fuss about how it’s actually one of the smallest USB flash sticks. Everyone just sees it as an SD card with a built in USB connector.
P.
May 30th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
I also have one of those – you’re right, it’s smaller, but it’s utterly impractical to carry in anything but its plastic case for fear of losing or damaging it. The main difference with the Corsair is that it’s a proper, durable, rubber-coated USB stick, which you could attach to your keys and not have to worry about at all. I’d take that over the SanDisk every time.
May 30th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
The sandisk is also almost twice the price at $59.99…
May 30th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Hello,
ATP, KingMax, OCZ, PQI, SONY, SuperTalent and Transcend all offer USB flash drives in a similar form factor. While the rubberized coating is novel, it appears to extend out significantly on either side, which could block access to adjacent ports.
Regards,
Aryeh Goretsky
May 30th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Yes, it blocks access to adjacent ports. It is the same problem on the Corsair Voyager and VoyagerGT.
OTOH, it is durable as all heck, and waterproof (probably just to 1m of water but still…). So, it is still interesting
May 30th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
@Aryeh Goretsky
Your name is a blast from the past. I remember when you were in charge of the BBS for McAfee Associates
Back in the good ‘ol days.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
I got 8gb for $35 from A data (www.adata.com.tw). It isnt rubberized or retractible but it has a cap and i dont worry about it in my pocket. Also doesnt block adjactent ports.
May 31st, 2008 at 9:08 am
You did a half-assed job on the pictures. It kind of looks fat (like it would take up 2 USB slots) but you neglected to show us a view from the side. Instead you show the drive next to a coin, the drive next to a lighter, and then the drive next to the coin again (but without the cap) all from the same direction.
May 31st, 2008 at 11:03 am
Point taken Bob, first thing Monday I’ll take a few shots from different angles for you, including one actually in a USB slot.
May 31st, 2008 at 2:55 pm
At least have the professionalism to provide some details, with the blatant plug (and pretending you’re excited by something you’ve received money to feature on your “pro-blog”) – with marketing blurbs, I always assume absence of evidence to imply evidence of absence.
Is is M-cell or S-cell (or, in dumbo speak, is it Vista ready-boost compatible)? When flogging a storage medium, potential customers at least deserve to know the throughput speeds and any warranties. Or did your ‘components editor’ not learn that in his Media Studies 101?
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Where have you guys been for the past 2 or so years?
Heard of the Sony MicroVault Tiny? Those things are awesome, and are a hell of a lot smaller than anything else I’ve seen, much less this pinched loaf. You can get them on Amazon for the same price that you advertise these buggers.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Micro-Vault-Flash-USM4GH/dp/B000G2AYX0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1212442716&sr=1-2
I have a 1 gig and a 4 gig version of these, and since they are so stinking small I can store them in my wallet without even noticing them being there.
How on earth did you manage to get on the front page of Slashdot of all places?
This has got to be a joke.
June 4th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Here’s a working link to the image!
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/corsair-port.jpg
July 13th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Computer Hardware Cabinet Hardware Digital Camera Reviews…
I didn’t agree with you first, but last paragraph makes sense for me…