Hagiwara Sys-Com's 8GB ExpressCard is ReadyBoost certified, just like most flash drives

With Vista's consumer launch right around the corner, it's little wonder we're seeing ReadyBoost branded devices starting to pop. Thing is, Vista's ReadyBoost cache technology works with many, inexpensive flash-based devices (SD cards, USB 2.0 thumb drives, etc) sporting between 256MB and 4GB of storage, and capable of a modest 2.5MB/sec throughput for 4K random reads and 1.75MB/sec throughput for 512K random writes. So of course, Hagiwara Sys-Com's "ReadyBoost certified" 8GB ExpressCard/34 supports Vista's new smart caching technology with a smokin' 32MB/sec read and 22MB/sec write. Thing is, if you're buying the card for ReadyBoost gains, then 4 of that 8GB is "wasted" since the FAT32 filesystem limits the ReadyBoost.sfcache file to a 4GB max. However, if you're on the hunt for fast, flash storage, then maybe 8GB for ¥52,800 (about $451) on down to 1GB for ¥7,980 (about $68) sounds killer to you -- or not with 8GB USB 2.0 drives now hitting for about $150 online. Regardless, dropping that fat wad on additional RAM and not "ReadyBoost certified" products will probably give you more bang for the buck.

[Via Impress]

[Intrepid @ Dec 13th 2006 9:01AM]

Awesome....

[Tony @ Dec 13th 2006 9:48AM]

More information about ReadyBoost and instructions to enable it with any flash drive:

http://www.vistaclues.com/use-readyboost-to-speed-up-vista/

[Ray-- @ Dec 13th 2006 10:12AM]

"smokin' 32MB/sec read" -- I doubt that stat is for random 4k reads... most flash mem companies publish speeds that relate to small high speed portions of their devices, not 4k random reads across the entriety of the device... although this device is certified so it'll work, the throughput stats dont really matter in a readyboost scenario... rather latency would be the thing to measure. Also, Im pretty sure the other 4GB doesnt go to waste either, you just can only use 4gb for readyboost the other 4gb could be for regular storage like you would typically with a flash drive.

[Joel @ Dec 13th 2006 11:36AM]

ReadyBoost uses FAT32? What's up with that?

[Solareon @ Dec 13th 2006 12:06PM]

i'd just install my os on that and screw ready boost. Then use the regular hard drive for storage of programs and other things.

[Samuel McConnell @ Dec 13th 2006 12:21PM]

Does ReadyBoost not work with NTFS?

[Ray-- @ Dec 13th 2006 12:45PM]

yes it works with NTFS... its talking about how it formats the device...has nothing to do with your OS fs type.

[Gene @ Dec 13th 2006 3:55PM]

"Regardless, dropping that fat wad on additional RAM and not "ReadyBoost certified" products will probably give you more bang for the buck."

Unless you're calling flash memory "RAM" then your statement doesn't make sense. Then again, calling flash memory RAM doesn't either.

The point of ReadyBoost is to increase overall performance of the entire system by decreasing the amount of reading done off the hard disk. This will give you a performance increase and less power consumption. ReadyBoost requires flash memory, it cannot work with normal RAM, and adding more RAM to a system will cause more power to be consumed.

[Phil Robins @ Sep 12th 2007 6:06AM]

For a cheaper and more flexible device with USB 2.0 as well check out http://www.futurestorage.co.uk