Verbatim trots out OS X-friendly 8GB Store 'n' Go retractable USB drive

Verbatim doesn't really make a lot of racket during the year, but come Macworld / CES, it pulls out all of the stops. Alongside a new family of delectable ExpressCard SSDs, the company is also introducing an 8GB Store 'n' Go Retractable USB Drive (Windows version shown) that caters to the OS X crowd. Verbatim's pushing two main selling points here: for starters, the capless, retractable design means that your USB socket will always be covered, and secondly, the password controlled access to the drive's private zone plays nice within an OS X environment. The half-ounce device is expected to land on store shelves in just a few weeks, though it'll cost you a stiff $59.99 if you're looking to pay MSRP.

[jol @ Jan 6th 2009 3:35PM]

But does it have a wheel?

[Jacob @ Jan 6th 2009 3:36PM]

Fir....
Naah that stick is ugly :O

[Dapman02 @ Jan 6th 2009 3:40PM]

So, if I hit you with it, can I say you were hit by the ugly stick?

[tom @ Jan 6th 2009 4:19PM]

Verbatim has never made a pretty stick. How do you expect them to design a good looking stick all of a sudden?

[Arkenklo @ Jan 6th 2009 3:37PM]

So what? I already have a 8 Gb retractable Mac-friendly usb-key.

[sodapop @ Jan 6th 2009 3:37PM]

OS X friendly? I have yet to use a flash drive that is not OS X friendly.

[Ryan @ Jan 6th 2009 3:42PM]

My sentiments exactly....

[BrianM @ Jan 6th 2009 3:48PM]

OSX friendly means it costs 3x as much as the PC version for no good reason, just like Macs

[Rick @ Jan 6th 2009 4:23PM]

Saved me the time. A marketing ploy I suspect, unless it comes with OS X type launch or backup software (like U3 on the PC)

[Hamidxa @ Jan 6th 2009 5:44PM]

BrianM

Exactly,

All they really need to do is slap an 'i' in front of it and call it the iDrive and the Mac zealots / iDiots will buy it in droves, and then go online and post from/about it---no wait, that's the MacWheel Pro

[Gilbert Tang @ Jan 6th 2009 3:45PM]

Nothing unfriendly about my retractable SanDisk drive, especially after Ryan Block helped me figure out how to remove that stupid U3 crap.

What I really need is for these things to be narrower so there isn't so much stress on the ports if I have multiple devices in use. Standard schmandard.

It wouldn't hurt if it looked good, too. This thing looks like a piece of the part you throw away after snapping all the good stuff off the molded plastic frame when building a pre-painted model Ferrari.

[DssTrainer @ Jan 6th 2009 4:10PM]

Meh ? a wannabe sandisk cruzer? how is this newsworthy? Save the waste of also-runs and give us the low down on the new hotness

[Wwhat @ Jan 6th 2009 4:16PM]

Since it's verbatim I'm guessing it has write errors aplenty?

[Tamcakes @ Jan 7th 2009 3:56AM]

I got a Sandisk version of that over thanksgiving for $15