Buffalo's 16GB 5mm USB Thumbkey: It's really small
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Jun 24th 2009 6:58PM
posted Jun 24th 2009 6:58PM
This isn't the first time Buffalo's blown our minds with its lilliputian tech. The WiFi dongle, you have to admit, was pretty sweet. What can we say about the 5mm Thumbkey drive? For starters, it's really small. And it has a 16GB capacity. And it''ll cost you about $136 when it goes on sale (any day now). Sure, that's a tad pricey for a device that lacks gears and rubies -- but did we mention how small this thing is?
[Via OhGizmo!]
[Via OhGizmo!]
just easier to lose
$136? Although, you could hide your sensitive documents up your bum.
esier to loose ur pr0n?
pointless and fiddly but it should enable larger capacity drives..
On my LCD screen that pic is showing up like 3X actual size. Weird.
@onelove: I agree Buffalo should have called this the Buttalo.
Not necessarily, i'd use it as a laptop backup drive that wouldn't get unplugged - it's small enough to go inside a slip case (where most usb sticks would jut out). It's also large enough to be useful as a backup drive, 16GB is enough to keep a current backup of all my university docs, website/database backup alongside all my lecture notes and things like that - with buckets of room to spare.
@OneLove
That just screams I/O error...
So if you can fit 16GB (and the USb connector) into that, why the hell can't apple/MS/Sony/Samsung give us a 64GB flash PMP???
Cost, very few people would be willing to pay the extra for the larger capacity. The smaller quantity being sold would in turn make it even more expesnive.
Might have something to do with the price tag. That would be sweet though
Certainly manufacturers are capable right now of fitting 128GB into a PMP if they can fit 16 into this. Yes it would be expensive, but that's only from memory manufacturer's R&D, not from materials.
This cost $136 and it's only 16GB...
Imagine how much would a 64GB PMP cost if we have to consider everything else that is not the memory itself.
It's not really a price issue. Manufacturers use a delayed release method to business slowly releasing products so that you continually upgrade providing them with future business. It has worked for apple for the past 6 years.
Helps rip out fingernails.
but seriously, that's nice and small
That's what she said... Oh wait
It would be very easy to lose. I think the idea is to keep it plugged in all the time. Also, a friend had the 2 GB version of this, and it came with a fairly sizeable cap that made it easier to keep track of.
Would be perfect for a netbook with a small SSD, just pop one of these in to a free USB slot and leave it there.
Also good for anything where you don't want a "big" usb stick jutting out from your device. The HD podcast mentioned recently the annoyance of having a usb drive always sticking out from the front of a blu-ray player, since certain features require the extra memory.
Can't you get 500gb external HDD for the same price?
Its compactness make me think I'll sooner lose it than feel the benefit of small size. And during this economic downturn I'd prefer cheaper things over more expensive and "feature-rich" ones. Maybe its just me :P
because when you accidentally dropped a 500GB spinning HD, there's a high chance that it will break and all your data will be gone.
Just like what happened to my 320GB Passport :(
i'm glad it's so small, sure for the price it's not necessarily worth it for many/most people but it's compact and easy to carry around. if i had the choice between this and a normal sized one id choose this.
That's what she said...
Zing!
BUH!?
Crikey that's insanely small and by insanely I mean ludicrously small!! What next? HD monitors that come with "Built in 500Tb hard drive bezel"?
That's insane!
I feel like 1950's Doc brown when he realises future Marty is there with him in his house at the start of BTTF 3.
"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"
No integrated WiFi, Bluetooth 3.5G & GPS? What is this, the middle ages?
NO cut and paste & I betcha, it can't be multi-tasked
Wow it has no buttons, total ripoff of Apple.
i have the 8gb version of this. its just a micro sdhc reader but that damn, this is small.
reminds me of the 70's bond movies where he stores documents on a tiny thing and the audience is like wtf thats so cool but impossible!
now look at us. i love technology.
That's almost as small as a 16/32GB microSDHC cards, or the new one that's supposed to be 64GB.
It is a microSD card. Take a look through the holes.
HOLY SHIT
take a good close look at the red one... Where the heck is the memory? in the USB connector?
.. yes?
Yes. USB connectors have way too much extra space inside, but when they put the memory in the connector they can't make it flat like Sony Micro Vaults.
In before the that is what she said jokes! sweet!
by ten minutes
just seems like an easier way to leave $136 plugged into a tower at your school's computer lab.
Corsair voyager 8gb...most durable motherfucker I've ever used, mother nature proof, and less than 20 bucks (at least half a year ago). Why you would need this shit is beyond me. Bluetooth adapter? Wireless mouth adapter? Hell yes. On the vx nano I just love the tiny receiver and how discrete it is. This is just kinda pointless.
My plans are now set.
I'll buy an ASUS P30A (even though I have no idea when it will come out)
I'll install a SSD
I'll buy on of these drives to store my multimedia files
thanks
Recession Antidote!
That's what she said :P
There's a point where improvement on the size stops being worth much. Sure, you can shove it up your bum, but you can also shove your 3" one up your bum without much trouble.
What I'd like to see is a regular-sized thumbdrive that you can get wet and step on, but it has bluetooth and GPS, etc.
they need one that has a usb mobo header so you can hook it up internally. would be great for stuff like permanent driver storage or for those folk who use ready boost
could also have a ghost of your basic windows installation so you can restore it easily if it all goes tits up
THEY PROBALY JUST PUT THE LITTLE PLASTIC THINGS AT THE END SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE YOUR FLASH DRIVE OUT WHEN YOU PUT IT IN.
I believe so.
Also, there is a shift key on keyboards so you can choose which letters should be capitals.
Are there any USB drives that look like mushrooms? Like, properly?
Just make your own, using your own microSDHC
http://usb.brando.com.hk/eagletec-usb-nanosac-microsd-card-reader_p00905c031d015.html
And you can get it with a 16GB microSD card for only $67, e.g. < 1/2 the price of this thing.
how about this article?
http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/05/eagletecs-nanosac-microsd-card-reader-makes-mouse-balls-look-bi/
Right, i thought engadget had reported on that one before. I have this Eagletec unit and mine came with a SanDisk Class 2 8GB. 160HKD
Make me a WWAN/3G data card this size, that I can just leave plugged in all the time, and I'm in. Oh, and while you're at it, a pop out antenna would be nice..
Well, I guess you can just plug it in and leave it there.
That's what she said.
You lose a half inch or so and take on an extra $70? No thanks.
your name also sounds sexual
HOW THE HELL DO THEY FIT 16GB IN THIS??!?!?!?! 0_o
I already have a microSD drive just as small for much cheaper than this. I am NOT impressed.
that's not truly 5mm, not when you include the size of the usb connector. i'm thinking this device will be incredibly hard to pull out given its size and form.
aside, aren't american's supposed to be measuring their units in inches rather than in mm?
Peter: "That's what..."
Brian: "If you say 'That's what she said' one more time, I'm gonna pop you"
Too pricey, I'll stick to my 16gb SD card that fits flush in my netbook. What I really want to see is a wireless card in the 5mm profile. I'd pay 136 for that.
A SD card with USB connector, and it only costs 3 times as much, for the USB connector.
Of course if you use microSD as comparison it would be half the size again, but USB, that's great, right?
Talking of SD cards, I saw that DVD players (yeah they still make them but they play MP4 now too) now not only come with USB slots but also SD card slots, for like $40, seems everything and everybody can handle SD now.
So perhaps someone should make an minSD card with a nice metal casing and some jind of a ring to attach it to a keychain, as an alternative to the USB flashdisk.
Weird that I haven't seen that yet on engadget, you'd think some jap or korean or chinese gadgetmaker would have made that already.
At that size you can let it on your netbook permanently.
On my quest to buy a sub $20 FW800 to FW400 (no success) I saw a BT 2.0 adaptor that looks like that. It's pretty cool if you have a PC without BT hardware.
Beyond a certain point there is such a thing as too small. The Sandisk Cruzer is the smallest i'll ever need a thumb drive to be.
I guess you're missing the point. Many people use these as PERMANANT fixtures in their laptops... they don't want something sticking out that could easily be broken off.
I personally like the small/thin USB drives that are size of a 1/2 stick of gum... I have 4 of them in my wallet - one boots windows (UBCD4WIN), one boots linux (Puppy linux), one is my music drive so I can keep 8gb of music with me, and the last one is my data drive with encryption software. I've got some dealextreme "worlds smallest" adapters with microSD cards for some devices, and Crucial Gizmo!JR drives. I can tell you its pretty amazing to NOT have to keep CDs around to boot off of.
my hp laptop came with a mouse dongle with the same form factor. 16gb in there is amazing, but then again it not anymore revolutionary than a 16gb microSD card..
$136? It's still bigger than a $45 16gb microSD card.
What's the speed like? esp. compared to the similar microSDHC based one just like it?
If it's faster, it _MIGHT_ be worth it, using one of these as the user space storage on my netbook (leaving the internal 8GB SSD for OS and applications).
That's what she said. All of it.
Think this is small and new? Did you already forget about the Super Talent Pico C? Smaller than the USB connector on this thing, yet still plugs into USB slot.
Google it.
So small I lost mine in my backpack for a few months. Was excited recently when I found it again.
are these really fast or what is the diference between these and the super talent pico c 16bg for only $35 on newegg.com
This is stupid - DealExtreme has a microsd usb key (http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6108) which as small as a finger nail and you can load up your SDHC on it. A 16B class 6 SDHC is 30$ and the usb key is 1$. Man, is this overpriced!!
in fact there is an even smaller one - http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25557
I was looking up item numbers on dealextreme so I could post exactly what you already said.... well done
wow, that is tiny!
it seems that the only size limiting factor now is the size of the connector, maybe they should start making microUSB dongles
My EagleTec 4GB Flash drive for $26 has something to say about being small
I guess the linked "world's smallest" link is different from what I have
this is what I have - http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.21811
Same thing - different color - http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.21803
I just ordered this slightly different model b/c it has a light - http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6234
and also ordered this one because its made of metal and might hold up better sku.12130 (you'll have to manually put this in the URL b/c I can only put 3 links in a post)
In other words... i bought 4 different readers and all of my 4/8/16 gig microsd cards for less than ONE of the buffalo drives in the original post.
Of course all of this neglects the fact that Buffalo doesn't sell any USB flash drives in the US after Sandisk sued them for patent infringment, so the vast majority of the people commenting can't even get one.
It would fit on a CF-27 with the latch closed, Now this is a great thing for toughbook people like me. ..sad thing is you'd probably forget under the latch...