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21 USB drives tested, 20 immediately misplaced
It's three days until Christmas and you're looking for last-minute gift ideas for tech-inclined friends and colleagues. You decide on a USB drive, but how do figure out what's best to get -- attraction to hammers, ability to open beer bottles, or some other, clearly inferior metric entirely? Kristofer Brozio at Test Freaks Blog took 21 drives of various sizes (5 each of 1, 2, 4 and 8GB and one 64GB Patriot Magnum) and models and tested their transfer speeds. Top marks went to the 4GB OCZ, Sandisk, Lexar, and Super Talent models, as well as the 1GB SanDIsk. Given the small sample size, we can't really say if the speeds were the result of the capacities of the drive or the company who makes them, but it's definitely some flash-based food for thought. Hit the read link for the full results.
Super Talent offers up 0.85- / 1-inch SSDs
Nothing here that you haven't seen before in one form or another, but the more the merrier, we say. Super Talent has introduced its very own super small SSDs ranging from 2GB to 8GB in size, but they're all based on Intel's Z-P140 solid-state drive. The new units all boast a maximum read speed of 40MB/sec and a maximum write speed of 30MB/sec, and the whole crew employs a parallel ATA interface with a ZIF connector. The 0.85-inch drives are being offered up in 2GB (FHD2GN85) and 4GB (FHD4GN85) sizes, while the 1.0-inch devices come in 2GB (FHD2GN10), 4GB (FHD4GN10) and 8GB (FHD8GN10) flavors. Per usual, we're left to wonder on pricing and availability, but we suspect these will be aimed more at netbook manufacturers than everyday folks, anyway.[Via I4U News]
Super Talent caters to Eee PC with new 16/32/64GB SSDs
Though not the first SSDs we've seen looking for homes specifically in netbooks, Super Talent is hoping to make an even bigger splash with its latest trio and their bite-sized prices. Merely days after causing us all to drool with a sub-$300 128GB drive, the firm has revealed a trifecta of mini PCIe SSDs designed "explicitly for the ASUS Eee PC." The units are available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors, each with 40MB/sec maximum read speeds and 15MB/sec maximum write rates. The trio is expected to hit mass production next month, and they'll only cost you $53, $79 and $149 in order of mention.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Super Talent intros a sub-$300, 128GB solid-state drive -- things will never be the same
If you've been waiting for SSD prices to drop to reasonable ranges -- now may be the time to put the credit card down. Super Talent has begun selling its 128GB, 2.5-inch, SATA II "MasterDrive LX" for the shocking affordable price of $299, which works out to about $2.49 per gigabyte. If that still puts of pinch on your pocketbook (and what doesn't right now?), then perhaps you can be enticed by the company's 64GB offering, which clocks in at a fairly doable $179. With prices this low, you barely have a defense against purchase... unless, you know... you don't have the money. Then we totally understand.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Super Talent makes MasterDrive MX SSDs slightly faster
With the prices of SSDs sinking daily, Super Talent is hoping to grab a few eyes by offering faster drives at comparably low price points. According to a data sheet posted up on the firm's website, its MasterDrive MX line of SSDs now features a maximum read rate of 120MB/sec, while write speeds range between 60MB/sec (15GB and 30GB) and 80MB/sec (60GB and 120GB). Reportedly, the drives used to boast write speeds of 40MB/sec. A minor boost, sure, but a welcome increase all the same.[Via DailyTech]
SuperTalent bolsters SSD lineup with cheaper options
SuperTalent's wide lineup of SSDs got a little bigger today, with the addition of some low(er)-cost MLC flash-based gear. Like the company's earlier "world's thinnest" 256GB drive, the three new models are external units, and you're looking at capacities of 30GB, 60GB, and 120GB for $299, $449, and $699, respectively. That's actually not all that bad, considering a bare 64GB SLC SSD can run an easy grand. Available now, it looks like.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Super-Talent Pico USB drives: lose 'em even faster
Score, another "world's smallest" USB drive. Never seen one of those before. Super-Talent's latest Pico drives are mighty small though, and if one of you is somehow running the Tiny USB Hall of Records, it measures just 1.5 by .5 inches and holds 8GB in swivel, retractable, and waterproof versions. $35, should be out now.[Via Pocket-lint]
Super Talent ships "world's thinnest" 256GB SSD, still too thick for us
We've learned to be extra cautious whenever some company tosses out that "world's thinnest" claim, and while this one isn't an outright lie, it's not exactly as impressive as Super Talent would have you believe. Yeah, the outfit's 256GB FSD56GC25H SSD actually is the slimmest on the market today at this capacity, but the 12.5-millimeter height makes it incompatible with a slew of laptops that can only handle drives that are 9.5-millimeters thick. Nevertheless, those with the room to spare can look forward to 0.1-millisecond access times, 65MB/sec sequential read speeds and 50MB/sec sequential write speeds (maximums), and a lightweight aluminum enclosure. Per usual, pricing information is available only upon request -- but no, it won't be cheap.
Super Talent announces SSDs from 4GB to 128GB
The always confident in itself Super Talent has announced new batch of solid state SATA drives, coming in the usual 1.8-inch, 2.5-inch, and 3.5-inch form factors, and ranging in size from 4GB to 128GB. Broken down, the petite 1.8-inch drives will give you between 4GB and 32GB of storage, while going up to the 2.5-inch model will give you a bit of extra breathing room, ranging in size from 8GB to 64GB. The real expansiveness, however, comes when you step things up to the 3.5-inch drives, which start at 64GB and go all the way to 128GB, although that's slightly less impressive than A-DATA's SSD drives, which manage to cram those same 128 gigabytes into a 2.5-inch form factor. Unfortunately, there's no word on pricing just yet, but it looks like we should know soon enough, with the drives set to roll out sometime next month.[Via PC Launches]
Super Talent thumb drives work with Vista's ReadyBoost
One of the many benefits touted in Windows Vista is ReadyBoost, a new feature that allows the OS to use flash drives as pseudo-RAM in order to increase performance. However, in order for this to work, you have to use certain types of high-speed thumb drives. Today, Super Talent announced some of the first drives compatible with ReadyBoost: the $30 RBST-1GB and $60 RBST-2GB. The company says in a press release that the flash drives will begin shipping early this month -- which should be, like, any day now.
