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| SanDisk Cruzer Contour 8GB USB2.0 Flash Drive Review |
| Page 2 - More Info and Conclusion |
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SanDisk has been a leader in the flash memory market for
many years and today we’re taking a look at their latest entrant into the world of USB flash drives, the Cruzer Contour in 8GB form.
Almost everyone has a need for a USB flash drive these days, with them having long since taken over as the preferred and universal method of personal data storage and transportation. Such a demand has led to the massive stylisation of the medium, having them designed to look like spaceships, pens and even having them resemble food (for some reason?). The SanDisk Cruzer Contour we’re looking at today is not so much form over function as many other designs out there, but it has certainly been designed to cater for the fashion conscious individuals who still need reliable (and not to mention fast) portable storage.
The Cruzer Contour has a silver metal frame that encases a glossy black plastic cover for the flash memory itself. Although a silver/black colour scheme is not exactly unique with today’s peripherals, the Cruzer Contour pulls it off very well, with a bit of a ‘less is more’ approach, and personally I think it looks great. The USB connection is not usable without coaxing it out of its little hidey-hole which helps prevent any possible damage to the connector, and unlike many other retractable USB drives the connector is completely sealed from the outside world by a small metal trapdoor so even dust and other contaminants cannot get in to mess up the connector.
Another feature that is unique to the Cruzer Contour is the retraction method of the connector. As the picture below shows, the body is slid backwards inside the metal frame then drawn forward with the USB connector now protruding from the unit and ready for connection. To retract the connector the body is this time slid forward in the frame then backwards, taking the USB connector with it and sealing it away behind its small trapdoor protector.
Although the back and forth movement is easy enough for anyone to complete with just their thumb, the force required is a significant enough amount that the connector is not going to be accidentally retracted when you try to plug it in. Once the connector is exposed, it is locked securely in that position until you decide it’s time to come back inside. It’s also quite durable, we had different people around the office try and break it, well - kind of, by repeatedly opening and closing with force and yet it still remains in one piece and functions properly
The size of the Cruzer Contour could make it difficult for it to fit in some USB ports, for instance on my notebook I have two USB ports, one directly above the other, and I can’t fit the Contour in the top port if something already occupies the bottom port, it will however fit in the bottom port if something occupies the top port. The width of the Contour could also be a problem for many people, especially as many USB ports on the front of PCs these days are slightly recessed into the case, meaning the Contour wouldn’t be able to fit through.
When plugged in there is only one light on the Cruzer Contour, and that is the Cruzer logo itself, which stays lit a (not overpowering) blue colour and doubles as the drive’s activity light when in use.
The Cruzer Contour includes U3 technology and software already loaded on the drive, which can allow you to take with you your windows preferences, favourites, profiles etc... to make any PC just like your home or office PC. There are quite a few programs that can be installed onto, and run solely off a U3 drive, two of the more popular are Skype and Winamp. Although this function is not the reason I would buy this drive, anything that’s thrown in as a bonus is always welcome. One point to note is that although the drive itself is compatible with Linux and MAC, the U3 software and functionality is not.
Performance of the Cruzer Contour is outstanding for a drive of this capacity, giving constant write speeds of 18MB/s and read speeds of 25MB/s (tested and verified with SiSoft Sandra), making it one of the fastest USB2.0 flash drives on the market, and with a massive 8GB of space available to you, you’d want it to be fast, or you’d be there all day trying to fill it up.
Unlike many other USB drives on the market, they Cruzer Contour does not have the ability to be attached to a key ring or something similar, and as it’s quite a bit bigger in physical size compared to many others, this can be a bit of an inconvenience. It does come with a small leather carry case that has a small clip on it, to attach to your belt/bag/key ring etc... However this also serves to make the whole unit even bigger still, which doesn’t solve the problem, but at least it gives you an option.
Conclusion:
The 8GB version retails for around AU$165, so it’s in the higher end of the price spectrum, but the speed and quality of the Contour is top notch, not to mention it is one of the best looking USB drives on the market today. Its only real downfall is its physical size, it’s not something you would have hanging off your keychain, but if you can throw it in your laptop bag or your pocket, I think you’d be very happy with one of these drives.
OzHardware Rating – 9/10
This product can be purchased online at www.techbuy.com.au (Direct Link)
