SanDisk Cruzer Micro 4GB -- Free Software -- Priceless Christmas Gift For Students Flashdrive Memory

Intro

I bought this many months ago when it normally retailed for about $119.99 and I got it on sale for $49.99 without having to go through the hassle of rebates or coupons. Currently the lowest price I have seen for the SanDisk Cruzer Micro 4GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive is $37.99, but even if you can not find it at that low of a price it is still worth paying $49.99 plus taxes.

My reason for purchasing this SanDisk Cruzer Micro 4GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive was primarily because I wanted to be able save documents off of my computer for safe keeping and ease of transferring. The big picture was that I could transfer documents to new computers without having to use email since floppy disk are pretty much outdated and I buying an external drive that was decent usually cost about forty dollars, but of course you could get a cheap one for about twenty dollars; however, I do not like buying things that are made cheaply. I like quality goods and this is another reason why I chose this item is because SanDisk is a high quality manufacturer of goods with an excellent track record for multimedia storage. Plus I liked that I could fit it in my pocket if I wanted to; unlike the floppy drive which would require a bag to carry it in and possibly software to use the drive.

Contains U3 Smart Programs

-LaunchPad Tour
-CruzerSync U3 Edition
-HP Photosmart U3
-Avast! Antivirus
-SignupShield Passwords
-Skype
-Big Fish Games Sudoku
-Mahjong Towers Eternity

Physical Description

It is one of the most compact and is lightweight as well. The SanDisk Cruzer Micro 4GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive measures in at about 2 1/32 inches (or right under 53 mm) length by little bit more than 1 1/32 inches (or right under 22 mm) width by right under 3/16 of an inch (or about 9 mm) height. The flash drive is black with lettering on both sides, and a switch that has to pushed down slide towards cruzer lettering to push out the USB plug and to retract the USB plug all you do is push down the switch and slide it towards the micro 4GB lettering.

What I Like

I like that it has the LaunchPad Tour because it gives you a good introduction and gives you a good feel for the U3 Smart Programs, which I think is great for people who have a hard time with computers.

Avast! Antivirus software works great and I say this because Avast! Antivirus found the same virus in three spots. When I had to reinstall the software I used Avast! Antivirus and it found the same virus in four spots. Avast! Antivirus is so much better than the antivirus that came with the computer because it did not even detect. Avast! Antivirus is really a great piece of software and I would recommend others to use since it works excellently.

What I Do Not Like

I do not like that if you remove a certain program called "Quick Launch Buttons" it will disable you from using the program LaunchU3.exe which is essentially is the command central of the flash drive.

I removed the Skype, Big Fish Games Sudoku, and Mahjong Towers Eternity because I do not use Skype which is a communication service that allows you to chat up to 50 people (or so it claims) and I do not play basic computer games so that is why I removed the two games.

What I Think of This Flash Drive Compared to Others I Own

Well, honestly I like the SanDisk Cruzer Micro 4GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive because it is the best value storage wise by the GB available, and the software is very easy and convenient to use. Plus it is the easiest to manage with software provided. It is simple to add or remove software and is simple as a click to get new or additional software by going to the link provided or clicking the Download Programs button in the lower left corner in the U3 LaunchPad. If it sounds difficult it really is not because all you do is read and follow the instructions provided in the tour. Since I virtually never expose it to heat or humidity directly I would expect this flash drive to last five to seven years maybe longer and the only reasons I expect to last this long is that I do not expose it to humidity, heat, or use it everyday for hours on end.

The four other flash drives I own is RiData 128MB, Memorex TravelDrive U3smart 1GB, PNY Technologies Attache 2GB, and Sony Microvault 4GB. The four have been great so far.

The RiData flash drive is pretty good but costly for 128MB at the price of $5 on sale at Office Depot, compared to $12.99 that I would have never paid such a large sum of money for so little memory space; however, I must say that it has a two year warranty which is unheard of for computer accessories usually have only a thirty day or ninety day warranty at the most and if you are looking for a warranty this would be the platinum standard for what I have seen so far.

The Memorex TravelDrive U3smart flash drive function wise is just as great as the SanDisk Cruzer Micro 4GB, but one thing that I like better is that this flash drive demo is powered by Oddcast and is an excellent intro with a cartoon lady talking about the software and use of the flash drive. A really nice approach to an introduction. Plus it has Launchpad Tour I do not know about the expected longevity of the flash drive from their past performance of multimedia products being of varying quality.

The PNY Technologies Attache 2GB flash drive is pretty dull and boring in the aspect that it does not have any software whatsoever on it; however, it leaves you with all the space that is available on the flash drive. But it is a high quality made flash drive containing a Toshiba chip and is pretty cool looking design and color scheme. I avoided paying $29.99 by getting it on sale for $24.99 plus 10% off (a $2.50 savings) plus a $5 rebate (that’s a $7.50 total savings from additional discounts on top of the sale price and if you count the money saved off of normal price it’s a whopping $12.50 worth of savings) that brings the cost down to $17.49. As wise financial decision I would advise not buying items on credit that have rebates if you can not pay off the bill for that month, but with the following exception of if you really need the item.

The Sony Microvault 4GB flash drive has software which can reduce the space taken up on the flash drive, and it claims it may shrink Microsoft files down to a third of the original size at the most. Sony Microvault is a high quality product, but I would not recommend Sony Microvault over SanDisk Cruzer Micro at this point in time and I only say this because I have not benefited from the Microvault software. I got Sony Microvault 4GB flash drive on sale for $49.99 and is a great price to pay for the flash drive retailing for about $119.99 or more depending on where you shop.

June 21, 2007 Copyright

Any and all information taken from this review should be referenced and used with my written permission.

Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed.