Overall Rating: ( 24 reviews )

1. Posted: Jun 27 2008

   I bought this flash drive primarily for its write speed. I'd rather not have U3 installed as the emulated CDROM drive spawns an Autorun dialog and interferes with the operation of my CD burning software (Nero). When I got the drive I immediately removed U3. After a while I noticed that the write speed in Windows Explorer never exceeded 14MB/s, even with large files. As I had paid a price premium for Sandisk's `flagship' flash drive I investigated and found that when U3 is installed Windows reports write speed of around 17MB/s, but when U3 is removed the write speed dropped to ~14MB/s. I contacted Sandisk about this (it took a week for the first reply). After a few exchanges, including using benchmarking software from the Sandisk support site to confirm my finding, the tech support conversation ended with this reply: "With U3, it can be removed like you have done or prevent it from auto running as previously mentioned. With the U3 partition recognized as a disc, it can create issues with software such as Nero, Roxio and other ROM software. "Unfortunately the Contour's speed is optimized when using U3. When U3 is removed, you may experience a drop in the transfer rate of data to the flash drive. The testing on this device was done with U3 installed and it does optimize the speed of the device. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused." Apparently removing U3 may reduce the write speed of the drive, in my case by 3 MB/s. There does not seem to be any warning about this on the product page or the U3 page of the Sandisk website. As far as I knew U3 was an optional feature and its removal would not incur a performance penalty. To enjoy the superior performance I paid for I have to keep an annoying feature that interferes with some of the software I use (I have to unplug the drive to burn a DVD). I'm not in the US right now. For the cost of sending the drive back (Sandisk does not think the drive is defective anyway) I can buy a 4 GB drive that sports ~14MB/s write speed with large files. I'm very dissatisfied with this purchase.

2. Posted: Jun 25 2008

   I did not buy this from amazon but I am reviewing it here since this is where I look for product reviews. Most of the complaints I read about this drive is that the open/close mechanism is cumbersome. It is true that it takes a little practice. It opens by pulling the black part down then up, and closes by pushing it up then down. I have found the trick is pushing on the right area of the drive to move it. The black part has 3 raised groove things on the top area where the connector pops out that instinctively you want to use as a thumb grip to open and close the device. But you should only push down on this area to open drive. To close it, you should push up on the curved lower part because if you press on the other end where the grooves are, it is very hard to move. Everyone that initially tried it in my office ended up dropping it on the floor. If you still cant muster the dexterity to do it with one hand, then use two hands. The black plastic part is not as sturdy as I imagined it to be and does feel a little flimsy, which is why I docked one star. The U3 software had some nice features, but I ended up removing it and using TrueCrypt, a free encryption program, to protect my confidential data in the event that I lose the drive. The U3 software did have a password protection feature, but in order for the U3 software to work it has to have its own partition on the drive and took up a bunch of space. Removing the U3 was a simple process through the software settings menu. This thing is definitely a good looking drive, kind of like something out of the Matrix, especially if you can master the switchblade-like open/close mechanism. It is larger and heavier than a lot of drives with no lanyard, and may be difficult to use in USB ports that are stacked very close. I have not had any problems using it though and overall I am very pleased with this drive and glad that I got it.

3. Posted: Jun 19 2008

   I just bought one of these to replace my older 2gb Sandisk Cruzer Mini. THE GOOD: * SPEED: I was extremely pleased with the much faster transfer rate, which is around 5x faster than the older 2gb model I had, from the same manufacturer. I'm seeing transfer rates of no less than 1-2 min per gb, which is pretty spiffy (vs 5-10 mins for my old one). * CAPACITY: We are FINALLY starting to see the real potential of flash memory - enough speed and storage to elipse the need to burn DVDs to transport files. I cant wait until capacity rises into the 100gb range ... enough to transport one's entire collection of MP3's, and also be able to backup entire drives, rather than just select swaths. * SOLID: This USB drive has a very solid feel. SLIGHTLY ANNOYING: * THUMB SLIDE: Although the unit feels solid and durable, I have to admit that new thumb slide design makes it heavier, slightly bulkier, and the operation of the slider is a little awkward and takes some getting used to. Also, the built-in end-cover sometimes doesn't consistently close properly, and you have to repeat the 4 step open & close motion. Last, the metallic 'shell' is very slippery - they could have textured it a bit to solve that. * NO LANYARD: Instead of having a loop with an included lanyard, the newer unit now has a leather case with an eye-clip ... but no lanyard comes with it by default. Not only that, but the old lanyard is not compatible with the new cruzer, because it lacks a ring for the eyehook to connect to. * DRIVE LIGHT: On the older unit, there was a green light in the end of the unit that lit when it was powered, flashed during data transfer, and then extinguished when it was safe to remove. It worked well, and was easily viewable from all angles. The newer unit has the word "cruzer" (on the top side of the drive) that glows blue when powered, and blanks when soft-ejected. The annoying thing is that because the light is on only 1 side, it can only be seen from one direction ... and it doesn't seem to flash during data transfers. So yes, the newer light is very pretty, but it's not nearly as useful as the light on the older unit. * DRIVERS & PARTITION: When plugged in for the first time, this unit requires you to reboot your PC after the drivers are uploaded ... which can be inconvenient and annoying if you want to use it on a public PC (ex: local library), or be able to quickly port files to someone else's PC. Also, U3 software is maintained in a separate partition, causing the USB to appear as 2 drives instead of one - which can be confusing to light users who are used to a more simple plug and go interface. Yes, the software inferface that comes with this is slick, and it's fine if you're a saavy users, but it's probably overkill for most light users. * PARTITION: This USB has a separate partition for it's Bottom line: As of this writing, this is one of the fastest USB drives on the market, and on that basis alone, it gets 4 stars from me, and a good recommendation. It didn't get the full 5 because of the slightly clutzy thumbslide, poorly positioned light, and lack of a lanyard.

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Overall Rating: ( 47 reviews )

1. Posted: Jul 30 2008

   Works as expected. Use: Music files to play from an Alpine car stereo. Use the USB instead of an Ipod.

2. ( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jul 25 2008

   The reason I bought a 16GB Corsair Flash Voyager was that I had filled my 8GB Corsair Flash Voyager. The Voyager has been a reliable, problem free tool for transporting my life between work and home. 8GB, 16Gb, same reliability, same ease of use, same lack of overhead. Downsides are few. The cap that covers the USB plug can wander at times. It would be useful to have it attached. Also, I have found that save times for Word documents increased when going from the 8 to 16GB versions. Quibbles. This is superior, simple technology and I do not know how I survived without it.

3. ( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jul 21 2008

   This is a great drive with lots of storage. The rubberized shell protects it well.

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Overall Rating: ( 8 reviews )

1. Posted: Jun 16 2008

   i've had a number of usb flash drives and this is the first one that feels well-made in your hands. i bought this to transfer files between a mac and a pc and had some problems with the u3 launcher software on the pc so i just downloaded the uninstaller from sandisk's website. the drive works as it should but the most satisfying thing about it is the build quality.

2. Posted: May 4 2008

   The SanDisk Cruzer Contour 4GB has treated me well so far. I use it for ReadyBoost in Windows Vista. I can't tell if it has actually increased performance and speed much, but it can't hurt as a supplement for my 2GB of RAM, considering how memory-intensive Vista is and considering that the Cruzer Contour is one of the fastest USB flash drives you can buy (esp. the random access times). Unlike other users, I have not encountered any problems with the U3 software, but I have not tested it extensively (N.B. you can't really use the drive to store files or do much else with it if ReadyBoost mode is using the lion's share of the drive; that probably includes installing new games or utilities that are part of the U3 system). I would recommend updating the U3 software also, if you're using Vista (mine came with U3 ver. 1.4, which I updated to 1.6 with the download from U3's website). I would note lastly that the physical design could be better. SanDisk's other USB drives (e.g. Titanium) are supposed to withstand a truck driving over them or whatever. The slide-out design on the Contour doesn't always work as intended, and although the bottom is metal, the top is a flimsy type of plastic. Also, not the smallest USB drive in the world (although not that large either - adjacent USB ports were not blocked). Make everything smaller, SanDisk! I demand nanodrives!

3. Posted: Feb 24 2008

   it usually works well. i also use it on XP for Readyboost, 4g, big enough.

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