|
RBMODS REVIEWS |
Date 2007-01-12
Provider: Goldenmars
Author: Michael Chiu
Editor: Amber Lupala
GoldenMars USB Flash Drive Review
Nowadays, there are a ton of companies producing USB flash drives in all sorts of shapes and sizes. What does a company do to distinguish themselves? GoldenMars, makers of a wide range of computer peripherals, offers a USB flash drive with a couple of features that make it stand out from the crowd.
About Goldenmars:
Check out their website: www.goldenmars.com
Goldenmars Technology (HK) Limited (Goldenmars) is one of the subsidiary company that expertise in computer peripherals, memory modules, USB Flash drives, memory cards and Multimedia players. Headquarter was founded in Silicon Valley, California in 1997. Goldenmars product manufacturing has been based in Taiwan and USA with business coverage not only in its country but also Europe and Asia-Pacific Region.
Features:
Intelligent Series: GU-F02
Capacity: 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB
Capable of showing personal ID and remaining capacity without battery embedded
Bi-stable Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Display
Showing up to 11 characters and the remaining capacity by graph and digits
LED indication on transferring data in every direction
|
|
Specifications:
S Supported: Windows 98/98SE(driver needed), Windows 2000/ME/XP, Mac 9.0.4 ~ 10.4.1 Linux Kernal 2.4.0
USB 2.0/USB 1.1
Write Protect
Dimensions- 78mmx21x12.9mm(LxWxH)
The product:
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
The GoldenMars USB flash drive arrived in a typical clear package that most flash drives products seem to come in. The drive is prominently displayed on the front of the package and the back has some information in tiny print in multiple languages. Our sample drive has a capacity of 512 MB, but GoldenMars also offers drives in 256MB, 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB and works with both USB 1.1 and 2.0.
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
Opening the package, I was first surprised to find that the package only comes with the flash drive itself. No additional accessories such as a cord/lanyard or a USB cable that other drives include. If this were my only flash drive, I might be a little disappointed that this one didn’t come with those useful additions. Nor did it come with any software utilities such as a password program. As for the flash drive itself, it has a standard design and isn’t the smallest flash drive around. Also, it has a conventional removable cap that can easily get lost.
|
|
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
Ok, so what is this “mystery feature” that I mentioned in the summary? Well, this USB drive is equipped with a “Bi-stable Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Display”, which is a fancy little LCD that requires no batteries or computer to power. The LCD displays the name of the drive (configurable via computer) and also its capacity in both numbers and on a pie-graph. I think this is a great feature, especially the part about it being self-powered without batteries. I can imagine having multiple flash drives each with a different name and being able to tell the difference just by glancing at the LCD- very handy.
I tested out the USB card using the removable storage benchmark in SiSoft Sandra version XI. Testing was performed on a Dell Inspiron 9300 Laptop running Windows XP.
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
When I first ran this benchmark, I thought something was wrong with my computer, as the results of the GoldenMars drive (in red in the chart) were way too low. But I tested a number of other drives and also tried writing files to it, and all indications point to the fact that file transfers are VERY slow on this drive! While this might be an issue for some, I found it to be to slow for everyday use.
Conclusion:
The GoldenMars USB Flash Drive does offers features that few USB drives offer, but unfortunately the slow transfer speeds really hinder its overall impression. I think the LCD display is a very nifty feature that I hope starts appearing in multiple applications. But these style points aside, the drive really couldn’t overcome the slow performance and lack of accessories.
Pros:
+ Cool LCD display featuring name and capacity that works without power
+ Capacity shown in both numbers and on a pie graph
Cons:
- Very slow transfer speeds
- No additional accessories or software included
- Plain design
Current Real Time Pricing
Related Articles:
Corsiar Voyager USB Flash drive
Xmicro 512mb USB2 memory stick
|
| |
|
|
|
|
RSS
