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RBMODS REVIEWS |
Date 2007-10-28
Provider: PQI
Author: Michael Chiu
Editor: Amber Lupala
PQI Intelligent Drive i810 USB Flash Drive Review
USB flash drives have become the device of choice for transferring data between computers and other devices. Nowadays, companies are creating USB drives in all different shapes and sizes. PQI, makers of a variety of memory products, have created a USB drive, the Intelligent Drive i810, which is claimed to be the smallest USB drive in the world. Will this drive be an intelligent choice for your computer? Let’s find out in today’s review.
About PQI:
Check out their website: www.pqimemory.com
Power Quotient International had created its own brand name "PQI" since its establishment in 1997 and marked it through its complex channels worldwide via its subsidiaries in USA, The Netherlands, Hong Kong and Mainland China.
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With these resources, PQI reacts to industry situation rapidly and markets its products accordingly and maintains its market leading position worldwide. With a feature vision of becoming "IC Storage Specialist in World Class", PQI has gone through a solid way of diligent product management so that its flash cards and DOM as well as Travel Flash Card Readers have all become brand name products in the worldwide.
Specifications:
Interface- USB1.1/2.0
Capacity - 512MB ~ 2GB
Data Transfer Rate- Maxima Read Up to 27MB/sec
Write Protect - No
OS Supported - Windows ME, 2000, XP, Vista / Mac 10.1 or above
Power Supply - DC 5V ± 5%
Power Consumption - operating < 100mA
Dimensions - 30 x 15.2 x 5 mm (1.18 x 0.6 x 0.2 in)
Weight 2.2 g (0 lb)
Features:
Plug and play through USB 1.1 or 2.0 port
Smallest USB flash drive in the world
Mobile phone decoration, east to carry
Store and transport data, music, pictures and videos
Support Windows Vista
The product:
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
The PQI Intelligent Drive i810 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 1GB, but PQI offers with storage capacities between 512MB and 2GB. Not the largest memory capacity in the world, but adequate for most applications.
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 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. But these are fancy features that you might not need in a USB drive, if you’re just looking for a basic drive.
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
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As for the claims that it is the smallest drive in the world, I certainly haven’t seen anything even close to being this small. The drive is about the size of a quarter with the USB connector extended. The connector is easy to extend and is itself smaller than most connectors (about half the size). Our sample drive came in a nice black color; PQI also offers the drive in a variety of colors to suit your style, including blue, pink, etc. The drive is connected to a lanyard that makes it easy to secure to your cell phone or anything else. The size is definitely a nice feature.
I tested out the USB card using the removable storage benchmark in SiSoft Sandra version XI. Testing was performed on a Dell Inspiron 9300 running Windows XP and a Acer 5100 laptop running Windows Vista.
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
As you can see, the drive performs as well as many other USB drives on the market, which is impressive given its small size. The drive is also Windows Vista ReadyBoost capable, which means that the microSD card can serve as extra memory cache to improve the computer’s performance without any additional memory.
Conclusion:
If you’re looking for a very small yet stylish and capable USB drive the PQI Intelligent Drive i810 USB flash drive is a good choice. The drive offers decent transfer speeds, is Windows Vista ReadyBoost capable, and is easy to use. While it doesn’t offer all the accessories as other USB drives, the i810 offers the basic features in a wonderfully tiny package.
Pros:
+ Very small device
+ Comes in a variety of nice colors
+ Solid transfer speeds/performance
Cons:
- No additional accessories
- Maximum capacity of 2GB
Current Real Time Pricing
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