Conclusion
The device is a lot smaller than a standard USB pen whilst still feeling a lot sturdier, and with an aluminum casing and retractable USB connector instead of a lid to worry about misplacing, it defiantley gave a lot more protection.
With models supplying upto a 1GB in capacity, it is an ideal replacement to the CDRW drive for quick moving of data between PCs, and with an option of a secure area upto the maximum space of the device which is completely user definable.
The access speed of the Flash drive is also fast enough to allow real time playing of media presentations and quick execution of software stored on both the secure and non secure zones of the device - This would be great for sales representatives for storing presentations to take with them to buissness meetings, knowing that the sensitive files would be safe if lost or stolen, and be recognised and played instantly on all compatiable operating systems.
One of the better features of the EZ Drive is the write protect switch, it is no longer located on the side making it harder to accidently unlock when placed in your pocket or any other tight space, with that said it was hard to access the switch without using a small pin. It would be good if it was enhanced to make it a little more accessible.
After showing it around students at my local college, the overall opinion was that this was something that they would like to purchase instead of existing USB pens and the retractable connector was a big plus in their decision.They commented on the style and slimline look of the device, finding it very easy to use and a nice way to securely store their important information for transportation between the college and home.
During the tests, only a few minor things could be found wrong with the drive, and that was the write protect feature being placed where it was, the problem with the Supplied 8cm driver disk not playing in older computers, and the limitations when formatting the device. Indeed a couple of students did express an opinion that the possibility of having the write protect auto lock on the retraction of the USB connector would make this Flash Drive even more appealing to them, and maybe this is something Traxdata could take into consideration on their next range of devices.
Test Configuration:
Windows XP with latest service packs and updates
AMD XP 2600+
512 MB Corsair DDR 3500 Ram
ASUS AN78X Deluxe Nvidia Motherboard
120 Gb MAxtor SATA 150 Harddrive
Pros:
USB 2 high speed interface which is fully compatiable with USB 1.1/2.0 specifications
Achieves excellent performance in both our read and write tests
The power access led gives a clear indication of when the drive is in use
Has a write protect switch to secure data
Plug and play compatiable
No external power is required, is powered off the USB port of your PC
Supports power saving and suspend mode
Windows 98 support via it's supplied drivers
Fully compatiable with windows Me/w2k/xp, Mac OS 8.8 and l8er as well as linux kernel 2.2.7 above without a device driver
Very compact and looks very nice
Extremely light and durable
The Disksafe software allows easy access to the locking features and allows the user to define any amount of the pens space to be locked very easily and securly.
Cons:
The write protect is awkward to access
The supplied driver disk at only 8cm, might not work in all pc setups
Limitations of the DiskSafe software. Does not do resizing of public/secure zone without reformatting.
About Traxdata:
Traxdata is one of the five leading European brands in media optical storage, selling more than 25 million units per month. Ritek, the number one supplier for optical products, manufactures Traxdata products. The Traxdata product portfolio includes: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, storage wallets, memory cards, compatible ink cartridges and portable storage appliances.
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