gb and above

I only bought this originally for its novelty and to indulge my curiosity, but mostly because there was an extremely good deal that I could not pass up at a local store. I bought it with some reservations, knowing almost without a doubt that after a week or so, I would toss this into the drawer where other under-used gadgets languish. Not so with this! Especially since I just bought a desktop computer without a floppy drive. The reason I bought the computer configuration without the floppy drive was that I knew I could go without after asking myself how many times I had used the floppy drive in my older computer. Lately, however, I have had a very unreliable internet connection at home, so whenever I want to work from home, I can't be assured that I can grab the files that I need from the internet, so I just leave them on my Jumpdrive. Since I don't use this device for music or other very large files, I have yet to need beyond 64MB of space - though for some people, this is considered to be too small. So the first things you should ask yourself before buying a device like this are:

1. how much space you think you really need based on how much data you need to transfer, and
2. how much data you need to store AND have readily available with you at all times. Remember that this is not the same thing as how much storage you'd want on your computer. In this case, bigger is not necessarily better, especially if you don't need the extra capacity because it comes at quite a premium.

Once you arrive at your answer, you'll know what size Jumpdrive you need. One caveat: even though it says 64MB, the actual available disk space is just shy of that - maybe 61 or 62MB, so keep that in mind.

The file transfer is quick and easy, despite that the 64MB version is USB 1.1 and not 2.0, which is available only starting with the 256MB version. And no software is needed on Windows XP or 2000, which is what I run at home and work.

Though the overall design is nicely streamlined, eye-catching, and surprisingly cute for such a practical item, the last star was not given for the poor design of the loop for the key ring. It is designed to break. Moreover, the hole is not big enough to fit my cable ring keychain (which is not of unusual size), and this was rather disappointing. Luckily, I got around that by looping the Jumpdrive to another keyring which I then attach to the cable ring.

The convenience and speed that this type of portable hard-drive concept offers ensures that it will be with us for a long time. The only difference is that the actual hardware will become smaller, and the capacity will become larger. I can't wait for next year's offerings. And the year after that.

I really like my 64 MB JumpDrive (about the only thing I like better is my 128 MB JumpDrive that I bought on sale a month after I got the 64 MB version).

These things are incredibly handy for transferring files that are too big to fit on a floppy or send as an e-mail attachment (and too small to warrant burning to a CD-R). Since your computer recognizes them as a hard drive, it's possible to work off the JumpDrive instead of copying the files to the computer's main data drive (you can also use them to store files playable by WinAmp or Windows Media Player).

Is this device for you? Bear in mind that 64 MB isn't what it used to be (15 years ago, standard hard drives had 3 times smaller storage capacity) and fills up faster than you'd think. It doesn't have the speed of USB 2.0 device, nor does it have any built-in encryption/security features--if these things are important for you, this isn't your JumpDrive. I happen to like the quirky transparent purple color, but maybe it's not your cup of tea.

The only complaints I have are that the write protect switch is awkward to move (or tell whether it's open or closed) and that the plastic cap that covers the USB connector doesn't fit snugly (however, I haven't experienced any damage to the connector yet). Given the low cost of this item compared the competition, I can live with these minor inconveniences.

If your need for an easy way to transfer files outweighs your need for blazing speed or encryption -- and you aren't going to need to move more than 50-60MB at a time -- consider this item. If your needs lie elsewhere, don't feel bad passing this item by; whichever JumpDrive (or similar portable USB flash drive) you purchase is sure to become one of your favorite electronic gadgets.

This product works great been using it for 4 months. You don't have to download any software if you're running anything up from Windows ME. Stores an equivalent of 44 floppies in a small package.