USB thumb drives-from relatively humble beginnings-have become an essential PC component for both student and road warrior alike.
Ubiquitous and ever cheaper, its success lies in its small size, ever-increasing capacity, and flexibility; they are perfect for quick backups but can boot smaller operating systems as well. Best of all, USB drives are solid state, with no moving parts to break when thrown in a backpack - or a back-pocket. With prices diminishing as capacity grows, a specialized sub-market continues to grow for discerning consumers who desire capacity, throughput and rugged build quality.
This niche market is well served by the following rugged USB drives released over the last few months.
First up is the Verbatim TUFF-CLIP. Featuring 8GB of storage, the TUFF-CLIP, as its name implies, boasts a clasp on one end - perfect for belt or laptop bag loops. Considering that the size of USB thumb drives can sometimes be a mixed blessing-easy to carry, but likewise also easy to misplace-its closable clasp is a minor but nonetheless needed innovation. This plastic also sheathes the rest of the drive without sacrificing portability. The drive itself is optimized for ready-boost speed for Vista and Windows 7 users and features the now standard security software onboard. The Verbatim TUFF-CLIP comes in at a competitive price point compared to its more vanilla competitors. The clasp is well integrated with the rest of its casing.
Priced similarly, but featuring a tougher exterior is a new player in the market: the ATP ToughDrive. ATP advertises SIP technology in a drive that is shockproof, waterproof and dust-proof. Such claims might well cover all but the cheapest USB thumb drives; when picking up at a recent computer trade show, I immediately understood the market ATP is looking to snare. Like the TUFF-CLIP, the ToughDrive features a tough shell encasement, but with a dense rubber as opposed to the more common plastic. Unlike some its competitors, it seemed welded onto the drive. While its design does not include a clip, the ATP felt light in the palm while undeniably tough. Ridges on both sides of the drive, including a removable tip, were a nice touch; they added heft while not detracting from overall portability. The ToughDrive ships in 4GB and 8GB and the drive itself includes the ready-boost and security options now standard for higher-end thumb drives. The drive itself, as will all of these featured here, is sturdy and well embedded in its casing.
One would think that the military is one step ahead of the rest of us in thumb drive innovation. They probably are. But other professions with truly mission critical needs have developed a market with a new twist on tough. Meet the TAC drive. Eschewing industrial-grade plastic or rubber, the TAC drive is encased in light-weight metal that nonetheless meets-and exceeds-military field regulations. Weighing less than an ounce, rural and suburban fires led physician Dr. Anthony DuBose to conceive of a tough, but lightweight thumb drive that could withstand extreme conditions while saving important medical information of the firefighters engaged in fighting the flames. The result is a thumb drive capable of withstanding freezing in dry ice, submersion in a hundred feet of water, when not heated to degrees exceeding 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
The price is competitive with the other drives listed here, but the capacity is indeed smaller at 1GB. Still, this is an attractively priced, and truly archival quality drive, ready to bear the brunt of extreme elements. A drive tested in a forest fire seems well worth trusting irreplaceable information with; overlook its unsexy, Swiss knife design and it becomes a portable, and fireproof safe - ready on the go.
Rugged, tough USB drives should not resemble a Hummer in miniature; consider instead the materials and intelligent design that go into a high-end, tough USB drive. Form factor, design and on board software are all features to consider when shopping for a tough USB drive designed to withstand the tests of time, circumstance and environment.
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