Crucial Gizmo! High Speed USB 2.0 Drive

Reviews: Storage

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Brian Kristensen
Kurtis
Crucial
Jan. 3, 2005

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First Looks

Crucial's latest Gizmo is dubbed the "Gizmo! High Speed USB 2.0" which not only takes advantage of USB 2.0 and can move data up to 480 megabits per second, but also has a sleek new look. The first Gizmo was rather bulky and only supported USB 1.1. This third version, which is very similar to the second and shares the same title, has a new look and better fitting cap.

The Gizmo is available in capacities ranging from 64 megabytes up to a gigabyte and prices ranging from $20 to $90. We have the 512 MB version of the Gizmo which can be purchased for about $55. The Gizmo is "Plug and Play' compatible and works on any computer with a USB 1.1 or 2.0 port and Windows ME/2000/XP or Mac OS 8.6 or above. Unfortunately, the Gizmo will not work on Windows 95, 98 or 98 SE.

The Crucial Gizmo is packaged in what seems to be a fairly easy to open plastic container. However, the hole/pegs that would seemingly snap in place were fused together. One day I will be able to open a product without being annoyed out of my mind. Packaged along with the drive is a key ring, a lanyard, and a multi-language user's guide. No drivers are included with the drive. Windows ME/2000/XP, as well as Mac OS 8.6 and above, do not require any drivers for usage. The Gizmo also comes with a lifetime warranty. While most people will probably have a better portable storage medium in a couple years, it is good to know that Crucial back's their products for life.

Features

The Gizmo comes in at just over three and a half inches long (16 x 8 x 67.5 mm) and can easily be plugged in without obstructing the neighboring USB ports. The shell of the Gizmo is made of white plastic that has very subtle sparkles mixed in. The sparkles aren't really noticeable unless it is reflecting direct light and within a couple feet of you. Both sides of the drive are covered by slightly more sparkly stickers with the Gizmo name and other information printed on them. Located towards the rear of the drive, near the key ring, is a little green LED that lights up when the drive is in use.

The shell is very solid and sturdy, as is the cap. There were some complaints that the first Gizmo 2.0 (the dark grey version) had a loose fitting cap. I never actually had the offending drive so I can not directly compare it to this revision. However, the cap on this latest drive firmly clicks into place and fits very snugly. It would be almost impossible for the cap to fall off and get lost.

Software

The Crucial Gizmo comes with "Gizmo! Secure:" software that performs security functions similar to those found on the Crucial Voyager we reviewed recently. Unlike the Voyager, the security software is installed on the drive itself along with an autorun file. This means that you do not need to install the security software on any computers. When you insert the drive, a little window pops up to show the software's loading progress. This takes a few seconds and will be performed even if the drive is not secured. Once the software is done loading, it will prompt you to configure the drive. If you do not want to secure the drive, you can disable this prompt.

The Gizmo Secure software allows you to set up a secure partition of any size in addition to the unsecured partition. Once you have created the secured partition, you have the ability to choose your own password as well as a password reminder. The secure partition will show up as another drive in "My Computer' and won't be visible until you enter the correct password. There are also a few settings you can customize within Gizmo Secure. You can have the secure partition automatically hide after a certain amount of time, and you can have Gizmo Secure prompt you for your password when you plug the Gizmo in. There are other non-security related settings that you can customize such as automatically checking the Gizmo and the fragmentation level when the drive is connected. You can also be notified when the fragmentation level reaches a specified percentage. Within the Gizmo Secure settings, you can also defragment the drive, and even have Gizmo Secure launch a specified application when the drive is connected.

If the Gizmo Secure software is running when the drive is connected, you must first exit the software before disconnecting the drive. If you don't close the software first, you will get an error message telling you what horrid deed you have just done. You also risk losing your data or freezing your computer. On one computer I tested with, I was able to remove the drive without exiting the software and just deal with the error message. However, on another computer, the mouse and keyboard actually stopped responding when I disconnected the drive without first exiting the software.

If you don't plan on using any of the Gizmo Secure features, you can stop these annoyances and keep it from automatically loading every time you connect the drive or having to exit the software before removing the drive. However, there isn't a simple option for this in the Gizmo Secure settings. Instead, you have to access the drive through "My Computer' and rename the autorun.inf file to something else. Don't delete the file or remove the software unless you know exactly what you are doing. If you do accidentally mess something up, you can re-download Gizmo Secure from Crucial's website. Once the autorun file is renamed or deleted, the Gizmo Secure software will no longer load when you connect the drive, and you will be able to unplug the drive without having to exit the software first. The drive will now work like any other basic USB drive.

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Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: First Looks / Features / Software
Page 3: Performance
Page 4: Conclusion

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Add Comment

5 User Comments

1 - Posted by handrail on January 4, 2005 - 8:58 am

wow, that thing seems a bit sucky. surprising from crucial.

maybe they mis-labeled a usb 1.1 drive on accident.

2 - Posted by Guest on January 4, 2005 - 3:06 pm

Congratulations on a good review there.
However, there is a very important mistake which I believe you should revise your review in order to correct.

The Win98/SE drivers on Crucial's website are for Gizmo1 usb drives only -- *not* the third revision which you have tested here. According to their own specifications on their website http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.asp?imodule...
the USB2 Gizmo is "NOT compatible with 95/98/SE" (verbatim). Those in need of a Win98-compatible usb drive might have serious problems with your review if they purchase a Gizmo, only to find out that it does not work with Win9x operating systems.

Other than this small mistake, I liked your article. May I suggest Iomega's Micro Mini USB drives for a future review?

kind regards,
Giannis, Greece

3 - Posted by deluver_15@hotmail.com on April 19, 2007 - 5:25 pm

i am sick of this. all my work has been lost because this thing has malfunction. now i've got to do everything all over.

4 - Posted by Kurtis on April 19, 2007 - 8:50 pm

hindsight is 20/20, but...

it's always a good idea to use a USB drive just as a means of transporting data, you should always have a copy somewhere else.

5 - Posted by ricksgalsherry on February 25, 2010 - 7:07 pm

I have a Gizmo USB 2.0 thumbdrive. I am a writer and keep my novels on these drives. I went to add some more information to my current work in progress, and everything was wiped out. Everything I have written over the last year is gone!!! Does anyone know why this would happen? Luckily I have the paper copy but it means I have to type the entire 16 chapters again. I won't buy another of this brand again.

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