SanDisk Cruzer Titanium 512 MB USB Drive

Reviews: Storage

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Brian Kristensen
Kurtis
SanDisk
Jan. 28, 2005

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Conclusion

I have to admit, when I first saw the SanDisk Cruzer Titanium, I was fairly impressed. The thumb drive looked great and had some cool features such as its durability and the retractable USB connector. Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving. While the Titanium definitely had some good points, it fell short in a few areas as well.

The Cruzer Titanium is of decent size, not extremely small, but not too big at all. The titanium coated metal casing is very appealing and doesn't look out of place on a keychain. Unfortunately, the Titanium coating is more of a gimmick than a useful addition. The coating does scratch much more easily than I would have liked, especially when trying to clip on the key-ring. Speaking of the key-ring, if you do decide to purchase the Titanium, make sure to set aside some time and patience for attaching it. Maybe you can figure out how to clip it on without scratching the drive, but I sure as hell couldn't.

The retractable USB connector is very unique and a nice change from the usual snap-on cap. The plastic slider used to extend and retract the connector is extremely tough to work with at first, but after some usage (about two weeks in my case) it becomes much easier to work with.

While the Cruzer Titanium may not be perfect physically, it does shine in the performance department. The Titanium is almost three times faster than the Crucial Gizmo, but it still isn't as fast as Corsair's Flash Voyager. Regardless, it is on the high end of the performance spectrum and definitely will not disappoint in this department.

Software is another thing the Titanium has going for it. Three software applications come on the drive itself and provide some very useful functions. Cruzer PocketCache is a very useful backup tool, CruzerSync is great for synchronizing Outlook data for people on the go and CruzerLock is an unusual, though decent, security solution. The included software is almost reason alone to pick up this drive.

As for the durability of the drive, the Titanium managed to survive a car driving over it. The metal casing seemed to be intact, but the slider now requires more force to extend and retract. That said, the drive still works and no data or performance was lost. I guess that is a good thing.

Despite the Titanium's flaws, I am still impressed with it. While the physical aspects did not end up being up to snuff, the performance is very good and the software is a very welcome addition. The SanDisk Cruzer Titanium 512 MB USB flash drive can be found for around $60 to $70, remaining competitively priced with both the Crucial Gizmo and the Corsair Flash Voyager. While the scratches and stiff slider may be a deterrent for some people, I can recommend the Titanium to those who like the unique style, good performance and most of all, the awesome software.

Pros:

Great looks
Good performance
Durable Casing
Retracting USB connector
Awesome software

Cons:

Surface scratching
Initially stiff retraction
Connecting the key-ring

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

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13 User Comments

1 - Posted by kamesen on February 24, 2005 - 3:56 am

I like the crush-resistant feature, it sounds pretty handy to have. I can only think of one thing that this device is missing: a keychain attachment. DOH!!

2 - Posted by handrail on February 24, 2005 - 8:37 am

it does have a keychain attachment, it's just a pain to put on.

http://www.thetechlounge.com/image.php?img_url=htt...

3 - Posted by Kurtis on February 24, 2005 - 9:43 am

Yeah that keychain took Brian like 3 days to get on. When he finally did get it on he ended up scratching the usb drive...

"Another problem I had was the included key-ring which is required to use the lanyard or place the device on a keychain. Due to the shape of the hole on the Titanium, the drive can not simply be clipped on to any keychain. The included key-ring is small enough in both wire-diameter and overall diameter to fit the awkward hole. However, because of the hole’s extra-super-duper-awkwardness, it is almost impossible to clip the ring on. It took me a week of trying every day to actually clip the ring on and once I got it on, the ring was slightly warped. And to top it all off, it also caused the aforementioned nasty scratch."

4 - Posted by SAMSAMHA on February 24, 2005 - 12:55 pm

very nice looking. I love the retractable usb connector, I think all usb drive should come with it as you hate to loose your cap:).

5 - Posted by Kurtis on February 24, 2005 - 12:57 pm

it's a good feature but it's not implemented extremely well. it takes a while to get it 'loosened up' so that it is easy to move it in and out. also, don't run over it with a car, because that will make it harder to extend/retract it :-D

personally i like the corsair voyager more, i think water-proofing a USB drive is a brilliant feature that they should all have - and i am willing to bet that it will become a standard feature eventually

6 - Posted by Brian on February 24, 2005 - 3:06 pm

Well, the USB slider is back to normal again. Just have to wear it down after you run it over ;-)

7 - Posted by J2T on February 24, 2005 - 3:17 pm

Well, I know I got a good laugh out of the whole vehicle crush test you did. :-D

8 - Posted by mike on February 24, 2005 - 6:32 pm

I am all about the sandisc Cruzer micro. the cap nicely fits on the back of the drive. no moving parts, metal encased in plastic. But i doubt it can be used as an auto jack for my buick.

9 - Posted by kamesen on February 25, 2005 - 1:54 am

Oh sweet. Looks sturdy. But yeah, it also looks like a pain to attach. Ah well, anything is better than the keyring attachment that I have- er, USED to have. (it fell off)

10 - Posted by SlipSand on March 4, 2005 - 6:22 pm

Would you say that those are worth that much? I wanted one but I dotn want to pay that much.

11 - Posted by Guest on May 3, 2005 - 7:25 am

Thanks VERY much for such a detailed review - much appreciated as it has helped me decide to go ahead with my purchase. As far as the physical strength testing though ... forget driving a car over it ... this baby is designed to handle the daily battering it would receive in a woman's bag!!! (Being a woman I am allowed to say this!) I suggest you "road test" this gadget in a girl bag for a week, and if it still works then it has DEFINITELY passed rough handling :-)
Thanks again.

12 - Posted by Tyler on January 18, 2006 - 1:45 pm

Yes, this may look like a nice keydrive, being a nice silver color and the slide out connection. But what good does that do if the product doesnt work? Ive tried the drive in 5 different computers. One HP, a Compaq, a Dell, and two custom-built computers, none of them could even recognize the keydrive, even with the software that was downloaded.

13 - Posted by Kurtis on January 18, 2006 - 4:30 pm

maybe you just got a bad one - it happens.

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