GigaByte USB Flash Disk (512MB)   

     Ok, so the USB Flash drive is now so common that just about every PC enthusiast has one right? Well, that really isn't' saying anything about the devices popularity now it? After all, hard core geeks will own everything cool and usually before it even has its own dedicated section at CompUSA or Best Buy. No, it wasn't until I started seeing these devices being carried around by folks who are less than technically savvy that it really dawned on my how much of an impact these portable drives have made. The point was really driven home when I moved into my new office and one of the folks in the 'Big Office' came to give me my Welcome Aboard speech. During his speech, he gave me a tour of the facility and handed me a USB Flash drive, "Here, use this for all your projects and packages you'll be working on."  It was at that moment that I decided to give these Flash Drives another look here on ClubOC.

    Gigabyte was kind enough to send over an evaluation sample of their own USB Flash Drive, that they just happen to be launching soon here in the United States. It's simply named: Flash Disk. A USB 2.0 Flash drive that will come in a wide variety of storage capacities; 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, and 2GB. We've got the 512MB drive here for testing, but you can expect the same type of results from any of the drive you acquire.

     The CD has a Quick Install Guide, a full users manual,  a set of drivers that the small percentage Windows 98 users will have to use, and the Protected Partition Utility. Shown above, the utility allows you to password protect the USB Flash Disk. The small utility is not installed like a full blown application, but simply executed like a Terminate and Stay Resident (showing my age with that expression) while the Flash Disk is inserted into USB port. This means that if you password protect the contents, the program needs to be carried separately or already residing on the next machine you intend to the Flash Disk with. THe only real thing missing here is the ability to format the device as a bootable disk.