ModSynergy.com - Review 8 - M-Systems DiskOnKey PRO Review

M-Systems DiskOnKey PRO Review
Sponsored By: DiskOnKey

Lately, USB has been the mainstream. Products, gadgets all take advantage of USB technology. USB has proven to be simple, reliable and very efficient. With the introduction of USB 2.0, even more speed is attained.

Today we have the M-Systems DiskOnKey PRO to review. The brand new DiskOnKey PRO is a small USB Storage unit that can hold various amounts of memory. It proves to be a very useful gadget for people on the go.

The DiskOnKey is a small size storage unit that comes in different colors. Ranging from 8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, and 512MB these unit sure packs lots of space. We review the 16MB module today.

The box is well presentable and will draw attention stores. The unit is very small, sizing in at a height of 3 inches. It is equally as light also. Digital storage devices have become popular in business, and for general work transferring. If you're like me, chances are you know floppies are old news. I believe that USB storage devices such as the DiskOnKey PRO will advance and replace floppy disk drives in the future.

Specs

Interface: USB 2.0 Compliant
Power: USB interface; no batteries required
Operating Systems: WIN 98(SE), WIN 2000, WIN ME, WIN XP, Mac 8.6, 9.0 and above and Linux

As you can see, this little device has no wires. It operates by itself through a USB Port and creates its own drive automatically. I connected it into an USB port on my computer and Windows XP automatically read the drive and installed the proper drivers for it to operate. Once that was done, the drive was ready to use. In this case, Windows create an F:\ drive.

Therefore, just plug and play is needed to operate this device. Folks with Windows 98, and Mac (if the Mac does not recognize it) require a trip to DiskOnKey's website and download drivers for the appropriate operating system. Mac users will need to log on to Apple's website for driver download.

With that said, I see many possible uses for this device. It's such a pain to carry floppies around; they are to big and to have too little space. That's where DiskOnKey PRO comes in. It holds the equivalent of 12 floppy disks. I know you wouldn't want to carry 12 floppies when you can have the chance of having 1 unit that fits in your palm and is very versatile. Many people may not want to waste a blank CD when files are only 12KB or 3MB in size. Would you?

Having this ability is very useful. Let me give you my example. One day, I needed to copy a 5MB video file off an iMac, what could I do? The file would not fit on a floppy. Should I use a blank CD? Well, I decided it would be a waste of a blank CD, so there would eventually be one option. Use the DiskOnKey PRO. So I inserted the USB Storage device in, and copied the file. Eventually when I arrived home, I could watch the small movie off of the DiskOnKey PRO. Very useful and cool. Convenience is what the DiskOnKey spells.

The drive has the ability to run applications that is in the drive. Applications, and MP3's are just some of the many things you can do. Powered by the ARM7 32-bit processor, you can say that this is a mini-computer! The possibilities and uses are endless. This is one future packed device that allows you to do things efficiently.

ARM7 32-bit processor

Using the unit proves easy as well.

Put in USB port
Copy the files you want to transfer
Paste in storage device (Cut and copy, or copy and paste)

Installed on the drive, is MyKey. MyKey is a small application that allows you to view how much space is left on the drive, how much space is used, browse the selected drive, preferences, and disconnect the drive safely.

Another thing I found interesting is that the DiskOnKey illuminates a green-lighted transition when in use. Very cool if you see it up close.

Performance

Time to tranfser a 16MB movie file: 15.6 seconds