Super Talent Pico-C 32GB Nickel USB 2.0 Flash Drive

I am an IT professional and, like many computer-savvy individuals, I have been branded as the go-to guy for all computer and computer-related issues my friends and family encounter. I purchased this USB drive (32GB nickel-plated version) in early 2012 after one of my coworkers, responding to my complaints about needing to acquire such a product, showed me his and described its features to me. With the intent of utilizing it for my everyday work and troubleshooting, as he did, I immediately partitioned it and loaded it up with a whole suite of portable applications, software installers, references, and general IT tools. I even went as far as to put a USB-bootable Linux distro on one partition. It has been 2 years since then and I have used this USB drive extensively. these are my findings.Short and sweet:+Small size+Extremely durable+Low price per GB=Typical USB 2.0 speeds=Slightly less capacity than advertised (this is normal, see below)=No special features (What is advertised is what you get)-Plating chips off over time-Fits a little snugly-Heats up after extended useIn Depth:+SIZE: Size is aproximately 1" x 1/2" x 1/8" (with hole for chain adding 1/8" to length). Fits easily onto a keychain or necklace. Although it does come with a small chain, I never used it asd I prefered to put it on my keyring or wear it on a chain.+DURABILITY: This bad boy is mad of metal, and it is SOLID. In the 2 years since i bought this USB drive, it has taken a serious beating. It has been dropped, stepped on, thrown around, submerged in water, banged, dinged, and been subject to every otherv form of abuse you can think of, and yet it still works like I bought it yesterday. Even the constant plugging/unplugging hasn't worn the pins down yet.+PRICE: When I bought this drive it was $42 for 32GB, which at the time i thought was not a bad deal at all considering the features (size, durability, capacity, etc.). Now, it seems to hover between $25 and $30 - A HECK of a deal in my opinion.=SPEED: Typical USB 2.0 speeds. In benchmarks i've gotten up to 20 MB/s, but realistically i think i usually see about 8-12 MB/s . Speed has been pretty consistent, and after 2 years I still haven't seen any noticable loss of read/write speed from wear caused by excessive writing of data.=CAPACITY: Advertised as 32GB, but due to that manufacturers use the SI System (1 kilo = 1000) for advertising and computers use the Binary system (1 kilo - 1024), the actual size is 30.23GB. As this is typical for thumb drives, hard drives, SD cards, etc., I can hardly fault it. Besides, it isn't too big of a loss and 30GB is still plenty of storage space.=FEATURES: Nothing special, no bells and whistles, no LED lights, no hardware encryption - none of that. This is exactly as advertised - a simple, yet small and durable USB drive.-PLATING CHIPS OFF: Both the silver and nickel versions scratch easily, and the nickel version shows fingerprints like any other glossy surface. I do not remember exactly how long it took, but the nickel plating does wear down over time, given enough wear. This is not too much of an issue for me, as the metal under the plating is matte silver in color and doesn't look half bad. My drive, after so much wear, actually is starting to show a copper hue on the corners, although I can't say whether that's just discoloration from all it has been through or if the metal has actually worn down.-TIGHT FIT: It does fit a little tightly in some USB ports, at first, but contrary to other reviewers experiences I have not yet encountered a USB port that it physically wouldn't fit in due to being to big. Over time, the edges have worn down a little and it actually fits fine now.-HEAT: When writing to the drive over a longer period of time, it can get hot. Hot enough to hurt a little when removing, but not hot enough to burn the skin. This doesn't seem to effect its operation at all.Summary:Truly one of the best USB 2.0 thumb drives you can get in terms of size and durability. I've seen smaller, but none as durable. If you're looking for a small thumb drive to fit on a key chain or necklace, with a reasonable capacity and without too much concern for write speed, then I would HIGHLY recommend you give this one a look. If speed is a major concern, look for a USB 3.0 thumb drive instead.

I admit I am a sucker for very small, bright, shiny things, and these are about the brightest, shiniest, and smallest usb drives you'll find. I have an 8GB and a 16GB and am picking up another 16GB drive in about five minutes when I get back to my shopping cart. You could carry a handful of these around on your key ring and nobody would even pick up that you were a complete geek with a pocket full of thumb drives! Instead you have these little sparkly metal rectangles that could be, like, art or something.The drives themselves are virtually indestructible. I mean, I suppose a sledge hammer might do one in, but otherwise you can drool on it, sweat on it, spit on it or dunk it in your coffee and it will still work when you plug it into your computer. You could sit on it and probably even step on it at low velocities without hurting it.The only drawback I can see to this drive is that it might be a bit too small for some. I keep all of mine on a clip that stays on a wallet chain, so I always know where they are, but if you don't keep it attached to something, it could disappear fairly easily. I suspect a cat might find these as entertaining to look at as I do. They do heat up during data transfer but so will any usb drive--most of the others are insulated by all that big ugly plastic.Edited to add: I should note that I've used these drives almost exclusively with a MacBook Pro and never had a problem getting my machine to see them. Macs should be able to read FAT32 formatted drives of all kinds. Reformatting can correct problems, which may indicate that the drive was not properly formatted at the factory. Mass production being what it is, it is not surprising that some bum drives get sold. That said, I just got my new 16GB drive (sporting a deep bronze-silver finish that is even more seductive than the bright silver ones are), and it showed up on my desktop as soon as I plugged it in. And it is true that it's a snug fit. Honestly, to me that feels like quality; cheap stuff rattles around. Maybe usb ports also differ in real-world specs. Me, I like the solidity of this little bit of huge storage space.Thus, I still cannot think of one thing to complain about. I currently carry a library of over 500 books in my watch pocket; I will soon be adding a bunch of photos and films. What do you have to lose? Well now you can carry it with you on a tiny piece of glinting metal. Or several. I recommend several.

really fast write speeds...looks good to wear toooooo haha

Super Talent Technology ist ein führender amerikanischer Hersteller von Flash-Speicherlösungen und DRAM-Speichermodulen und hat mit seinen PICO USB Drives höchste Kapazitäten, edles und überzeugende Designs mit solider Technik gepaart und in ein winziges Gehäuse gesteckt. Jeder PICO USB Drive ist nur halb so groß wie eine SD-Karte und damit kleiner als der Anschluss an einem USB-Kabel. Diese Winzlinge haben es in sich: eingebettet in ein glänzendes stabiles Metallgehäuse sind sie stoß- und wasserfest und bestehen auch unter härtesten Bedingungen. Zu dem sind sie außerordentlich schnell.Gekauft habe ich den Speicher um ihn in meinem Auto (USB-Anschluss im Handschuhfach) zu verwenden. Also schnell die Ware ausgepackt und an den Rechner (WinXP) angeschlossen. Soweit keine Probleme. Also noch den Test unter MAC OS-X genacht. Auch keine Probleme. Aufgefallen ist mir, dass der Stick am Rechner (MAC, PC, Netbook) nicht sehr warm wird. Verwendet man ihn allerdings in einem In-Desk-Hub mit ext. Spannungsversorgung, sieht das schon ganz anders aus. Gut - Nicht weiter schlimm.4GB? Also schnell mal das Urlaubsvideo in full HD aufgespielt und ab damit zur Playstation 3. Hier der erste Schock. Nichts geht - der Stick wird nicht erkannt. Zur Sicherheit mal h2format angewendet, aber auch hier wurde es nicht besser. Immer noch verweigert der Stick die Zusammenarbeit mit der PS3. Also nal schnell eine e-Mail nach Amiland geschickt. Die Antwort kam sehr schnell (GMT -8h !)."Hi Heiko:Thank you for choosing Super Talent. I don't think it will be compatible with the PS3. Some of them work, some of them don't work. I am confused too. Try to change to FAT format. Hope it works."Naja - Das hatte ich ja schon durch, aber nachdem es auf 5 Testrechnern keine Probleme gab wird es wohl an der PS3 liegen. Warun das so ist weiss wohl nur Sony, SuperTalent oder der liebe Gott.Trotz allem bin ich recht zufrieden. Einen Stern abgezogen wegen der nicht 100%igen Kompatibilität. Vier Sterne für Bauform, Verarbeitung, Geschwindigkeit und dem gutem Willen vom SuperTalent Service!

Die 4 GB können prima als Anhänger an der Halskette getragen werden.So hat man wichtige Daten immer Griffbereit.Die Goldene Beschichtung gibt dem Ganzen einen gewissen Schmuck Effekt.Leider löst sich nach etwa 1 Monat Tragen die Rückplatte ab.Diese sollte dann mit gutem Kleber (Pattex) wieder befestigt werden und hält dann Jahre ...Die vergoldung nimmt mit etwa 3 Monaten Tragezeit ab was leider die Optik etwas leiden lässt.Ansonsten ist das Preis/Leistungsverhältnis ok.

kompakt, robust.verbesserung: stabilere und etwas groeßere Öse zum befestigen

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