SanDisk Cruzer Micro 8GB U3 Review

Introduction

Almost everyone owns a Flash Drive nowadays whether it is for work, college or to back up your important files so choosing the right one for you is important. Today we’re reviewing SanDisk’s Cruzer Micro U3 Drive. U3 technology is relatively new and provides portable software solutions that might not be available to you on the host computer. The Cruzer Micro should prove to be an all round great drive so let’s find out…

About SanDisk

Founded in 1988 by Dr. Eli Harari, an internationally recognized authority on non-volatile memory technology, SanDisk has grown to become the world’s largest supplier of innovative flash memory data storage products.

With flash memory’s capability for storing large amounts of data in a compact, removable or embedded format, SanDisk’s products have helped drive the exponential growth in sales of digital cameras, multi-function mobile phones, USB flash drives, digital audio/video players, and other digital consumer devices.

Features

• Up to 8GB storage capacity – that’s 8,000MB
• Retractable USB connector
• Enhanced for ReadyBoost
• Brilliant amber LED
• U3 smart enabled – CruzerSync synchronization software, SignupShield password manager, Skype, AVAST-U3 anti-virus software

Specifications

Product Type:	USB Flash Drive
Storage Capacity:	8GB
Dimensions	0.8 x 0.3 x 2.3 (w/d/h) Inches
Interface Type:	1 x Hi-Speed USB – 4 pin USB Type A
Features:	U3 Smart capable, Retractable connector, Windows ReadyBoost capable
Software Included:	Skype, Avast!, CruzerSync, SignUpShield
OS Required:	Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4
Compliant Standards:	CE

The Cruzer Micro

We have the 8GB for review today but the Cruzer Micro U3 is also available in 1, 2, 4 and 16GB versions.

The Cruzer Micro’s exterior is made entirely out of plastic, you may have thought this wouldn’t provide enough protection but for some strange reason it doesn’t get damaged when you drop it (it should have been damaged though, the amount of times I’ve accidentally dropped it!).

The whole drive is black in apart from the slider for the retractable usb connector.  The edges of the micro are a smoother, shinier black plastic that in my opinion makes it look even better.  The front basically displays “cruzer” on the left and “micro 8GB” on the right.

The slider displays an arrow pointing left.  This indicates that you need to push the slider to the left to gain access to the retractable USB.

The back of the Micro displays the “U3 Smart” logo and “SanDisk” in a big font which fills most of the available space.

As a whole, the Cruzer Micro does not offer any protection at all to the drive as the black plastic cover isn’t going to be enough if you drop it all of the time because eventually it will start to show signs of damage whether it be on the exterior or Micro’s memory itself.

Testing

To test the Cruzer Micro, we will be using HD Tune (A HDD Benchmarking Tool)

We will also be finding out the CPU Utilisation.

The Software

The U3 Software, that autoruns upon inserting the USB Flash Drive into a computer, contains many useful features and software applications.  When you first plug the drive into the computer you are prompted to set up the U3 Software.

This consists of choosing software such as Firefox Portable, Thunderbird Portable and even a few games to keep you away from boredom.

The software also allows you to password protect the whole Flash Drive so when the drive is inserted, the first thing that it prompts you to do is enter your password to gain access to the U3 menu and your personal files.

One thing I found to be quiet annoying when password protecting the Micro was, if you insert your Flash Drive into someone elses’ computer and it can’t assign the same drive letter as before, the flash drive sometimes fails on you and does not allow you to access your files or data which can be very annoying if you are using it for work and at home.

Conclusion

Results

Average Read Speed: 20.9MB/s
Burst Rate: 20.1MB/s
CPU Utilisation: 7.3%

I found that the average read speed for the USB Drive was 20.9MB/s not brilliant but not rubbish.  Remember that this is only a Flash Drive so we are not going to be getting amazing results.  Again, with the burst rate, I’d of expected it to be a little bit more than the read speed but apparently not.

The CPU Utilisation, 7.3%, is pretty high as most external hard drives are around 2-5% CPU Utilisation.

Other Factors

The SanDisk Cruzer Micro 8GB costs between £10-£20 depending where you purchase it.

Conclusion

The drive itself is actually seems relatively fast and doesn’t seem like a bad drive at all.  The U3 Technology probably makes this drive better than it is but with all of the features available via U3 this drive is a very good USB Flash Drive.

Bottom Line:  If you need a cheap U3 Flash Drive that has good read/write speeds and isn’t too big then the SanDisk Cruzer Micro is the perfect solution.

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