Home >> Computer Add-Ons >> Drives & Storage
Home >> Computer Add-Ons
Corsair 8 GB USB 2.0 Ultra Rugged Flash Survivor Drive | List Price: $0.00
|
Brand: Corsair
Binding: Electronics
Warranty: 10 years warranty
Fastest Flash Drive to Date! [Posted on 2008-03-27]
I bought this because it's fast it has the fastest benchmarks of any flash drive out there.
They have discontinued this drive because they can't get the chips anymore.
The bigger drives (over 8 gig ) use slower chips. Get this puppy while you can!
A terrific piece of kit [Posted on 2008-04-23]
What's in an 8GB flash drive, you ask? Sure, you can pick up a cheap plastic trinket at Fry's for less than $50, so why consider anything else? A flash drive is a flash drive, is it not?
No, it is not. 99% of USB flash drives on the market today are cheap junk, made for pennies with bargain-basement components, and not designed to be rigorous. They're throwaway trinkets, and this becomes obvious in the transfer speeds, physical endurance, and data quality.
I regard data integrity of prime importance, whether it's a word-processing document or a file of viral sequence data, and I've had one-too-many flash drives go bad on me, resulting in hours of problem-solving from having my data corrupted. Now I can't help but regard those throwaway USB flash drives as anything but junk.
Worse than junk, actually ... especially in the case of silent corruption, caused by el cheapo flash components going bad, and you don't know that the file is compromised until the next time you use it. Add file-synching between different computers and you have a recipe for disaster. The more you learn about the design and make-up of commodity flash drives, the less you can trust them.
The 8GB Corsair Survivor GT is different in that it's a quality tool. It's made of durable materials with the finest electronic components on the market. If moving data around is a routine part of your job, you should at least be aware of the finest tools available, and the benefit they bring. If you find lost/corrupted data unacceptable, then you shouldn't use cheap junk, period.
(Note that I am talking about the 8GB Corsair Survivor GT. The "GT" (identified by the red label) is the important part; this indicates the product line with higher performance and longevity through superior components. Don't get this confused with the regular (blue-label) Survivor models. Also, it is useful to note that the "GT" models in sizes of 16GB and greater are really no different than the non-GT models. This is the highest-capacity "true GT" model available.)
In a nutshell, there are two reasons why this flash drive is special:
-- The rugged, waterproof housing. Not that big of a deal, when you get down to it; not only does Corsair sell other Survivor models (in even greater capacities), but you can always buy a waterproof match container at your local camping store, and use it to protect a flash drive and other items, and you effectively have the same thing. But still, having it in one integrated unit is nice and convenient, and when Corsair claims that this is a rugged unit built to endure immersion, impacts, stress, temperatures, etc., it's not marketing hype. This is the real deal.
(Similarly, you should check out the 8GB Corsair Voyager GT if you want the same drive in a different form factor. Personally, I regard the Survivor as superior to the Voyager, because of the form factor. The GT was made ruggedized with a thick rubber skin, which makes it fat and oversized. As such, it won't plug into crowded USB ports without using the included extension cable. The Survivor, once removed from the metal housing, is of normal width, and I haven't had any problems with space issues when plugging it in.)
-- The components. This flash drive is the last of the generation that will use dual-channel SLC (single-level cell) NAND flash chips. Not only are they considerably faster than other (MLC) flash chips, but their lifespan is roughly 10 times as long, in terms of write degredation.
Those two factors combine to form what I believe is the finest USB flash drive anywhere.
Unfortunately, there will be no more USB flash drives made using SLC flash memory chips -- anywhere, by anyone -- because it is no longer financially tenable. This 8GB model is the last of the line, and Corsair has been very up-front about this: all future models, including the GT line, will be made with MLC NAND chips. You will not find any flash drives, anywhere, with a larger capacity using this technology.
As such, this product has been discontinued, which explains its high price. Someday it will no longer be commercially available, and it will only be seen in the proud, possessive clutches of their owners' hands. At that point, good luck trying to find one.
After my tirade, if you still argue that flash drives are a disposable commodity, then I won't try to convince you otherwise. If, however, you have the need (or inclination) to use the finest tool for the job and ensure your data integrity beyond all doubts, then here you go: you won't find a better data-transport device anywhere, and there probably won't be a better one on the market for quite some time.
It's fast, it's capacious, it's rugged, it's well-built. They offer a 10-year warranty. I can't think of much more to say.
(Cons: This review wouldn't be complete without mentioning some of this device's caveats. It's a bit large. It's a big heavy. Such is the price for being truly rugged. Its round, cylindrical form-factor makes it prone to rolling around when placed on a flat surface; to solve this issue, I would recommend attaching the beaded "dog-tag chain" that's included; not only can you wear it around your neck like a unselfconscious ubergeek, but it will keep that sucker from making any unwanted moves.)
Is it normal for flash drives to "bend" a little? [Posted on 2008-06-10]
When the cover is off, the part that actually goes into the usb port (the metal part) wiggles a little. It can bend a little from side to side. Is that ok and perfectly normal, or no? I would appreciate anyone that could reply so that I know if it's defective or not. Otherwise, it works great. Very fast.
Peace of Mind [Posted on 2008-06-25]
Are you the type that worries about little things? I don't mean OCD like, I'm talking about that nag at the back of your mind about something. That's the reason I spent $80 bucks on my Corsair Survivor flash drive. If I have something very important on my flash drive (which is most of the time) I will worry about its well being, i.e. paying attention to how it is carried and stowed etc. Well with this flash drive those worries are over, I simply have to know where it is and that's it. It can get rained on, dropped, run over they say (I'm not willing to try that one! I spent 80 bucks!) anyways you get the point, its basically bullet proof for the normal gal or guy and for that ease of mind the extra money I spent is more than worth it. Oh and I have used it between XP and Vista and it has operated seamlessly, completely plug and play. Ron Jr.
This is the one. [Posted on 2008-07-09]
This one has it all. Speed, durability, wow factor. Believe it or not I actually do wear it around my neck with the GI-Joe chain and tag. I am maintenance chief in a factory and I attend school. This is perfect for my Vmware Ace virtual machine. Just the right combination of geekiness and practicality. I also have the 8gb flash voyager gt, but it spends most of its time in my back-pack. The Survivor is Johnny-on-the-spot. By the way, I did have a failure with my Voyager model about a year ago, but it was replaced within a few days by corsair. Great product with a great warranty.
Click here for more details and discount information...
|
){kind=link}