Model:  8GB-INNODISK-USBCARD

Manufacturer:  InnoDisk

Provider:  Geeks

Reviewed By:  Miguel

Review Date:  08/13/07

  Despite the fact that USB flash drives have been in on the market for years now, it is apparent that we are still limited to options when in search of the smallest, highest capacity drive available.  If fact, I've seen them all and up to this point, only three options out there are worthy of the title "Smallest Flash Drive".  This is what led to this latest review here at ExtremeMHz.  While not a brand that will come to mind when in search of such a product, InnoDisk has managed to release a product that is not only worthy of this title, but a step ahead in terms of capacity and performance.  While I personally find it inappropriately named for very obvious reasons, their USB "Flash Card" is one you'll want to consider if you're in search of not only the smallest, but the most durable and fastest flash drive in its class.   

Packaging & Contents

The drive comes in standard blister packaging and includes both a protective carry case and a small lanyard.  A tiny key ring would have been nice, but after some abuse, I found out why they opted to include it.  More on that later though...

Design

This flash drive is almost perfect in terms of a design standpoint.  It is incredibly small and light and about as thin as they come.  Unlike a majority of flash drives, there's no cap to lose.  In fact, its most unique design feature is that the connector itself is neither completely exposed nor retractable.  Instead, it is mainly protected by its outer plastic shell.   The rear is clear so that the embedded green LED will shine through.  It also has a very small notch to attach the included lanyard, which leads me to elaborate more on the words "almost perfect".  The small notch is just slightly too small for a standard-sized key ring to fit through.  However, you can easily attach a smaller key ring so that you can carry it along with you keys.  Also, by simply examining how the rear cover is attached to the rest of its body, it is highly unlikely that it will be able to withstand much abuse at all.  Close but no cigar!

Now, I would like to focus a bit more on its dimensions because in pictures, it definitely looks much bigger than it really is, especially when you see it in its included carry case.  Let's first provide a size comparison with a number of other standard flash drives...

**click to enlarge**

We can clearly see that the InnoDisk Flash Card is in a whole other level in terms of its overall size yet it manages to provide a very respectable storage capacity typically found in much larger siblings. 

Finally, I would like to show you a comparison against what is still considered as the "smallest" flash drive on the market...the Intelligent Stick 2.0. 

**click to enlarge**

While slightly thicker, the InnoDisk Flash card is shorter than the Intelligent Stick 2.0 in comparison.  Also, keep in mind that the Intelligent Stick has a fully exposed USB connector so the slightly extra thickness of the InnoDisk is actually a nice trade-off, considering it is not only much more durable, but will do a fairly good job at protecting it from damage over time and/or extensive abuse.

Specifications

The above specs were taken from the company's website.  However, they are slightly outdated as they now offer the 8GB version featured in this article. 

Next: Features & Performance