Model:  BF07-2032R

Manufacturer:  PQI

Reviewed By:  Miguel

Review Date:  09/16/07

When it comes to flash drives, there is really only one company that is unrivaled in terms providing all with the smallest flash drives available.  In fact, other than one particular drive I managed to find that was recently reviewed here, PQI remains the king of things small when it comes to flash drives.  It all started with the Intelligent Stick 2.0.  This tiny drive sparked so much interest since its release a few years back.  Now, they continue to earn this unattainable label with the release of their new Intelligent Drive i810.  Not only is this drive remarkably small, but a few welcomed changes in design make it a better product overall and one that will certainly interest many.  Stick with me here because when you see both its performance & price tag, you'll probably want to pick one up right away!

Packaging & Contents

The i810 comes in a small blister pack but be careful with this one!  It is one of those with much harder plastic and when cutting it open, the pieces are as sharp as a knife and can easily slice your finger.  I learned the hard way and got a pretty nasty cut.  Unlike the older Intelligent Stick though, it does not come with a mini CD containing software.  Drive has an appealing so-called "charm" that is marketed as a "Cell phone decoration".  Just two words for that...why? and why?  Anyways, as far as any supported software goes, you have to visit their fairly unreliable website to grab them.

Design

This drive is really tiny folks.  Pictures certainly don't do it justice.  With that said, I will provide plenty of high quality comparison pics below to give you a fairly good idea of what to expect. 

In terms of a design standpoint, this drive is as close to perfect as you're going to get.  However, don't let that appealing, brushed aluminum front with logo to match fool you though.  It is just a very thin cover to add appeal and this drive is still primarily made of plastic.  With that said, it is always prone to breaking at some point in time.  Its overall dimensions are impressive.  This little guy measures in at only 1.18 x 0.6 x 0.2 inches.  Unlike the tiny InnoDisk drive we recently looked at, the plastic loop on this one is actually big enough to slide it through any standard-sized key ring.

**click to enlarge**

The beauty of the new i810 is that unlike their original Intelligent Stick 2.0, the connector is actually retractable.  Considering its dimensions, the fact that they managed to do this to begin with is impressive to say the least.

Just how small is it?  Well, let me start by putting it next to the only two other drives on the market considered to be the smallest available...

You can clearly see just how small it really is in these pictures.  As far as its thickness goes, it is exactly the same as the InnoDisk Flash Card in comparison and just slightly thicker than the original Intelligent Stick 2.0.

**click to enlarge** 

Finally, a shot of it next to the speedy Corsair Voyager GT 8GB.  Makes it look like a monster in comparison doesn't it?

Specifications

Note:  The following specs were taken directly from the PQI US portal site and not edited in any way.

Next: Software & Performance