SanDisk 1GB Cruzer Mini Flash Drive: Product Review

For those of us who switch between computers or otherwise find ourselves on the go, a flash drive represents portability and convenience – easy access to a resume, backups of important files, or even a demo mp3 for your band. Whatever you need it to carry, the SanDisk 1GB Cruzer Mini Flash Drive provides a quality product at a reasonable price: there’s plenty of storage space, and the device comes with optional encryption software. I much prefer this flash drive to the junky, inadequate one I once received for free from an employer, and while some other reviewers have had problems, I can assert that my Cruzer Mini holds up under near-daily use.

PROS of the SanDisk 1GB Cruzer Mini Flash Drive

– This item represents a good value for the price. I paid around $40, which I fancied to be quite a deal for 1GB of storage space in totable form. Many other flash drives cost this much for half the storage space. I can carry important documents, a healthy playlist of mp3s, and images without getting anywhere near the maximum.

– The SanDisk 1GB Cruzer Mini Flash Drive includes easy-to-use encryption software, called CruzerLock, which can help protect your files. If you are carrying around a resume or any personal documents with sensitive information that you don’t want easily compromised, the ability to encrypt provides a little extra peace of mind. Of course, if you don’t want to bother with the extra security measures, you don’t have to use them. It’s easy to bypass the bells and whistles and just use the Cruzer Mini as a storage device for unencrypted files. It all depends on what you want to carry around with you and how concerned you are about security.

– I’ve had some difficulty plugging friends’ bulkier USB drives into my computer (because of where the ports are relative to the power cord on my laptop), but the Cruzer Mini is narrow enough to fit without needing to unplug anything else.

– This flash drive is sleek and simple-looking, though most of them are designed similarly anyway.

CONS of the SanDisk 1GB Cruzer Mini Flash Drive

– Although I have not personally had this experience, several reviews I read on Amazon and elsewhere indicate the drive stopped working after a months, possibly due to bending of the plastic.

– The encryption software is only Windows-compatible, even though the drive itself will work with a Mac. It’s not an issue for me as a PC user, but if you’re a Mac person, you might be able to find a more practical flash drive that comes with built-in security.

– I would have liked a keychain option on the Cruzer Mini.