The Kingston DataTraveler: Well-Priced, Quality Flash Drive

Kingston is a fairly well-respected name in the world of flash memory, so I felt I was safe in assuming I would be getting a quality product when I purchased its 2GB USB drive from the DataTraveler series.

The DataTraveler line of USB drives has traditionally walked the line between the very best quality and the very lowest cost, so they generally perform fairly well. The 2GB model I bought was only $17 from the Circuit City online store, which really isn't bad considering that amounts to about 4 hours of video, 500 of my favorite songs, or way more than enough room for all of my documents. So in terms of space to cost ratio, I feel like this is an excellent deal.

The physical construction is also fairly solid, though it's made mostly of plastic. I wouldn't attach this model to your keyring if you throw your keys around, keep them in your back pocket, or generally treat them with less than special care. I would be quite concerned about the plastic casing on the Kingston DataTraveler cracking open. Since I wasn't planning on placing the usb drive on my keyring, this wasn't a huge concern for me.

The look isn't the sleekest, sexiest design out there, but it's far from the ugly, and there's a sort of shiny trim that dresses the device up a bit.

The most compelling feature by far (common in many usb drive models these days) is the capless design. Instead having a pesky cap that gets lost all time (I can't tell you how many hours of my life have been spent look for usb drive caps!) the Kingston DataTraveler has nice little thumb switch on the side that slides the usb connector in and out of the casing. Once again, not the very highest quality (it's not spring assisted or anything) but the action does feel smooth and solid with a satisfying "click" when the connection is either fully extended or completely retracted.

I do wish that the Kingston DataTraveler came with lanyard, like many of the Memorex brand USB drives. I love how the Memorex models include a quick release mechanism from the lanyard, which make securing your drive to a backpack or belt loop very easy. I actually took that little clip off of my Memorex drive and attached to the DataTraveler so I'd be less likely to lose it.

All in all, I doubt you'll be able to find a higher quality USB flash drive for the price than the Kingston DataTraveler. The 2GB model offers a high degree of versatility since it's fairly high capacity, and while it's not a flashy device, it does get the job done well with just a bit of style. I definitely recommend it!