Verbatim Corp. is shipping new Store ‘n’ Go USB 2.0 Drives that support up to 8MB/sec read and 5MB/sec write performance on USB 2.0-equipped systems such as the new Power Mac G5s.
The flash memory-based removable storage devices, which are about the size of an AA battery, have the ability to transfer 256MB of data in about 30 seconds and come in capacities up to 1GB. The Store ‘n’ Go USB 2.0 Drive is roughly five to eight times faster than a typical USB 1.1 flash drive, according to Mark Rogers, Verbatim’s business development manager. However, they also are backward compatible with USB 1.1 ports, (though they’ll run at the slower 1.1 speed).
The Store ‘n’ Go USB 2.0 Drives are compatible with Mac OS X and Mac OS 8.6-9.x. Sporting a solid-state design with no moving parts, the drives will purportedly retain stored data for 10 years or more.
The Verbatim drive comes in 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB capacities. Suggested list prices range from US$29 for a 32MB model to $349 for the 1GB version. They come with a carry lanyard, USB extension cable and a Quick Start Guide.