Transcend JetFlash 110

Posted 07/01/2005 at 11:36am | by

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If the Corsair Flash Voyager is Sam Fisher from Splinter Cell, the JetFlash is Reese Witherspoon from Legally Blonde. One is rugged and reliable, while the other is all about style.

The JetFlash 110’s sparkling exterior is available in a range of tantalizing colors including green, blue, red, and yellow. In addition to the USB key (available in sizes ranging from 128MB to 2GB), the superb bundle includes a USB extension cable, a lanyard, and a utility that does everything except the laundry.

With it, you can partition the drive, restore all factory default settings, create hidden partitions, make the JetFlash bootable, and even lock the PC whenever the JetFlash is removed.

Aside from the spiffy looks and software, the other interesting feature of the JetFlash is its retractable USB port. It eliminates the need for a cap, which we like, but sometimes when you apply force to the connector—like when you push it into the USB port—the port retracts into the body of the key. The solution was to hold our finger over the latch, which ensures the port stays extended. You could call it a “latch-22.”

In benchmarks, the JetFlash’s performance left a rank smell in the Lab. Where the Corsair key required a scant 46 seconds to write 400MB, the JetFlash took an agonizing 97 seconds. Its read speeds were a bit more respectable, but still slower than the Voyager’s.

We love the advanced functionality of the JetFlash’s software, and we even like its aesthetics. Unfortunately, we can’t get over its piss-poor performance and the mildly annoying USB port slider.
--Josh Norem

+ SERIAL BUS: Available in pretty colors, very portable, and great software bundle.

- SERIAL KILLER: Slow performance, and the retractable USB port is finicky.

Month Reviewed: July 2005
Verdict: 6
URL: www.transcendusa.com