14 DAY TRIAL // Although SanDisk has been teasing the users with their new, ultra-sleek and innovative Cruzer Contour USB flash drive since back in January, they had some problems delivering on their promise. However, things have finally changed, as the company announced that it has started shipping the 4GB and 8GB versions of the drive, which will hit the shelves in the shortest time possible.
Despite not offering any explanation as to why the device was delayed so much, SanDisk's representatives are (obviously) quite proud of their latest offering, as Roy Ramati, vice president of marketing for the USB business unit at SanDisk, proves, by saying that "Cruzer Contour is a showpiece of innovative design, bringing a new look to the category of USB flash drives. And the beauty here is more than skin deep, with Cruzer Contour's expansive storage capacity, fast data transfer, strong security and generous bundle of pre-loaded software."
And the people from SanDisk do have a point, since the devices sport a glossy black top and silver metallic body, as well as a very special sliding USB connector, which can be slid back and forth via a little bit of thumb action. Moreover, when the Cruzer Contour is connected to a computer, blue LEDs illuminate the word "Cruzer" on the drive's top.
However, there's more to this device than meets the eye. Thus, the drive provides a write speed of 18 MB/sec, while the read speed for the Cruzer Contour is two-thirds faster than the previous models, at around 25 MB/sec. Cruzer Contour also supports the ReadyBoost feature in Microsoft Windows Vista, which employs the unused storage space on USB flash drives to improve system performance - especially when several applications are running simultaneously.
Moreover, the device comes with U3 technology for running applications directly from the drive, without installing them on the computer. The drive comes pre-loaded for free with a few apps, as for example Skype software, SanDisk's own CruzerSync for synchronizing files between a PC and the drive, the password manager program SignupShield Passwords from Protecteer, and a trial version of anti-virus software. Moreover, SanDisk's drive provides password protection through U3, backed by AES hardware encryption, a lot better than the software-based security available on some USB flash drives.
The 4 GB model has a MSRP of 149.99 US dollars, while the 8GB will retail for around $239.99, which might seem like a lot of money, but being actually quite fair price tags for such advanced and cool-looking devices.
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