Flash drive help
I'm thinking about getting a 128mb flash drive, as i've always found floppies useless, small and slow and I never bothered to get my hands on a ZIP disk even though I have a drive. So i'm looking at these two. I read something about companies 'tricking' ppl into get 'usb 2.0' when all they're saying is that it's compatible with usb 2.0, and doesn't really transfer at those speeds. These are the two I'm looking at. Any more info on if it's really 2.0 or not, and which one I should get and why is much appreciated. thanks 
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-211-220&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-155-414&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-211-220&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-155-414&depa=0
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Comments
this one has to be 2.0
Speed: Transfer speed up to 480Mb/sec
says in the spec. sheet
Sorry, no. I wish it did though. Then again, I doubt you'd want to carry one around with you, anyways. The only place I'd use one is at work, because my office machine doesn't have USB ports on the front of the case.
Please understand that I have only read this in articles on the web, and have not experienced the problem myself. Maybe you won't have any trouble at all. The prices are dropping, so you can get several of them someday, anyway.
Yeah, I ended up going with the SanDisk Cruzer Mini256 meg drive, and it's worked great so far. No problems whatsoever, even on the school's computers, which they've got locked up tight. Though, like you said, I haven't used it on 98/2k at all, but I haven't touched a 98 computer in ages.
Don't think I ever mentioned it, but I DID end up spending 40 bucks (or close to, at least) on this thing. Thanks for the input guys - don't think I would've been able to survive with 128 ... nor would my friend who I'm slowly converting to listening to my (read: good!) music
If you want to check it out, it's called MP3onChannel, and the model number is MP-308. There's a review on it here: http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/brando-mp308-fm-mp3-review.html.
I paid 54.99 plus shipping, but in a google search on the model number, I found it for as low as $41. Figures. Just after I paid $54.99 for it. Ain't that always the case?
Anyway, just thought you'd like to know about another use for your sandisk.
You are correct that special drivers are needed for flash drives that want to be USB 2.0 drives in Win 98. Win 98 was not natively set up to support USB 2.0. 2000 did, but did so much better with some service packs installed than it did with the original installation (Yes, I know when USB 2.0 came out, but dev of drivers that were REAL stable for USB 2.0 explicitly lagged behind the bus introduction). SO, the drivers for the SanDisk that are compatible with 98, ME, and 2000 tend to slow the drive down unless you have a USB 2.0 Expansion card (pci) or the box came with such retrofitted in it and drivers for that speed bus were installed with the card. Essentially, you get a upgrade of USB when you do this, at least with Adaptec USB 2.0 cards.
XP has USB 2.0 root hub support, probably will just use your Cruzer USB flash drive fine. The 98 SE Dells might have PCI USB 2.0 cards in them or run the drive at USB 1.1 rates (1\4 of USB 2.0 rates, 120 MB\sec for USB 1.1 as opposed to USB 1.0). The Windows 2000 Dells with certain service pack levels can probably use it as a USB 2.0 drive (probably W2K SP3 and up can use it some, W2K SP4 and up is best with USB 2.0 native devices that act as virtual drives).
The curious thing also, is that if you get a digicam 7-in-1 or 6-in-1 media card reader working at full speed (USB 2.0 type I\O) with a 98 SE, ME, or W2K box, you probably installed stuff with that reader's drivers that in essence give you USB 2.0 support for the flash drive also (some of the better flash media reader driver sets also end up checking for USB 2.0 root hub support, and sometimes installing THAT if it is not present during driver install for the reader).