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Review: Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8 GB HD Drive Reviewed by: Clint Anderson 'GadJeTJuNKey" Provided by: Verbatim |
Verbatim has kindly sent us their new 8Gb Store 'n' Go USB HD Drive for review.
Company Information:
Below is a profile of verbatim that you can also find on their website.
Corporate Profile: Verbatim USA
Since its beginning in 1969, Verbatim® has been at the forefront of the evolution in data storage technology. Today, more than 30 years later, Verbatim remains one of the most recognizable names in the data storage industry.
Customer-driven, Verbatim is known for adding considerable product value--above and beyond its competitors--to established media technology. As an industry pioneer, Verbatim is recognized for the role it plays in early product development and commercial product introduction of new technologies. Verbatim's leadership role is especially apparent in the evolution of optical media recording including MO and the CD/DVD family of products.
Along with its technological innovations, Verbatim has always been recognized universally for its superior manufacturing practices. Verbatim was the first media company to receive ISO certification, the de facto standard for quality management systems worldwide. This commitment to quality translates into consistent product performance and reliability. In addition, Verbatim provides toll-free technical support and service to enable its customers to maximize the performance of its products.
As a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, a recognized world leader in the chemical and computer industries, Verbatim is ideally positioned to take advantage of changes in the market while continuing to challenge the frontiers of data storage.
Corporate Highlights:
Recordable Media
(March 16, 2006) '“ Verbatim® Corporation announced today that for the second year in a row it has been named the leading supplier of recordable CD and DVD media worldwide by the Santa Clara Consulting Group (SCCG). The Group's 2005 CD and DVD reports show that Verbatim and its parent company, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (MKM), not only maintained the Number One position worldwide but also increased global market share of recordable CDs and DVDs. Verbatim/MKM also leads the global CDR market with 15.1 percent of CD-R sales and 19.8 percent of CD-RW
Accessories
Verbatim currently offers a plethora of accessories including mp3 players, DVD recordable media, portable USB storage, Notebook mice and peripherals, etc.
Travel Drives
Verbatim's Store 'n' Go portable HD Drive offers consumers a media platform that will store important data, songs, and other files while also offering built in software (Mobile Launchpad) that allows you download and run additional applications, manage/organize files, and other key functions directly from the device itself.
Drive Specifications:
The specifications of the Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive (also available in a 4GB version) were found at the Verbatim website.
Technical Specifications
What's inside the package?
On this page we will take a look at what the Travel Drive came shipped with and take a look at the drive itself.
Front of Package
Back Of Package
Package contents
The drive was supplied with a USB extension cable (female to male), soft carrying case and a Quick Start Guide.
Now it's time to take a look at the drive itself:
Front
Back
USB connector extended (front)
USB connector extended (back)
Blue Led operation
On the next page we will take a look at the test machine, and the drive installation.
Test
Machine:
On this page we will take examine the test machine, and the drive installation.
For this review we will be using a computer with the following configuration:
Hardware: Dell GX620
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Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz (800 fsb) with Hyper Threading support
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RAM: 1 GB DDR2 (533Mhz) SDRAM
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GFX: Onboard Intel® GMA950 Graphics Controller
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Sound: SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
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Hard disk: SAMSUNG HD080HJ/P 74.50Gb SATA
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Optical Drive: PHILIPS CDRW/DVD SCB5265
System set-up:
The Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive was plugged into to a USB 2.0 port. Windows XP immediately recognized the drive and installed it ready to use within seconds.
Device Manager
My Computer
Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive Properties
Software set-up
Windows XP Professional is installed on the computer along with Service Pack 2 for Windows XP.
No drive software was required for this configuration.
We will be using the following software in this review:
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HD Tach
On the next page we will take a look at the drives performance.
Performance:
On this page we will take a look at the drives performance compared to other High speed USB 2.0 Removable drives.
The USB capabilities of the Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive are as follows: High speed USB 2.0/USB 1.1 compatible.
HD Tach and PassMark Performance Test 6.0 benchmarking utilities will be used for the performance tests.
For these test Write caching was set to Optimize for quick removal. However it is recommended to read the safe removal notes under the options.
Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive write caching options
HD Tach RW:
Options selected for first HD Tach test
Sequential Read test (8Mb zones)
Burst test
Benchmark results
HD Tach results (8Mb zones)
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Random access = 35.4ms
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CPU utilization = 3% +/-2%
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Average read = 7.6 MB/s
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Burst Speed = 25.0 MB/s
Second Test
Options selected for second HD Tach test
Sequential Read test (8Mb zones)
Burst test
Benchmark results
HD Tach test 2 results (32Mb zones)
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Random access = 35.3ms
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CPU utilization = 3% +/-2%
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Average read = 7.5 MB/s
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Burst Speed = 25.3 MB/s
For comparison purposes here is a HD Tach test of a Memorex 8GB MEGA Travel Drive
HD Tach results
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Random access = 34.6ms
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CPU utilization = 4% +/-2%
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Average read = 7.8 MB/s
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Average write = 7.8 MB/s
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Burst Speed = 23.9 MB/s
PassMark Performance Test 6.0
Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive
Performance Test results
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Sequential Read = 9.4 MB/s
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Sequential Write = 9.4. MB/s
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Random seek = 0.41 MB/s
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Disc Mark = 69.4 Composite average
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PassMark Rating = 13.9 Composite average
For comparison purposes here is a test of a Memorex 8GB MEGA Travel Drive
Memorex 8GB MEGA Travel Drive
Performance Test results
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Sequential Read = 9.4 MB/s
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Sequential Write = 9.4. MB/s
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Random seek = 0.41 MB/s
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Disc Mark = 69.5 Composite average
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PassMark Rating = 13.9 Composite average
Reviewers Note: Composite averages are using CPU and other installed hardware for the final computations. The Memorex 8GB MEGA Travel Drive was not tested on this computer and is only shown for comparison purposes.
Below is an explanation of the Benchmark from the Performance test 6.0 help file.
Disk graphs (Read and Write)
These graphs show details of the disk read and write performance. The graph shows the transfer speed (in MB/Sec) over a period of time or compared to the number of megabytes transfer to or from the disk. Depending on the disk test mode selected the Windows cache and hard disk controller cache can have a significant impact on the measured performance. If the file is transferred to or from the cache rather than the disk very high results will be recorded. The size of the cache and its contents are determined by the Windows operating system.
This suite contains a number of tests that exercise the mass storage units (hard disk or otherwise) connected to the computer. For each test a file is created in the root directory of the selected disk. The file size needs to be large in order to get an accurate measurement. The test file size is 200MB and the read/write block sizes used are 16KB. Under Windows 2000 and above, each test uses uncached asynchronous file operations (with an IO queue length of 20). Under Windows 98 and Windows ME, each test uses uncached synchronous file operations. Each test runs for at least 20 seconds.
Disk Sequential Read
A large test file is created on the disk under test. The file is read sequentially from start to end.
Disk Sequential Write
A large file is written to the disk under test. The file is written sequentially from start to end.
Disk Random Seek RW
A large test file is created on the disk under test. The file is read randomly; a seek is performed to move the file pointer to a random position in the file, a 16KB block is read or written then another seek is performed. The amount of data actually transferred is highly dependent on the disk seek time.
Average file transfers times with this Review computer are as follows:
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20 MB File: under 5 seconds
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50 MB file: under 8 seconds
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100 MB file: under 12 seconds
Summation: Overall the Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive is comparable with other storage media but leaps and bounds ahead of others' space capacity.
On the next page we will take a look at the functions and use of the drive.
Use and
Functions:
On this page we will take a look at the drives use and functions.
The Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive is a well designed compact/portable drive that is very compatible with Windows file transfer options as well as other Operating Systems; however for this review we will only delve into Windows because that is the Operating System most widely adopted/used.
Examples are as follows:
Copy and Paste
Drag and drop
Send To
The Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive has a menu/OS that is preloaded onto the drive when received, this menu application allows the customer to do several tasks exclusive to this drive. The menu application is named 'Ceedo", its functions are outlined below.
Ceedo launches automatically
Ceedo recognizes installed software on the machine to which it's connected and allows the user to create files directly from the menu itself. It utilizes the programs on the local machine, however the documents, when saved, are stored on the Store 'n' Go.
When 'add programs' is selected on the Ceedo menu, a second window materializes listing common choices for additional utilities and matching them with their function. This becomes useful to users that aren't familiar with freeware but that would like to be able to launch preloaded utilities from a portable USB storage device. In addition, Ceedo also provides a 'Quick Start Guide' to explain the functionality presented.
Finally, using Ceedo's option function will give you several interesting choices and options to further solidify the Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive as a viable USB mass storage competitor. It becomes too cumbersome to delve into every single option that the Ceedo offers but suffice it to say it provides the user with enough functionality to act as a separate virtual office that integrates with any machine to offer a solid platform of usability and functionality.
Overall the drive is very easy to use and has a plethora of additional functions as well. Cross compatibility allows the transfer of files between different operating systems very quickly.
On the Next page you will find the conclusion...
Positive:
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USB Connection for universal compatibility
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High capacity portable storage
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Cross platform compatibility- Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems (mobile launch pad only available in Windows)
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No external power supply required
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Carrying case with felt on inside to protect the device and Velcro to hold in place
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Large Blue led indicator enables user to see that the drive is in use
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Small design increases portability
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Malleable USB connection provides less chance of accidental damage to USB interface.
Negative:
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Will not attach to a keychain
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Not Waterproof
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No data security or encryption software included
Conclusion:
Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive is well designed for ease of use and compatibility. The device also provides a launch pad that is very useful and is cross compatible with three Operating System types. It's a very attractive looking case and it's USB connection is very accommodating to whatever situation is presented (e.g. doesn't require pulling out a machine to connect the device). In addition the way the device connects to a machine is through a standard USB connection fitting; therefore, there is no case type or instance where this device would have difficulty interfacing with the host pc. The high speed USB 2.0 and huge storage capacity are also big positives. The software is previously loaded on the device therefore there is no prepatory work required/involved. The overall performance of this drive is in line and very competitive with other manufacturers' mass storage products. Finally the price as tested was 165.99 USD which makes this device more economical than others of its caliber.
To sum this drive up in one sentence…"The Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive is a well designed, large capacity, very economical drive that offers program functionality and cross compatibility that would be highly satisfying to any user".
Special thanks to:
for providing the Verbatim Store 'n' Go USB 8GB HD Drive used in this review. Verbatim remains evolutionary in data storage technology and is one of the most recognizable names in the data storage industry.
