Testing:
Testing the Transcend JetFlash 210 will consist of analyzing both the performance and the general functionality. First we will look at some speed tests in the form of SiSoft Sandra's Removable Storage benchmark and some real world data transfers.
SiSoft Sandra 2007 is the latest in a long line of releases of this popular utility, and one of the features allows you to analyze the performance of flash drives. The results for the Transcend JetFlash 210 in the Removable Storage benchmark are shown below, and are plotted against a few other flash drives provided for reference by the application. The green line indicates the performance of the Transcend drive, and as you can see it is in the middle of the pack according to this test. Not a bad thing, as it shows that it can hang with other drives in the same class.
The next phase of testing involved reading and writing a folder of MP3 files to and from the JetFlash 210. A folder consisting of 80 MP3 files and a total size of 341 MB was passed to and from the drive to test the read/write capabilities. All transfer times were recorded, and the test system was rebooted after every transfer. As a point of reference, the SanDisk Cruzer Mini featured earlier in the review was also used for the same transfers. The chart below details the results.
The published specifications (Read 9 MByte/s, Write 8 MByte/s(Max.)) for the JetFlash 210 are not the best on the market, and the actual results showed that they are optimistic values anyway. 6.6 MB/s versus 8 MB/s on the writing side of things isn't bad, but only providing 4.3 MB/s versus 9 MB/s on the reading side of things was a bit disappointing.
Even if the published specifications were achieved, other drives on the market can do much better. The Crucial Gizmo Overdrive offers read and write speeds of 25MB/s and 13 MB/s respectively, and comes pretty close to hitting them. Other drives from a variety of manufacturers offer similarly high transfer speeds thanks to dual channel memory, but none of these offer the finger print security like the Transcend JetFlash 210.
In operation, the JetFlash 210 took a bit of getting used to for me. I have used typical flash drives for years, and there is nothing difficult about dragging and dropping files onto them. Although you can simply use this flash drive the same way, you really aren't using it to the fullest.
The finger print scanner worked well, but you did need to make sure that you were swiping the same finger in the same orientation relative to the drive. Having your finger rolled slightly to one side or the other will result in a prompt to try again. The same goes for a swipe that didn't cover the whole print, so you have to swipe the full length of your finger tip for access.
Although (hopefully) not a serious issue, I did find that the whole drive, especially the finger print scanner got warm if left plugged in for even an hour or so. The exposed area on the finger print scanner got the warmest, and although it wasn't hot enough to burn me, it did startle me on a few occasions.
A couple other issues arose that really can't be addressed with something like a flash drive, and they both relate to using the finger print scanner. If you do not use the extension cable, it can be difficult to reach the scanner. USB cables in adjacent ports, USB ports located in odd locations on your case, ports with doors over them, or ports oriented so the scanner faces down/away, all make using the scanner about impossible (or at least only possible for those with great dexterity in their hands). I ran into a few of these issues on my test system as the USB ports are on top of my case with the scanner facing the back of the case, with a hinged door that got in the way, and there were other devices plugged into the same area.
The included USB extension cable solved the above problem, but lead to another issue. With no rigid support, the lightweight cable and drive assembly move when you try to swipe, turning this into a two handed operation. It became a bit tedious to constantly have to pick up the drive with my left hand and swipe with the right, and then to return to the usual position on the keyboard/mouse, only to return a short while later to swipe in again... or resorting to the password and completely ignoring the finger print scanner all together.
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