Conclusion:
The
Patriot Memory Supersonic 32GB USB 3.0 flash drive performed just about as expected, which means a new level of performance when upgrading from a USB 2.0 capable flash drive. The write speeds were almost as good as the published specification (70MB/s), while the read speeds actually exceeded Patriot Memory's specification (100MB/s). And when the Supersonic drive was compared to another drive only capable of USB 2.0 transfers, you can start to appreciate the time you will save by having the faster technology at your disposal.
I did find a few things lacking on the Supersonice drive, and they are just basic items that I prefer to have on USB flash drives. Not including a way to keep the cap attached to the drive when it is in use boggles my mind. The other thing is that there is no lanyard or even a small string included. The lack of these two "standards" put me off about the drive. Whenever I have used a flash drive in the past, if there was no form of cap management, the cap wound up lost. Also, not making every flash drive waterproof (or at least water resistant) doesn't make the cut for me. It shouldn't be too hard to add a rubber seal around the cap to prevent water from getting to the components inside the drive.
Checking the
Bigbruin.com shopping page finds that the price of the Patriot Memory Supersonic 32GB USB 3.0 flash drive is a little steep at about $85 (US) shipped from Amazon.com. Shopping around the web a bit more finds this drive is also listed at Newegg.com for $85.
The Supersonic drive is available from Patriot Memory in two capacities... 32GB and 64GB. If 32GB just isn't big enough, you can choose the version with double the capacity, which sells for just more than double the price. Look to spend about $180 on the 64GB version of this drive.
Pros:
» Excellent read speeds
» Tough aluminum shell
» Great price to performance ratio
Cons:
» Write speeds fell just short of published specifications
» No string/lanyard included
» Nowhere to store loose cap
» Not water proof or water resistant
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comments or questions.
