Conclusion:

The Kingston Wi-Drive 32GB wireless flash storage device is a very cool little gadget that could make using your iPod, iPad, or just about any other Wi-Fi enabled device much more enjoyable. You can effortlessly expand your capacity for movies, music, photos, and other files, and you also have the option of sharing your content with a few friends, too.

While the Wi-Drive will work with a variety of devices, the physical styling and availability of an App make it most appealing for use with one of Apple's products (iPod, iPod, iPhone). It worked very well when tested with an iPod Touch, and the two devices seemed like they were meant to be together.

That said, I have plans to use the Wi-Drive in a different way very soon. I can see it being a perfect fit for use in the car, as an alternative media source to DVDs to be used with headrest mounted players. Android tablets are dirt cheap these days, and even if they don't have much in the way of internal storage, they could still work out great with a Wi-Drive stashed in the center console streaming whatever the kids want to watch. Hopefully Kingston comes up with an Android app to make this even easier.



There are no serious negative issues to discuss with the device's performance. I do have a few wish list items, two of which are for power management... 1) more battery life would be appreciated, and 2) including a 12V automobile power adapter would be nice. Other than that, the availability of an Android App would definitely be a plus.

The Wi-Drive just started hitting shelves recently, and the Bigbruin.com shopping pages currently only list Amazon.com as carrying this product. Their price of $180 (US) for the 32GB unit is what you can expect to find at most stores, while the 16GB unit sells for roughly $130 (US). While it is a cool new gadget that could prove to be useful for a variety of reasons, the price is a bit steep to me. Although not an apples-to-apples comparison, the following prices provide an interesting point of reference... Seagate's comparable 500GB product sells for $200, while 32GB flash media sells for less than $50.

The bottom line is that the Wi-Drive is a great solution for expanding your device's capacity, as well as for sharing your content with multiple users. The general concept and inclusion of two Wi-Fi radios help the Kingston Wi-Drive to earn the Bigbruin.com "Great Idea" award, while the performance and simple operation help it to earn the "Recommended" award.



Pros:

» Easily add 32GB (or 16GB) of storage to your Wi-Fi enabled device
» Share your Wi-Drive content with other users simultaneously
» App for Apple devices makes it extremely easy to access the files on the Wi-Drive
» Two Wi-Fi radios let you access the device and still stay connected to the Internet

Cons:

» High price tag for 32GB of storage
» Greater battery life would be nice
» Including a car power adapter would be nice
» Android app?

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