SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour 8GB Flash Drive

Introduction
 
Now more than ever before, the price of flash memory storage has become increasingly affordable. Especially in the larger capacity sizes like 8 and 16GB. The humble flash drive is now almost a common item for home users and IT professionals alike, and has made the storage of data as easy as putting your keys in your pocket. From making a copy of a Uni/school  assignment to work on at home, through to providing a portable computing environment, USB flash drives are so much better than storage options from the past.
 
Today, they offer respectable capacities. and a USB 2.0 interface makes them pretty fast. The BIOS of many motherboards even has the capability of booting from a USB drive. They are more dependable then optical media because they cannot be scratched. They are more dependable than even hard drives because they have no moving parts. So, there are a lot of possibilities for these little sticks.
 
Today we have been fortunate enough to have a look at SanDisk’ flagship range of USB flash drives – the SanDisk Extreme® Cruzer® Contourâ„¢. Available in 4GB, 8GB and 16 GB capacities, the Cruzer Contour promises high performance in a USB drive with an equally impressive read speed. Today we’ll be looking at the 8GB version.Let’s hear what SanDisk has to say about their Extreme Cruzer Contour USB flash drives:
 
The flagship of SanDisk USB flash drives, SanDisk Extreme® Cruzer® Contour™ features a sleek and stylish black glossy design. It also includes an innovative sliding USB connector that retracts into the body. The sliding USB connector eliminates the need for caps and protects the connector. The Cruzer Contour also features a lifetime limited warranty. Available in 4GB, 8GB and 16 GB Cruzer Contour is a high performance USB drive with minimum read speed of 25MB per second.

Also includes U3 technology so you can carry your files and software on a secure USB drive. You can have your wallpaper, preferences, favorites, profiles, and more – everything you need for a familiar computing experience on any PC, wherever you go. For a full list of U3 compatible PC programs, go to www.u3.com.

 
That’s quite a read speed for flash media, as I’m sure you’ll agree. Let’s begin the review of the SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour by taking a look at its specifications. The specifications were unashamedly copied from SanDisk’ product page.
 
 
Specifications
 
* Stylish Black Glossy Finish
* AES hardware encryption
* Ideal for Video
* Unique slider USB connector. No more lost caps
* Lifetime Limited Warranty
* High Performance: 25 MB/sec read, 18 MB/sec write speeds
* Hi-speed USB 2.0 for fast data transfer
* Enhanced for Windows® ReadyBoost™. Improves system performance on Windows Vista™
* U3 Smart enabled. Carry and launch your personal applications and settings on any PC
* Distinctive Blue LED
* USB Mass Storage Class Device
* Compatible with Windows® 2000, XP, Vista and Mac OS X v10.1.2+***
* Certified Windows® 2000, XP, Vista and Mac OS X *

Package contents:
* SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour USB Flash Drive
* Quick Start Guide
* Carrying Case

 
Let’s head over the page to see how the SanDisk Extreme Cruzer Contour 8GB flash drive should arrive at your door…