Corsair 8 GB USB 2.0 Ultra Rugged Flash Survivor Drive
Rating: 5 of 5
This is the one.
This one has it all. Speed, durability, wow factor. Believe it or not I actually do wear it around my neck with the GI-Joe chain & tag. I am maintenance chief in a factory & I attend school. This is perfect 4 my Vmware Ace virtual machine. Just the right combination of geekiness & practicality. I also have the 8gb flash voyager gt, but it spends most of its time in my back-pack. The Survivor is Johnny-on-the-spot. By the way, I did have a failure with my Voyager model about a year ago, but it was replaced within a few days by corsair. Great product with a great warranty.
Rating: 5 of 5
Peace of Mind
Are you the type that worries about little things? I don't mean OCD like, I'm talking about that nag at the back of your mind about something. That's the reason I spent $80 bucks on my Corsair Survivor flash drive. If I have something very important on my flash drive (which is most of the time) I will worry about its well being, i.e. paying attention 2 how it is carried & stowed etc. Well with this flash drive those worries are over, I simply have 2 know where it is & that's it. It can get rained on, dropped, run over they say (I'm not willing 2 try that one! I spent 80 bucks!) anyways you get the point, its basically bullet proof 4 the normal gal or guy & 4 that ease of mind the extra money I spent is more than worth it. Oh & I have used it between XP & Vista & it has operated seamlessly, completely plug & play. Ron Jr.
Rating: 4 of 5
Is it normal 4 flash drives 2 "bend" a little?
When the cover is off, the part that actually goes into the usb port (the metal part) wiggles a little. It can bend a little from side 2 side. Is that ok & perfectly normal, or no? I would appreciate anyone that could reply so that I know if it's defective or not. Otherwise, it works great. Very fast.
Rating: 5 of 5
A terrific piece of kit
What's in an 8GB flash drive, you ask? Sure, you can pick up a cheap plastic trinket at Fry's 4 less than $50, so why consider anything else? A flash drive is a flash drive, is it not?
No, it is not. 99% of USB flash drives on the market today are cheap junk, made 4 pennies with bargain-basement components, & not designed 2 be rigorous. They're throwaway trinkets, & this becomes obvious in the transfer speeds, physical endurance, & data quality.
I regard data integrity of prime importance, whether it's a word-processing document or a file of viral sequence data, & I've had one-too-many flash drives go bad on me, resulting in hours of problem-solving from having my data corrupted. Now I can't help but regard those throwaway USB flash drives as anything but junk.
Worse than junk, actually ... especially in the case of silent corruption, caused by el cheapo flash components going bad, & you don't know that the file is compromised until the next time you use it. Add file-synching between different computers & you have a recipe 4 disaster. The more you learn about the design & make-up of commodity flash drives, the less you can trust them.
The 8GB Corsair Survivor GT is different in that it's a quality tool. It's made of durable materials with the finest electronic components on the market. If moving data around is a routine part of your job, you should at least be aware of the finest tools available, & the benefit they bring. If you find lost/corrupted data unacceptable, then you shouldn't use cheap junk, period.
(Note that I am talking about the 8GB Corsair Survivor GT. The "GT" (identified by the red label) is the important part; this indicates the product line with higher performance & longevity through superior components. Don't get this confused with the regular (blue-label) Survivor models. Also, it is useful 2 note that the "GT" models in sizes of 16GB & greater are really no different than the non-GT models. This is the highest-capacity "true GT" model available.)
In a nutshell, there are two reasons why this flash drive is special:
-- The rugged, waterproof housing. Not that big of a deal, when you get down 2 it; not only does Corsair sell other Survivor models (in even greater capacities), but you can always buy a waterproof match container at your local camping store, & use it 2 protect a flash drive & other items, & you effectively have the same thing. But still, having it in one integrated unit is nice & convenient, & when Corsair claims that this is a rugged unit built 2 endure immersion, impacts, stress, temperatures, etc., it's not marketing hype. This is the real deal.
(Similarly, you should check out the 8GB Corsair Voyager GT if you want the same drive in a different form factor. Personally, I regard the Survivor as superior 2 the Voyager, because of the form factor. The GT was made ruggedized with a thick rubber skin, which makes it fat & oversized. As such, it won't plug into crowded USB ports without using the included extension cable. The Survivor, once removed from the metal housing, is of normal width, & I haven't had any problems with space issues when plugging it in.)
-- The components. This flash drive is the last of the generation that will use dual-channel SLC (single-level cell) NAND flash chips. Not only are they considerably faster than other (MLC) flash chips, but their lifespan is roughly 10 times as long, in terms of write degredation.
Those two factors combine 2 form what I believe is the finest USB flash drive anywhere.
Unfortunately, there will be no more USB flash drives made using SLC flash memory chips -- anywhere, by anyone -- because it is no longer financially tenable. This 8GB model is the last of the line, & Corsair has been very up-front about this: all future models, including the GT line, will be made with MLC NAND chips. You will not find any flash drives, anywhere, with a larger capacity using this technology.
As such, this product has been discontinued, which explains its high price. Someday it will no longer be commercially available, & it will only be seen in the proud, possessive clutches of their owners' hands. At that point, good luck trying 2 find one.
After my tirade, if you still argue that flash drives are a disposable commodity, then I won't try 2 convince you otherwise. If, however, you have the need (or inclination) 2 use the finest tool 4 the job & ensure your data integrity beyond all doubts, then here you go: you won't find a better data-transport device anywhere, & there probably won't be a better one on the market 4 quite some time.
It's fast, it's capacious, it's rugged, it's well-built. They offer a 10-year warranty. I can't think of much more 2 say.
(Cons: This review wouldn't be complete without mentioning some of this device's caveats. It's a bit large. It's a big heavy. Such is the price 4 being truly rugged. Its round, cylindrical form-factor makes it prone 2 rolling around when placed on a flat surface; 2 solve this issue, I would recommend attaching the beaded "dog-tag chain" that's included; not only can you wear it around your neck like a unselfconscious ubergeek, but it will keep that sucker from making any unwanted moves.)
No, it is not. 99% of USB flash drives on the market today are cheap junk, made 4 pennies with bargain-basement components, & not designed 2 be rigorous. They're throwaway trinkets, & this becomes obvious in the transfer speeds, physical endurance, & data quality.
I regard data integrity of prime importance, whether it's a word-processing document or a file of viral sequence data, & I've had one-too-many flash drives go bad on me, resulting in hours of problem-solving from having my data corrupted. Now I can't help but regard those throwaway USB flash drives as anything but junk.
Worse than junk, actually ... especially in the case of silent corruption, caused by el cheapo flash components going bad, & you don't know that the file is compromised until the next time you use it. Add file-synching between different computers & you have a recipe 4 disaster. The more you learn about the design & make-up of commodity flash drives, the less you can trust them.
The 8GB Corsair Survivor GT is different in that it's a quality tool. It's made of durable materials with the finest electronic components on the market. If moving data around is a routine part of your job, you should at least be aware of the finest tools available, & the benefit they bring. If you find lost/corrupted data unacceptable, then you shouldn't use cheap junk, period.
(Note that I am talking about the 8GB Corsair Survivor GT. The "GT" (identified by the red label) is the important part; this indicates the product line with higher performance & longevity through superior components. Don't get this confused with the regular (blue-label) Survivor models. Also, it is useful 2 note that the "GT" models in sizes of 16GB & greater are really no different than the non-GT models. This is the highest-capacity "true GT" model available.)
In a nutshell, there are two reasons why this flash drive is special:
-- The rugged, waterproof housing. Not that big of a deal, when you get down 2 it; not only does Corsair sell other Survivor models (in even greater capacities), but you can always buy a waterproof match container at your local camping store, & use it 2 protect a flash drive & other items, & you effectively have the same thing. But still, having it in one integrated unit is nice & convenient, & when Corsair claims that this is a rugged unit built 2 endure immersion, impacts, stress, temperatures, etc., it's not marketing hype. This is the real deal.
(Similarly, you should check out the 8GB Corsair Voyager GT if you want the same drive in a different form factor. Personally, I regard the Survivor as superior 2 the Voyager, because of the form factor. The GT was made ruggedized with a thick rubber skin, which makes it fat & oversized. As such, it won't plug into crowded USB ports without using the included extension cable. The Survivor, once removed from the metal housing, is of normal width, & I haven't had any problems with space issues when plugging it in.)
-- The components. This flash drive is the last of the generation that will use dual-channel SLC (single-level cell) NAND flash chips. Not only are they considerably faster than other (MLC) flash chips, but their lifespan is roughly 10 times as long, in terms of write degredation.
Those two factors combine 2 form what I believe is the finest USB flash drive anywhere.
Unfortunately, there will be no more USB flash drives made using SLC flash memory chips -- anywhere, by anyone -- because it is no longer financially tenable. This 8GB model is the last of the line, & Corsair has been very up-front about this: all future models, including the GT line, will be made with MLC NAND chips. You will not find any flash drives, anywhere, with a larger capacity using this technology.
As such, this product has been discontinued, which explains its high price. Someday it will no longer be commercially available, & it will only be seen in the proud, possessive clutches of their owners' hands. At that point, good luck trying 2 find one.
After my tirade, if you still argue that flash drives are a disposable commodity, then I won't try 2 convince you otherwise. If, however, you have the need (or inclination) 2 use the finest tool 4 the job & ensure your data integrity beyond all doubts, then here you go: you won't find a better data-transport device anywhere, & there probably won't be a better one on the market 4 quite some time.
It's fast, it's capacious, it's rugged, it's well-built. They offer a 10-year warranty. I can't think of much more 2 say.
(Cons: This review wouldn't be complete without mentioning some of this device's caveats. It's a bit large. It's a big heavy. Such is the price 4 being truly rugged. Its round, cylindrical form-factor makes it prone 2 rolling around when placed on a flat surface; 2 solve this issue, I would recommend attaching the beaded "dog-tag chain" that's included; not only can you wear it around your neck like a unselfconscious ubergeek, but it will keep that sucker from making any unwanted moves.)
Rating: 5 of 5
Fastest Flash Drive 2 Date!
I bought this because it's fast it has the fastest benchmarks of any flash drive out there.
They have discontinued this drive because they can't get the chips anymore.
The bigger drives (over 8 gig ) use slower chips. Get this puppy while you can!
They have discontinued this drive because they can't get the chips anymore.
The bigger drives (over 8 gig ) use slower chips. Get this puppy while you can!
The Corsair Flash Survivor is an extremely durable, water resistant, drop-tested flash USB memory drive. By design it is perfect 4 transporting valuable data such as personal files, photos & applications without having 2 worry about damage or loss of data due 2 the elements. Encased in extremely strong CNC-milled, anodized aircraft-grade aluminum;Water resistant 2 200M through the use of a EPDM waterproof seal;Protected from vibration or impact damage through the use of a molded shock-dampening collar;Plug-&-Play with any USB 2.0 certified peripheral computer port (backward compatible with USB 1.1).
($205.99)
Buy Corsair 8 GB USB 2.0 Ultra Rugged Flash Survivor Drive Now!
