CES: Sandisk's Cruzer Pocket-Size Flash Storage

I really like the idea of these little USB storage devices, but I have to admit that I haven't decided which one I'd plunk down my cash for since it's a relatively new format (don't want to get stuck with another Zip drive). Up in Las Vegas at (CES ) where Omid and Dave are allegedly checking out the new products and not the gaming tables, SanDisk is showing off Cruzer, a portable, pocket-size storage device with removable and upgradeable flash memory cards. The device is about three inches long, one and three-fourth inches wide, three-quarters of an inch thick, and accommodates both SD cards and MultiMediaCards. Cruzers initially will be available in 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, and 256MB capacities. If you're working on a novel or book on extreme overclocking, Sandisk says you can store more than 40,000 pages of double-spaced text on a 32MB Cruzer (haven't heard that one before). As higher capacity cards become available, the company says you'll be able to upgrade the device to higher capacities. Cruzer features Mass Storage Class (MSC) compliance, which allows for plug-and-play operation when used with Windows 2000/ME/XP. MSC is also supported in Apple OS 9.X and OS X, which I'll refrain from putting down since MacWorld is in town and I don't want a bunch of rainbow notebook toting graphic artists banging on my door. Cruzers also work with Microsoft Windows 98 and Macintosh computers with OS 8.6 and USB support. Production units will include software passwords for keeping your data secure if you leave the thing in a coffee shop. Cruzer should be available in Q2 2002 and should be priced from $59.95 to $199.95, with the 128MB Cruzer expected to sell for $99.95.