Cheap USB Keys...

[nick128]

Anybody know of anyplace that has low capacity, low price USB keys for sale? I'm talking like 16, 32, 64MB keys for less than a couple-three bucks each. Preferably have them not rape you on shipping either. Looking to buy a handful, but don't need to buy anything bigger than 64, woudl almost like to have 2-3 64MBs, 2-4 32MBs, and 2-5 16MBs. Need'em to be cheap 'cause i'd like to use'em to pass small files around some of my project groups, but don't want to be out a lot if i lose one. Also like to use'em as floppy replacements since about everything i have now can boot from USB.

 

[NumbaJuan]

might check this out. don't know of anything smaller

 

[Zepper]

I saw this little gizmo in the paper a couple weeks ago that is a housing that turns standard flash memory (SD cards, MMC cards, etc.) into flash drives. But those cost about $10 each. OTOH, the small sized flash cards can be had for a song on eBay. IAC, it looks like it would be hard to beat that Kingmax. I just got a 256MB Kingmax SD card for my digicam and it is definitely the highest value (price/performance) flash card you can get right now.

.bh.

:moon:

 

[VirtualLarry]

Perhaps look here ? OfficeMax has some Kingston DataTraveller USB flash drives on clearance, 64MB for $9, 128MB for $19, 256MB for $29. Not the greatest, but the $9 one is the cheapest that I've seen for a non-rebate retail price. CompUSA had a deal recently for a 16MB one for FAR, with the purchase of another larger-sized one. I think that CompUSA may have some 16MB ones from time to time for around $15 OTD price.

For the uses that you are describing.. wouldn't a stack of CD-Rs fit the bill better? You could buy a lot of CD-Rs for $20-30. (300+ if you look carefully enough)

A web search turned up this site, which will custom-print a USB flash drive with your own logo. Prices get as low as $10 for a 64MB device in qty. TigerDirect has a selection of USB flash drives, starting at $10 too. CompUSA has a 5-pack of 16MB USB flash drives for $50 here or a single unit for $12 here SuperMediaStore has some 32MB models for $13 here (Looked for 16MB models, couldn't find any.) Directron.com has some here, including a 64MB USB2.0 for $18, and a PNY 256MB one for $35 (which is a good deal I think, I have a PNY 512MB unit).

 

[nick128]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Perhaps look here ? OfficeMax has some Kingston DataTraveller USB flash drives on clearance, 64MB for $9, 128MB for $19, 256MB for $29. Not the greatest, but the $9 one is the cheapest that I've seen for a non-rebate retail price. CompUSA had a deal recently for a 16MB one for FAR, with the purchase of another larger-sized one. I think that CompUSA may have some 16MB ones from time to time for around $15 OTD price.

For the uses that you are describing.. wouldn't a stack of CD-Rs fit the bill better? You could buy a lot of CD-Rs for $20-30. (300+ if you look carefully enough)

CDRs are too dependant, not every computer has a burner, and you can't save changes short of overwriting. Plus i hate CDs with a passion for other reasons, they're large, bulky, fragile, scratch prone etc. USB Keys aren't quite as cumbersome.

I managed to find some 16MB and 32MB deals on ebay for $.99 a piece, and got the thought that some warehouse, somewhere, there is a case or two or twenty of 16MB drives that nobody wants (because they're 16MB...not exactly a hot item today) that some retailers will be trying to get out of inventory by dropping the prices to an insanely low amount. Maybe i missed the bus on this by a while. hard tellin. Was wondering if anybody on here'd stumbled upon one of these depots.

 

[Zepper]

I was thinking perhaps you could get a flash card reader to carry with you (you can get USB1 models for well under $10. right now). Small flash cards are incredibly cheap on eBay. There are some 32MB SD cards there right now with starting bids of 29 cents and no one has bid on them... Folks just don't seem to have any use for small flash cards anymore. Saw some B-I-Ns for $5. and less.

.bh.

 

[PELarson]

Originally posted by: Zepper
I saw this little gizmo in the paper a couple weeks ago that is a housing that turns standard flash memory (SD cards, MMC cards, etc.) into flash drives. But those cost about $10 each. OTOH, the small sized flash cards can be had for a song on eBay. IAC, it looks like it would be hard to beat that Kingmax. I just got a 256MB Kingmax SD card for my digicam and it is definitely the highest value (price/performance) flash card you can get right now.

.bh.

:moon:

Lexar Jumpdrive Trio very nice and upgradeable.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well, I'm actually surprised to hear that the computers that you are going to be dealing with don't have CD burners.. get with the 90's already! 😉 (joke)

More seriously though, what about those mini CD-RWs? If you kept them in a case while not being used, they would be protected, and the disc+case would be about the same size as a 3.5in floppy. They store about 185MB or so worth of data. (The round mini-CDRWs, not the rectangular business-card-sized ones.)

As far as reliability goes, I know, CD-RW isn't too good, but during heavy usage, I'm not sure that the flash drives would fare all that much better. The only reason that I keep bringing this up, is that yours seems to be a cost-sensitive application, and I'm not sure that you will be able to find cheap enough flash drives to meet your specs. I'd almost suggest that magneto-optical might be a better solution, but given how uncommon they are today, and most had a SCSI interface, etc., that really simply wouldn't be feasable. I'm also going to go out on a limb here and assume that you don't control all of the machines that you need to interoperate with, so upgrading the lacking machines with cheap IDE CD-RW drives is likely not an option. Otherwise, I would go that route, since the cost of a new CD-RW drive is barely any more than a 64/128MB flash drive is.

Here's a thought - what about contacting some of those places that do the logo-customized USB flash drives, and see if they have any production overruns or whatnot, that they might be willing to sell cheaper?

 

[nick128]

Well, my other issue is time, yeah it only takes a few seconds to drop a file into Nero and burn it. But i can plug 4 USB Keys into the hub on my desk and drag and drop whatever files i need. When i'm done i unplug them, cap'em, and stick'em in my bag. With CDRs you can only do one at a time etc. IDK, CDs just annoy me, flash memory is superior, and USB keys are the best interface for them. It's was just an exercise in theory mostly that if i could prove i was going to put into practice. no worries, i'll just keep my eyes open for sales and deals 🙂

Thanks for the responses though.