Storix Axis 128MB USB1.1 (compatable w/ 2.0) Flash Drive $30AR@MC

Tokar

Senior member
Jan 7, 2002
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At microcenter...rebate lasts until the end of the month:

$60 - $10 instant rebate - $20 mfr. rebate = $30 after rebate not including tax

Product Link

So far I've used it a bit...FAT 124MB formatted...
very nice...
it comes with a USB extension cable (one end male, one end female)...looks to be a few feet...not sure how long it is as i havent unraveled it as i have FS USB on my tower...
also comes with a thing you can attach to it that you can wear it around your neck...the loop hole on the unit doesnt seem to fit too well on key rings...

has a nice data-locking feature...
and it doesnt use a cap (a cap one can lose)...instead it has a swivel job that you pull over it...hard to explain...just check out the product at Storix's site...
Storix Product Link

It also comes with a mini cdr with the cut off sides, the one that fits in your wallet, should one encounter a computer that needs drivers for it...
Windows XP SP1 needs no drivers...(its the only OS ive used it on)...
 

PCHPlayer

Golden Member
Oct 9, 2001
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I've got the USB 1.1 64 MB version and I love it. Got it FAR at Fry's a while back (still waiting for the rebate....). I use it to carry files between work/home/customer sites. When I told people at work about the FAR deal, about 10 people ran to Fry's to get in on the deal. I seem to be the only one who uses it every day though.
$30 for a 2.0/128MB is a good deal!
 

jono8

Senior member
Oct 16, 2001
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I wonder if this drive takes advantage of USB 2.0. The specs say: Read 1000 kb/s Write 600 kb/s

Isn't 2.0 suppose to be faster than that?

Tokar, do you have any idea what the actual speeds you're getting are?
 

rlgdtime

Member
May 23, 2003
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Originally posted by: PCHPlayer
I've got the USB 1.1 64 MB version and I love it. Got it FAR at Fry's a while back (still waiting for the rebate....)


FYI - I called Storix Yesterday (misplaced my driver disk) and they told me there are at least a thousand of the 64mb rebates that have yet to be entered into their computer (mine being one of them). Sounded like a one man support dept., he asked me to hold on a couple of times and I could hear him answer another line. Anyway, he was polite, informative and instantly emailed me the drivers. And, he spoke perfect english, as if, dare I say it, he was actually born in this country. Maybe we'll get the rebates next month.
:cool:
 

PCHPlayer

Golden Member
Oct 9, 2001
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Just checked the Storix web site. This is not a USB 2.0 drive! It is 1.1, but is compatable with "backward compatable 2.0 USB ports". Still not a bad deal for 128MB flash drive.
 

breweyez

Platinum Member
Jan 30, 2001
2,347
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i got the 64MB cigar drive from frys on black friday 2002...i just got the rebate from soyo yesterday:Q 6months & change!!!
 

Tokar

Senior member
Jan 7, 2002
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yeah im sorry...i just checked the side of the box...

write speed 600 KBps
read speed 1000 KBps

and it sais compatable with 1.1 and 2.0...

stupid marketing gimick...the MC ad said it was 2.0...oh well...still a good deal...

ill change the topic to reflect 1.1...
 

InverseOfNeo

Diamond Member
Nov 17, 2000
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Originally posted by: Tokar
yeah im sorry...i just checked the side of the box...

write speed 600 KBps
read speed 1000 KBps

and it sais compatable with 1.1 and 2.0...

stupid marketing gimick...the MC ad said it was 2.0...oh well...still a good deal...

ill change the topic to reflect 1.1...

D'oh! I wish it was true 2.0.....how much slower woudl this be (in terms of real life situations not theoretical speeds, when it comes to time, i.e. 30 seconds slower when transferring a 60MB file or whatever)
 

Tokar

Senior member
Jan 7, 2002
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i transferred a 34 MB classical music MP3 i was going to listen to at work today...didnt take long at all...

124MB (max formatted) x 1024 KB/MB / 600 KB/s = 3.5 mins...theoretical transfer of a file as large as the disk...
 

Mysterie

Senior member
Jan 7, 2000
881
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I love my 64MB one. For those who have a Fry's near them, keep you eyes open. The 128MB ones are often on sale for $29 after rebates too.
 

razel

Platinum Member
May 14, 2002
2,337
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I tried this USB drive myself a few weeks ago when Fry's had it for about the same price and returned it since it doesn't seem to do a good job when multitasking. When I was testing it the transfer rate for large files was a decent 600k/s. However, when I was writing hundreds of small files to try and fill it while I did other things like surf the web that the transfer rate was agnonizingly slow (30k-60k a second) and most of the time, it'd crap out and it'd leave the read/write light either lit or not be lit at all.

Unplugging the device or uninstalling it from the device manager didn't help. Only a reboot would sometimes make it work during my informal small files test. I thought at first it was my system, but I tried it on a different system and I bought another non Axis USB drive and confirmed that the Axis drive was bunk. Too bad, it's a small good looking drive.

Perhaps mine was a fluke. Regardless I'm glad I returned it. I wound up getting the PQI Intelligent Stick for $20 AR and it is truely portable. It's the size and thickness of a quarter and you can fit it in your wallet like a credit card. It worked flawless and has a 3 year warranty.

Just my experience and suggestion.

PQI Intelligent Stick
 

jono8

Senior member
Oct 16, 2001
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Razel, waht kidn of speeds do you get with teh PQI? Do you find it hard to lose? (there doesn't seem to be any way to hook it on your keychain...
 

razel

Platinum Member
May 14, 2002
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I get the same speed as the Axis on the PQI for large files and about 75k-200k per second for writing small files and close to 600k for reading small files. The larger the file, the closer to 600k the read and write speed gets. I also tried a Fujifilm flash drive (looks like a rebadged M-Systems DiskOnKey) and its read and write for large files is 1000k. Small files is up to 1000k.

Most of the speed decrease from writing small files seems come from a start write delay. I dunno if this is due to the USB flash drive's controller or the operating system, but it exists on all USB flash drives I tried on different systems and platforms (PC and MAC). It kinda reminds me of the floppy spin up time, but for writing only. If anyone knows better please enlighten us.

I'm glad it's "hard to lose". I didn't find it easy to lose since I keep it in my wallet. It doesn't have any way to connect to your keychain, but in fact I actually prefer it in my wallet since keychains are rough and tumble. Keys get thrown around and things get scratch up and ding against each other. The Axis' plastic was so weak that in the few days I had it it already developed scratches from the cap twisting. Just imagine the damage on a keychain.

My PQI is taking some decent usage right now. It gets transported here and there and is plugged in and powered ten hours a day. I use it to listen to new music and multitask. (ie. listen to a wav, video, or mp3 from it, while saving files to it) It doesn't skip or stop even with multiple wavs, videos, or mp3's going as the total read is within the max read speed.

I hope they release a faster USB 2.0 version in this form factor and work out the delay, then these flash drive will be closer to what we imagined. . . portable storage RAM limited by the speed of USB 2.0.
 

jono8

Senior member
Oct 16, 2001
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Thanks for the info Razel. Did you get this at a B&M? and what size did you get for $20AR? Thanks!
 

razel

Platinum Member
May 14, 2002
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Bought it at Fry's offline. 128MB for $20 after AR last week. I've been trying to find it in larger sizes, (256MB and 512MB) but seems like they're discontinued. Perhaps even discontinued before released. Also rebates for products usually means end of life liquidations and I hope they are being replaced by newer versions. USB 2.0 perhaps or are they leaving the flash drive business?

Good news!

128MB - $37 no mail-in rebate, $0 ship
128MB - $30 AR
or wait for Fry's offline to have it on sale again.
 

Marauder-

Platinum Member
Nov 29, 1999
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Yeah - i guess w/ that PQI - it would make more sense to just store it in your wallet. although i do dig the Storix one more even if it'll get scratched to death.
 

weepul

Diamond Member
Nov 5, 2000
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www.hd-trailers.net
Originally posted by: PCHPlayer
Just checked the Storix web site. This is not a USB 2.0 drive! It is 1.1, but is compatable with "backward compatable 2.0 USB ports". Still not a bad deal for 128MB flash drive.

just wat i was about to say.

//krunk (^_^x)
 

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
13,166
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Well if anyone speaks to their one-man support department, he should specifically ask when the rebates will be fulfilled (aka checks paid and mailed).

Since they haven't bothered to hire a team of data-entry grunts to process the rebate forms yet, I have a bad feeling they plan on holding our money for a while.

I haven't even opened my 64MB Axis yet, but from the looks of things, it seems to be an excellent package. I seriously hope it isn't a performance dog like razel experienced. And too bad it won't go on a keychain (according to Tokar). I'm a geek, but even I wouldn't strap this on my neck. :p
 

Tokar

Senior member
Jan 7, 2002
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Originally posted by: manly
Well if anyone speaks to their one-man support department, he should specifically ask when the rebates will be fulfilled (aka checks paid and mailed).

Since they haven't bothered to hire a team of data-entry grunts to process the rebate forms yet, I have a bad feeling they plan on holding our money for a while.

I haven't even opened my 64MB Axis yet, but from the looks of things, it seems to be an excellent package. I seriously hope it isn't a performance dog like razel experienced. And too bad it won't go on a keychain (according to Tokar). I'm a geek, but even I wouldn't strap this on my neck. :p


along with the actual unit, they give you a USB extension cord, and an AXIS thingy that has a loop on the end that one can slipknot thru the hole on the AXIS unit, so you can wear it around your neck...which is what im doing :)...so im now officially "cool" HUA HUA