SanDisk Ultra 32GB Flash Drive

Flash drives have become as ubiquitous as cell phones, and the large number of them out in the wild has caused most distinguishing characteristics to melt away. This is certainly true of the SanDisk Ultra (32GB), which boasts only average features and durability along with a decent capacity and an attractive, svelte design. Although it doesn't protect your data with government-grade security like the Editors' Choice Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB, $14 street, 4 stars), considering what this USB 2.0?only does offer, it's reasonably priced at $84.99 direct, although other capacities of 8GB ($32.99 direct), 16GB ($54.99 direct), and 64GB ($144.99 direct) are available as well.

Design
The SanDisk Ultra bears a striking resemblance to a finger, specifically one severed at the second joint, a similarity reinforced by the underside of the front, which sports the same sloped concavity as a fingertip while sitting directly beneath what looks like a fingernail. It also doesn't help that, in keeping with the red-black color scheme of the flash drive, the retractable USB plug on the back of the drive (i.e., the severed section) sports a crimson flourish. (I don't have a macabre obsession with limbs, honest.)

Body parts aside, the retractable USB plug (which also flashes when in use) is a plus as it lets you carry around the drive without worrying about losing a protective cap. At the same time, however, you can't simply toss the SanDisk Ultra into your bag. Unlike the Corsair Flash Voyager GT (32 GB) ($64.99 direct, 4 stars) or the Kingston DataTraveler R500 ($200 street, 3.5 stars), its plastic enclosure isn't rugged enough to withstand the bumps and bruises of a backpack full of textbooks. It would be wiser to stick it in your pocket or, thanks to the hole in the tip of the drive, on your keychain. On the plus side, the design means that the SanDisk Ultra is slim enough to use without blocking adjacent USB ports.

If purchased directly from SanDisk, the drive comes with a steep price tag; the 32GB model sells for $2.66 per gigabyte, considerably higher than both the Corsair Flash Voyager GT and the Kingston DataTraveler R500, as well as the Verbatim Store 'n' Go Pro USB Flash Drive (64GB) ($117 street, 4 stars). However, the SanDisk Ultra is available for $22.40 on Amazon, or 70 cents per gigabyte.

Features and Performance
The SanDisk Ultra (32GB) was a slow performer in our timed file transfer tests. Though SanDisk claims the drive has a write speed of 10MBps, it clocked in at 6.52MBps, although it exceeded the advertised read speed of 15MBps by performing at 21.21MBps. Still, the SanDisk Ultra is squarely at the bottom of the pack compared with other USB 2.0 flash drives. It was outpaced by both the Verbatim Store 'n' Go Pro (12MBps write, 22MBps read) and the Kingston DataTraveler R500 (21MBps write, 30MBps read). If speed is your highest priority, you'd be better off with the Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 (32GB) ($80 street, 4 stars), a USB 2.0 drive that also yielded much quicker performance over USB 2.0 (32.1MBps read, 28MBps write).

Preinstalled software on the SanDisk Ultra takes up a little over 60MB of space, though none of it is critical for the drive's operation and can accordingly be deleted. Included is Club SanDisk, a forgettable software suite that includes an eBay toolbar for Internet Explorer 8; a 60-day trial of McAfee; the RoboForm password manager; and GoToMyPC, a mobile access point for your PC or Mac. Also included on the drive is SanDisk's software encryption program, Secure Access, which lets you store your files in a "vault," or a password-protected folder.

Although it's not the flashiest of flash drives, its high capacity and thin profile make the SanDisk Ultra (32GB) a fine choice for everyday use. If the protection that the Editors' Choice Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ provides isn't absolutely imperative and ruggedness and speed aren't your top priorities, then it gets a (fully attached) thumbs up.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the SanDisk Ultra (32GB) with several other flash drives side by side.

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