Warning: Only buy the Kingston DataTraveler 150 from reputable dealers, a lot of the cheap drives that are circulating on eBay and other sites are counterfeit! These products may look almost exactly like the real deal but some of them don't work at all and others suffer from various issues like slow performance and significantly less storage capacity than advertised.
Over the years flash drives have become much larger, in terms of storage capacity, and more affordable. For the same price as a 256MB USB stick five years ago, you can now buy sticks with a capacity of 32GB such as the Kingston DataTraveler 150 32GB, which is the subject of this review. This drive not only offers 128x as much storage capacity as the drive you would have got five years ago - it's also a lot faster.
The DataTraveler 150 is the largest USB drive in Kingston's product lineup and it's backed by a five-year warranty.
The drive ships in a rather standard plastic blister package, and the only extra is a small keychain ring.
Here's a look at the feature list:
Capacity: 32GB
Dimensions: 3.06" x 0.9" x 0.47" (77.9 mm x 22 mm x 12.05 mm)
Operating Temperatures: 32º F to 140º F (0º C to 60º C)
Storage Temperatures: -4º F to 185º F (-20º C to 85º C)
Convenient: Pocket-sized for easy transportability
Simple: Just plug into a USB port
Practical: Stores cap securely on end of device to prevent loss of cap
Guaranteed: Five-year warranty
Compatible with: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Mac OS X 10.3x.+, Linux 2.6.x+
Oddly enough Kingston didn't list the data transfer speeds and unlike most new USB drives, this stick doesn't support Windows ReadyBoost in Vista. I don't know for sure why ReadyBoost isn't supported but it's not really such a big deal. The performance boost from ReadyBoost isn't that big and if you really want to use this feature it's a better idea to buy a cheap 1GB or 2GB USB stick instead of this 32GB model.
Let's take a closer look at the Kingston DataTraveler 150. The design of the DT150 is rather odd, the memory stick has a salmon color with a honeycomb pattern. I'll let you decide whether it's a hottie or a nottie but it definitely stands out from the crowd.
Below is a photo of the back of the USB stick, besides a blue LED that flashes when you're transferring data there isn't really much to see here.
The DataTraveler 150 doesn't have a capless design but it can be attached on the end of the device to prevent loss of the cap. Inside the package of the USB drive there's also a small keychain ring that can be attached to the drive.
Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.
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Comment #1 posted by Anonymous on 2011-01-23 07:49:58 ALWAYS BUY FLASHES FROM GOOD SHOPS.BECAUSE IN EBAY NOW A DAYS WE CAN GET DUPLICATE ITEMS IN LOW PRICES Comment #2 posted by Anonymous on 2011-01-23 07:47:11 IN BANGALORE ESPECIALLY IN SP ROAD THIS KINGSTON 150 IS AVAILABLE IN DUPLICATE THAT WAS NOT MANUFACTURED BY KINGSTON.SO HELP KINGSTON BY REFUSING LOW PRICE FLASHES. Comment #3 posted by Anonymous on 2010-07-31 09:55:50 hp is best
Comment #4 posted by Anonymous on 2010-07-31 09:54:33 these are very slow usb flash drive.u can opt for sandisc or HP flash drives. Comment #5 posted by Anonymous on 2010-04-09 04:05:03 i have my kingston data traveler 150 32GB and everytime i used it it always error or warning popup to my screen says make sure you file or path something like that and i worried its fake oh no... how is it.. Comment #6 posted by Thomas De Maesschalck on 2010-02-04 13:53:42 For the German commentator below: Did you buy the USB stick through the official retail channel? The issues you describe sound a lot like those fake USB sticks that are sold through places like eBay. These fake sticks may look the same but they aren't made by Kingston. Comment #7 posted by Anonymous on 2010-02-04 09:33:40 Das ist alle letzes Dreck, funktioniert nichts, beim jeden Transwer Probleme und Fehlermeldungen. Speicher Daten bis 3 MB sonst garnichts! Fake, Dreck alles nur nicht ein USB Stick, Finger weg, heraus geschmissenes Geld!!! Nichts zu reparieren! Comment #8 posted by Anonymous on 2009-07-10 02:43:42 Punk not dead Comment #9 posted by Anonymous on 2009-06-23 00:11:25 TvrIrP ega7Kl0dnDduqp6s2bnp1o Comment #10 posted by Anonymous on 2009-06-22 23:13:59 iMMMmv ghUnxCczpf72ndOqi20g Comment #11 posted by Anonymous on 2009-06-15 09:28:20 dont get kigston pendrive 32GB for a cheap rate .. its all fake ...does take lot of time to copy Comment #12 posted by Anonymous on 2009-04-17 07:19:52 The DataTraveler has been heavily faked by Asian scammers. Slow read/write speeds is generally a sure indication the drive is a fake, also the fakes have in most cases a 16GB chip & not a 32. Comment #13 posted by Anonymous on 2009-01-26 23:09:00 Great stick, very fast and plenty of storage capacity. Comment #14 posted by Thomas De Maesschalck on 2008-11-06 00:50:45 Get an RMA, your drive is faulty. Comment #15 posted by Anonymous on 2008-11-05 23:58:20 I purchased this just a week ago and it errors out every time I try and copy large files (>1mb). It errors with the message Data error (cyclic redundancy check). I have tried it on several PCs but the same error comes up. It works fine with small files but what is the point with a 32gb device?
Comment #16 posted by Anonymous on 2008-11-04 10:31:38 thank u very much for the review, especially the benchmark, that was what i was looking for!
