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Kingston Unveils $1000 USB Flash Drive

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the because-they-can dept.

Barence writes "Kingston has unveiled the 'world's first' 256GB flash drive, raising flash drive storage to the kind of capacity you normally associate with laptop hard disks. Kingston claims the drive is 'ideal for netbook users who want to extend the limited capacity of their machines,' although given that the device costs about twice as much as a netbook, buyers could probably get more storage by purchasing two of the cheap ultraportables. The device is made on a build-to-order basis, with a suggested UK retail price of £650.52 including VAT — that's an astonishing $1074.69 at current exchange rates. Not exactly cheap and cheerful."

14 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. But how damage-resistant is it? by twidarkling · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If I'm spending that kind of cash, I wanna be able to drop it off a building and have it survive - after it's been run over by a tank. Otherwise, there's no point in using it on a regular basis as additional storage for something you're carrying around all the time.

    --
    Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
    1. Re:But how damage-resistant is it? by Dotren · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I agree. Furthermore, I'd want to know how heavy it is (I doubt it is very heavy at all but it does look rather beefy) as I carry usb flash drives around with me all the time at work. Then again, I'd be extremely leery of taking this anywhere. Should it get stolen or dropped somewhere, thats a rather large chunk of change gone.

      I can't imagine every buying one of these. If you need a mobile PC with that much hard drive space, why wouldn't you just get a normal laptop with some of the other nice features? I realize netbooks are ultra small and mobile but still...

    2. Re:But how damage-resistant is it? by AuMatar · · Score: 4, Informative

      I actually did drop a corsair USB stick down a 14 story elevator shaft. Since it was on my keychain, I had them fish it out for me because I needed my keys. This was one of the models where the exterior is rubber. Anyway the cap had fallen off and the connector was bent. 30 seconds with a needle nose pliers to unbend it and I popped it into my computer to test it. It ran beautifully. It still works to this day.

      So if the outside is made of something soft, it may well survive the drop off of a building.

      --
      I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
    3. Re:But how damage-resistant is it? by Jared555 · · Score: 4, Funny

      I think at that point you would be more concerned about
      1. The heat it endures during reentry and
      2. Finding it

  2. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  3. $1000 USB is still USB... by Guppy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Kingston Unveils $1000 USB Flash Drive

    This is a little like making a gem-encrusted toilet seat. While undoubtedly a useful interface (I use it almost every day), it is ill-suited to fast, bulk transfers, and I'm anticipating crappy performance despite the high price tag.

    1. Re:$1000 USB is still USB... by EdipisReks · · Score: 5, Funny

      This is a little like making a gem-encrusted toilet seat. While undoubtedly a useful interface (I use it almost every day), it is ill-suited to fast, bulk transfers, and I'm anticipating crappy performance despite the high price tag.

      I find the toilet seat to be perfectly well suited to fast bulk transfers.

    2. Re:$1000 USB is still USB... by Voyager529 · · Score: 4, Funny

      This is a little like making a gem-encrusted toilet seat. While undoubtedly a useful interface (I use it almost every day), it is ill-suited to fast, bulk transfers, and I'm anticipating crappy performance despite the high price tag.

      I find the toilet seat to be perfectly well suited to fast bulk transfers.

      ...and crappy performance.

  4. A Bet I made. by jameskojiro · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I made a bet to someone that by October of 2010 we would see some sort of USB 1TB Flash drive. I think my bet is safe.

    --
    Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
  5. Re:Not even competitive for notebooks by thisnamestoolong · · Score: 4, Informative

    Or you could get a 500 GB HDD for under $100 that will still be much faster than the memory stick -- and will cost you 5% of the price per GB, you would really have to be a fool to buy one of those things right now.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136314

    --
    To the haters: You can't win. If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine
  6. Small foot print USB HDD's by Paracelcus · · Score: 4, Informative

    Western Digital My Passport Essential 500 GB is $120.00 and it's tiny!

    --
    I killed da wabbit -Elmer Fudd
  7. Re:So by Bobartig · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wait you've got a screw driver, mallot, pin chaser and pliers and you're using some weirdo gun part to open the can?

    --
    This is where I get my recommended daily allowance of "Foot in Mouth."
  8. Exchange rate, pah. by asdf7890 · · Score: 4, Informative

    The device is made on a build-to-order basis, with a suggested UK retail price of £650.52 including VAT â" that's an astonishing $1074.69 at current exchange rates.

    I love how people quote "at current exchange rates" when talking about tech gear. I don't know how well it works the other way around, but here in the UK it isn't often that we see true exchange rate parity for either hardware or software. Even when the pound was worth ~1.8 of your dollars it wasn't unusual to see consumer kit priced at closer to 1UKP==1USD, and I'm comparing online prices here (so I'm not making the mistake of comparing US online prices to UK high-street prices). Not that I'm bitter or anything...

  9. redundancy isn't the point by harkabeeparolyn · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... size is. Put simply, for the first time 256 GB can comfortably fit inside a human anus. If you can't see a use for that, then you're not living your life nearly dangerously enough.