IronKey Releases Windows 8 Certified Bootable Flash Drive

Lucas123 writes "IronKey has released a thumb drive certified to be used as a bootable Windows 8 device, enabling users to use Windows To Go — an enterprise feature of Windows 8 — to deliver a fully portable desktop. While Imation doesn't promote this feature, users can also boot up this USB on any Intel-based Apple computer. The flash drive has its drawbacks. It's not yet FIPS certified, it can't be provisioned as storage, and it lacks admin management features. The IronKey Workspace drive comes in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities. It offers either 128-bit or 256-bit full disk encryption. Users must purchase the Windows 8 software separately. According to Imation's specifications, the IronKey Workspace has a maximum average read speed of 300MB/sec. and an average write speed of 100MB/sec. to 200MB/sec. When I timed the boot-up times, the initial boot-up from the USB drive was slow — 3 minutes and 40 seconds — but the drive was configuring itself. Subsequent boot-ups took a mere 35 seconds. Shutdown is near instantaneous — about 2 seconds. The flash drive is priced from $129 to $389 depending on capacity."

Comments

Apple Hardware

[phrostie]

and by using Apple hardware you don't have to worry about Secure Boot!

that just makes my head hurt

What a non-story

[KillDaBOB]

So they made a USB 3.0 flash drive that has a decent amount of space on it, priced it at a multiple more than the competition, and that's it? It doesn't even come with Windows 8, which is the purpose of buying this product. Great story brought to you by /., now advertising products that many will never, ever need (or want)!

Re:What a non-story

[camperdave]

It doesn't even come with Windows 8, which is the purpose of buying this product.

No, this device is designed to enable users "to use Windows To Go — an enterprise feature of Windows 8 — to deliver a fully portable desktop". Obviously this device has some sort of cable management and advanced transdimentional physics capabilities. Imagine it! You plug this device into your desktop... and it becomes portable!

Re:What a non-story

[Curunir_wolf]

Agreed, at those prices, it's Patriot Magnum for me.

Except if you're really interested in doing the "Windows To Go" thing, that drive probably won't work. The 120MB/s write and 200MB/s read speeds are more than twice as slow as this IronKey drive, and it will likely present itself as a "removable" drive (most USB sticks do), which means Windows To Go won't even install on it.

Re:What a non-story

[Curunir_wolf]

It's just a firmware setting that informs the operating system of the type of device. It informs the OS how to perform write-caching and file operations. It doesn't create a lock or anything. A USB attached hard drive, for instance, would present itself differently, so you could always use that as a "Windows To Go" device, but of course that's not as convenient as a thumb drive, and more susceptible to shock damage.

The fact is, Windows 8, booting and running entirely from a removable drive, is going to require better performance on a removable drive than a trimmed Linux distro. And it's for a different use. It's intended for a different use, too - in some use cases, companies can provide floating workers with a USB stick instead of a laptop, and they still have their customized settings, their applications and data, organization logins and identity certificates, etc. Which is why using an IronKey makes sense, too, because the whole thing can use drive encryption so it's useless the finder if the stick gets lost. Plus the setup disables access to the host computer's local drives - it's intended as a standalone environment, not just an alternate way to boot the computer.

A 'Downgrade' USB Stick?

[Bing Tsher E]

Why would you downgrade a computer that presumably has a functioning OS on it by plugging this stick into it and rebooting?

Re:A 'Downgrade' USB Stick?

[Mateo_LeFou]

This will come in *very* handy when Windows 9 is released

They don't really try to hide it anymore, do they?

[Anonymous Coward]

These Slashvertisements are getting so blatant that it's not even funny anymore.

Slashvertisementitis

[Adambomb]

I know it's pretty cliche to scream slashvertisement whenever there's an article involving a purchasable gadget, but jebus tapdancing christ guys when you advertise the price including a link to their store for something like this it really is getting sad.

If it ISN'T intentional you sure are letting submissions take you for a ride.

Re:drawbacks for $129-$389?

[jones_supa]

Look at the transfer speeds. It's a damn fast flash drive.

finally!

[Anonymous Coward]

An OS that can boot from a USB key! Amazing! Microsoft truly is a magical ccompany that their OS allows such amazing functionality. Meanwhile if you boot linsux on your computer most of the time it will be bricked. That is the difference between real software engineering skill and amateur hour.

Re:drawbacks for $129-$389?

[camperdave]

Do they really think people are so stupid to spend $129 for a 32gb thumb drive? With drawbacks?

Why not? People buy Windows 8.

Re:drawbacks for $129-$389?

[datajack]

It's an Ironkey. The encryption is in hardware. The quoted speed is with the encryption.

Re:GNU/Linus had this for quite a while

[maugle]

Yep, Slashdot could really use a "-1, obviously only read the first sentence" mod.

Re:drawbacks for $129-$389?

[Lanforod]

Find a ironkey flash drive for under a 100 bucks with hardware encryption. That's impossible, especially at those sizes. A coworker of mine recently purchased several ironkey hardware encrypted 4 GB flash drives at more than 100 each. And they were USB 2. Things are pretty darn heavy, like a chunk of lead. For 32 GB, Ironkey hardware encryption, USB 3, these are actually well priced. Sure, you can find so called hardware encryption for cheaper, but not certified FIPS 140.