What is this?
With merely the thickness of two VISA cards, the credit card-shaped flash drive is accompanied by a host of software and service that keep your data secure and readily accessible.
Freecom USBCard ReviewMarch 1st, 2004
Pros: Unique card design; wealth of utilities; two-year warranty; lost ‘n found service.
Cons: No USB extension cable; average performance for the price; thin manual; email client lacks SSL.
Verdict: Freecom USB Card is tailored for those who would rather put their precious data inside their wallets than hooked to their keychains.
Traditionally associated with gadgets, USB flash drives are now proved to be an indispensable tool for students and businessmen alike. Their features, speeds and looks have been in constant improvement to meet market competition. In order to make a stand in such crowded market, Freecom’s USB Card steps in with a unique design concept and solid tech support. Still, the Hi-Speed USB flash drive has left out some obvious features.
How much credit on this card? The Freecom USBCard (256MB tested; 128MB and 512MB available) takes a detour from the ordinary dongle-design shared by most other flash drives. Its looks can disguise as a real thick credit card. Yet, a closer look reveals a USB connector on the font side. Even with the plug, the USB Card still slides in nicely in any credit card pockets. And in case your wallet pockets are out of vacancy, feel free to use Freecom’s leather case.
Finding a Free Port To install the card, you basically snap the connector to the other side, and the integrated two-inch USB cable will pop out. After that, you could run into difficulties finding a free port without adjacent cables blocking access of the dangling USB Card unless you have a front-mounted USB port or top-mounted USB hub for your desktop. You might be left wondering why a USB extension cable isn’t part of the bundle.
If this isn’t a problem for you, then the rest of installation will be a smooth ride unless you’re a Windows 98 SE user who will need to carry the CD for loading the driver on every machine. The same CD also contains AutoMail, Zip, SecureZip and AutoRun, all four of which support only Windows. The dearth of documentation could also force you to improvise on next step of installing rest of the bundled software. Power users might be able to figure out their next steps, but for the uninitiated, that could be a phone call to the company tech support.
Bring on the Software Freecom’s AutoMail is a mobile email suite, operating independently of Outlook. During the first run, you will the prompted to enter a master password for local file encryption. Then, you will be given an option to import accounts from a local Outlook or to create a new POP3 email account. The setup process is all too familiar, but AutoMail has no SSL encryption or IMAP support. For this reason, business travelers might become wary of loading up the program on a stranger’s computer. For personal use, the AutoMail does a fine job.
On the security side, the USBCard’s SecureLock partitions your drive and creates a new drive letter as the secure zone of the USB Card. When plugged into another PC, the drive will go into hiding unless provided with the correct password. The SecureLock is a 1024-bit strong encryption software so you may as well copy your entire AutoMail directory to the new encrypted drive for an extra layer of protection. The performance penalty from the real-time encryption was only relatively minor, according to our timing test. For those still using Windows 98 SE & ME, the SecureLock will only work on Windows 2000 & XP with administrators' privileges.
Lastly, USBCard’s Secure & Zip is a utility that encrypts and the compresses your files simultaneously. The memory-resident program will also detect any drag ‘n drop activities in and out of the two folders, and will automatically encrypt or decrypt as needed. In our tests, the program took less than a minute to encrypt and compress a 35MB file.
The Need for Speed & Protection The Freecom USB Card – a Hi-Speed USB flash drive – lives up to its advertised speeds at 5MB/s read & write though there are USB flash drives that can out-perform this product for the same or lower price. On the bright side, the USB Card is protected by a two-year warranty and a lost ‘n found card service. The latter requires the decent person who picks up your card to file a case on Freecom website whose URL can be found behind the card. The manufacturer will then arrange your USB Card be sent back to you provided you’ve mailed back the warranty card.
Sandra 2004 Benchmark Data Combined Index : 576 operation(s)/min
Endurance Factor : 11.5
512B Files Test : 684 operation(s)/min
32kB Files Test : 635 operation(s)/min
256kB Files Test : 431 operation(s)/min
2MB Files Test : 85 operation(s)/min
Performance Test Status
Run ID : YOUR-EF77GZTJ0E on Friday, 20 February, 2004 at 12:18:14
Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, MacOS 9.1, MacOS X, Linux Kernel 2.4
Dimensions
0.15" x 3.36" x 2.12"
Capacity
256MB
Read performance Average substained rate
5MB/s
Write performance Average substained rate
5MB/s
Data protection method
1024-bit encryption password software
Software
Password lock, auto mail, auto run, secure & zip
Additional media compatibility
None
Accessories
Leather case, lost & found service
Extra function(s)
--
Material of casing
--
Power source
Bus-powered
Warranty
Two years
Extras Lost a USB cable? Get a replacement USB cable.
Running out of USB ports? Get an extra USB hub.
You may need a new USB card to achieve Hi-Speed USB speeds.
Confirm with our USB 2.0 FAQ if you have Hi-Speed USB on your PC.
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