Iomega Micro Mini 128MB USB 2.0 Drive

July 27th, 2004

Pros: Very compact; elegant design; loads of accessories; three-year warranty.
Cons: No data encryption.
Verdict: Iomega Micro Mini ships with plentiful accessories and exclusive access to a huge library of ActiveDisk software titles.

Iomega Micro Mini maybe as small as a USB flash drive can get, perhaps challenged by PQI's Intelligent Stick. It measures at just 1.57" by 0.71" by 0.34", and without taking the standard USB connector into measurement, the body itself is only the size of 4 dimes stacked together. If the size alone couldn't convert you into a buyer, Iomega has more tricks under its sleeves.

Package Content
- Iomega Micro Mini 128MB
- Instructions
- 3 color covers
- Illuminated USB extension cable

No Doubt a Thumb Drive


Body Check
The Micro Mini put to test was the 128MB model, but you can also get 64MB, 256MB and 512MB. A rebate expiring at the end of July 2004 is slashing $15 off the net price. The Hi-Speed USB flash drive comes with three covers in ocean blue, dark gray and mandarin orange. Each cover can swivel around the drive, and each has a tiny metal ring that attaches to either a ball-chain necklace or a belt hook. Even though the plastic cap looks fragile, it kept the drive where it should be in our tolerance tests. An activity LED, located on the other end of the drive, blinks slowly when idle and faster during transfer.

Installing the Micro Mini went without a hassle even as the documentation is rather scarce. Iomega provides a long illuminated USB extension cable so you don't need to crawl under the desk to plug n the drive. Note that a driver is needed for Windows 98 and 98 SE which you can obtain from Iomega's support website.

Freebies
To unlock the potential of the Micro Mini, you have to try Iomega's proprietary ActiveDisk, allowing you to run software straight from the flash drive. There's one caveat though, you won't be able to install a second title even if there's enough space on the flash drive. This limitation is probably due to the original design since ActiveDisk was designed with Zip media in mind. Among the titles (most of them free), the most popular are OpenOffice 1.1 (requires 256MB or better model), Preclck Photo Organizer, IrfanView, MusicMatch JukeBox and Iomega Sync. There's even an instant messenger with Yahoo, MSN and AIM support.

On Fast Track
The Micro Mini transferred at speeds what Iomega claimed to be, according to Sandra 2004 SP2. It read at between 6.7MB/s and 7.7MB/s; and it wrote at 4.3MB/s during large file transfer, but dropped to 259KB/s during 32KB file tests. Throughput isn't a highly significant issue for a 128MB drive. You can definitely get a faster flash drive, but you will also miss the Micro Mini's three-year warranty, accessories and ActiveDisk compatibility.

Sandra 2004 SP2 Benchmark
Benchmark Results
Combined Index : 1134 operation(s)/min
Endurance Factor : 17.8
512B Files Test : 1352 operation(s)/min
32kB Files Test : 1254 operation(s)/min
256kB Files Test : 812 operation(s)/min
2MB Files Test : 173 operation(s)/min
64MB Files Test : 7 operation(s)/min

Performance Test Status
Run ID : XP on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 at 4:42:38 PM
SMP Test : No
Total Test Threads : 1
SMT Test : No
Dynamic MP/MT Load Balance : No
Processor Affinity : No

512B Files Test
Read Performance : 78205 operation(s)/min (652 kB/sec, 3x)
Write Performance : 501 operation(s)/min (4 kB/sec, 0x)
Delete Performance : 751 operation(s)/min
File Fragments : 1.0
Combined Index : 1352 operation(s)/min

32kB Files Test
Read Performance : 12849 operation(s)/min (6853 kB/sec, 38x)
Write Performance : 486 operation(s)/min (259 kB/sec, 1x)
Delete Performance : 747 operation(s)/min
File Fragments : 1.0
Combined Index : 1254 operation(s)/min

256kB Files Test
Read Performance : 1827 operation(s)/min (7795 kB/sec, 44x)
Write Performance : 392 operation(s)/min (1673 kB/sec, 9x)
Delete Performance : 721 operation(s)/min
File Fragments : 1.0
Combined Index : 812 operation(s)/min

2MB Files Test
Read Performance : 230 operation(s)/min (7851 kB/sec, 44x)
Write Performance : 100 operation(s)/min (3413 kB/sec, 19x)
Delete Performance : 596 operation(s)/min
File Fragments : 1.0
Combined Index : 173 operation(s)/min

64MB Files Test
Read Performance : 7 operation(s)/min (7646 kB/sec, 43x)
Write Performance : 4 operation(s)/min (4369 kB/sec, 24x)
Delete Performance : 80 operation(s)/min
File Fragments : 1.0
Combined Index : 7 operation(s)/min

Endurance Test Status
Operating System Disk Cache Used : No
Use Overlapped I/O : No
Test File Size : 32MB
Block Size : 512bytes
File Fragments : 1

Endurance Benchmark Breakdown
Repeated Sector ReWrite : 25 kB/s
Sequential Sector Write : 1287 kB/s
Random Sector Write : 25 kB/s

Drive
Total Size : 124MB
Free Space : 124MB, 100%
Cluster Size : 2kB

Where to buy Iomega Micro Mini 128MB USB 2.0 Drive?


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Micro Mini 128MB USB 2.0 Drive Specs

Interface(s)	Hi-Speed USB
Released date	December 2003
Platforms	Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, MacOS 8.6, MacOS 9.1, MacOS X, Linux Kernel 2.4
Dimensions	1.57" x 0.71" x 0.34"
Capacity	128MB
Read performance Average substained rate	8MB/s
Write performance Average substained rate	--
Data protection method	None
Software	ActiveDisk
Additional media compatibility	None
Accessories	2 additional color covers, dog-tag style chain necklace
Extra function(s)	--
Material of casing	--
Power source	Bus-powered
Warranty	Three 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.