Pros: Fastest in the category; compact; reasonable pricing.
Cons: No password protection; no carrying case.
Verdict: If speed is what you are pulling back from getting a USB flash drive, Lexar's JumpDrive 2.0 Pro is your answer.
Since the debut of USB flash drives, these midget storage devices have increased in capacity, yet the progress to speed transfer rate is stagnant. This makes transferring larger files a waiting game. If your patience can easily wear thin, Lexar's JumpDrive 2.0 Pro flash drive might help.
Jumping to Hi-Speed The JumpDrive 2.0 Pro, available only in 256MB, debuts as the first Hi-Speed USB flash drive on the market. Data transfer rate also becomes more important for a USB flash drive reaching this capacity. In this regard, the JumpDrive 2.0 Pro is way ahead of the competitions. The Hi-Speed USB flash drive improves reading and writing speeds by as much as 600% and 500% respectively over USB 1.1 counterparts. In our informed tests, it easily outran our FujiFilm USB Drive 256MB (USB 1.1) by writing a 200MB zip file in less than 45 seconds; the Fuji drive finished the job in 4 minutes. Given the Fuji USB Drive 256MB costs about the same as the JumpDrive 2.0 Pro, the latter will give you more bang for the buck.
Unfortunately, Lexar JumpDrive 2.0 Pro doesn't offer much more beside the spectacular speed. Its lack of integrated CPU means the drive�s potential is limited to storage, and the omission of password protection software will leave users' data vulnerable to unwanted eyes. At press date, the JumpDrive 2.0 Pro supports most operating systems, including Windows ME/2000/XP and MacOS X, by borrowing the platforms' mass storage class driver. If you are still using Windows 98 SE, Lexar tech support will provide the driver for you. Original Windows 98 isn't supported. Lastly, the JumpDrive is guaranteed by a one-year warranty in case disasters strike.
The Bottom Line Lexar has done a terrific job addressing the need for speed with its JumpDrive 2.0 Pro. Though, the 256MB fixed drive could have made the best USB flash drive ever if not for the omission of software bundle. Together, the JumpDrive 2.0 Pro earns our recommendation for its outstanding performance and reasonable pricing.
Where to buy Lexar JumpDrive 2.0 Pro?
User Review(s)
"JumpDrive Secure is trouble-free!" My JD Secure 256MB has worked great since I got it back in October from Sam's Club for $32. It makes the transition between 2000 Pro and XP Home effortlessly and even survived a trip through the washer and dryer.
Sounds to me like either the generic JumpDrives received inferior parts or UV rays are cooking the chips right through the transparent shell. Get a JD Secure instead. It is nice to know no one can steal my data if I should lose it. From Bennett, May 08, 2005
"my 512MB JumpDrive Dead Too!" I bought this a little before Xmas 2004. Worked like a charm for the last 5 months. Friday was doing some heavy duty spreadsheets with 4 hours of input and now the drive is dead. On line chat said send it in and in 3 to 4 weeks will sedn me back data and if I fill out RMA will replace. Why woudl I eant ot do either? From Jim Sides, May 07, 2005
"LexarJD" I regret the day I was sold on buying this from BestBuys. 1GB for $75 and did not receive the rebate for $25. I provided them with copy of receipt and submitted my claim according to the instructions provided. To add, the jump drive crap doesn't even work. I want my money back. It will tell me that I do not have rights to it when trying to copy or move files. Why would the company place restrictions on it? It needs to be removed from the market and customers should be compensated for their loss. We customers lost a lot of money and information that is valuable to us. From Paula Rouse, April 22, 2005
"My Lexar Media JumpDrive Died!" My wife gave me this LEXAR Media 256MB JumpDrive for Christmas. I had some important files on it and this morning, it stopped working. I am about to start hitting the web for some advice on how to (if possible) retrieve my files. Otherwise, about six months' worth of work GONE! It sounds like others have had similar experiences, so I would say stay away from this drive! From Joel, April 14, 2005
"Disappointed" My brother died in October of 2004 and every digital photograph we had of him were stored on my 128MB Lexar JumpDrive Sport. After leaving it in it's nifty rubber case on a shelf for two months, I try to access the files on it only to find that the drive is now corrupt and asks me to format the drive every time I try to access it. I even decided to cut my losses and format the drive only to get a "Drive cannot be formated" error.
I recommend everyone stay FAR away from this USB drive.
If anyone knows how I can get the files off the drive, please let me know. From Daniel Forthman, April 04, 2005
"Thanks for the pinching tip!" What a pile of junk. I had used my 1GB jumpdrive for about 2 months and it just died. The company sent me a huge troubleshooting list. I told them that all my other jumpdrives work fine and it is definitely the drive.
After pinching the drive tightly at the bottom where it says JumpDrive 2.0 Pro...install the drive and get your info into a safe storage area.
Do NOT buy this type of drive with such a major flaw.
JS From Joe Sandbakken, March 09, 2005
"Turkey vacation photos saved" Thank you for your advice. I just started using my drive and had saved half of my vacation pictures while traveling to free up memory on smartmedia cards. The unit worked properly and I was able to show people the photos from the device on different computers. Before I actually made a backup at home, I left the unit in my laptop during a restart. When I tried to read the pictures and save them it wouldn't access the photos and it kept asking me to format the drive. Lexar offered to replace the drive but wouldn't guarantee data retrieval. The support guy said leaving the unit in the USB port during the restart causes the problem.
This was all very frustrating because the computer recognized a storage device but it kept assigning it a garbage name. Then I found this site and the advice given to others. I tried the squeezing method and the computer recognized that it was a LEXAR device but I wasn’t able to squeeze for long enough to access the data. However, I decided to make sure the squeezing was helping by putting the drive in without squeezing to see if it was unrecognized again. To my utter delight the device opened up properly and asked me if I wanted to view my files. Quickly I copied them without jostling the computer in any way because I didn’t want it to stop working again. Thanks again.
From Jennifer Politsch, February 15, 2005
"Thank you Thank you Thank you" Lexar 256 JumpDrive --
Thank you so much to everyone who saved my life tonight by advising on how to retrieve files from a failing jumpdrive. I had to actually use a pliers to hold the darn thing as tight as I could with my left hand, while I frantically copied all data to a secure folder..
Thank you thank you thank you. Don't buy this damn thing!!! From Chris McGovern, February 08, 2005
"Sucks, but Small chance of hope" Yep, this little things sucks, I have a lexar 256MB secure drive (less than a year) and it stopped working.
I've learned the hard way, not to trust these things, however, a user posted a comment on Jan 21st that enabled me to retrieve my files by 'opening' the device and holding it down long enought to get my data.
Good luck From Tasha, February 03, 2005
"Dissapointed" I have a LEXAR 256M drive that I bought less than a year. Doesn't work anymore. I have an old 16M flash drive that I bougt over 2 years ago and still reliable.
Listening to other people having problems with LEXAR, will not recommended.
BTW, pinching the jumpdrive did work for me. From Carlos, February 02, 2005
"I'm so mad!!" I have had my Lexar 128 for about 5 months now..I used it all last quarter at college and no problems. Now I started using it for this quarter and today it just stopped working!! I am so mad!! I'm going to have to do all my projects over again!!!! Lexar sucks! From Lodema, January 24, 2005
"What do you want anyway?" Look at price vers size, then look at the rest of the market.
Lexar delivers a good product in a varity of available and desirable sizes.
The form factor and design of their product is more durable than most offerings in this catagory (i.e. portable flash / jump drives).
I started with a 128 mb drive, sold it after using it with no real problems, bought a 256 mb, used it with no problems, sold it to a friend (who just thinks that it's the next best thing to sliced bread!) and now I have a 512 mb version.
It has served me faithfully.
REMEMBER, the PC accessory market is insane, we the consumer want the lowest possible price for the highest level tech !!!
Lexar is doing their best to meet out needs, AND solve our problems when they arrise. From Brian Dickinson, January 22, 2005
"One Possible Solution to Bad Drives" I have opened two of the Lexar 256 JumpDrive Secure units that "went bad" and found that both had broken solder contacts with the 48Mhz clock component (looks like a oval, silver hat). I believe that this piece syncronizes the communication between the computer and the device. Being broken, windows knows something plugged into the USB port, but it can't identify it, or access it.
To test for this problem, try pinching the drive (on the back half, where it says "JumpDrive") as you insert it into the port. Pinching here presses the component onto its connections. Keep pinching while windows identifies it, and you should see the drive contents as usual. If you release enough that the contact breaks inside, the drive will still register, but you can't see the contents.
If you just want to recover the data, get someone (or something) to continue pinching the device until the contents is copied off.
The fix? Carefully pry the case open (most likely voiding the warranty) and solder the component back down. The case is two halfs, glued together. But with some patient prying into the middle of the rubber, with my lock-blade, it popped open. Soldering precisely posed the biggest challenge. Now the drive works reliably. From JeffreyD, January 21, 2005
"1 gig Jumpdrive dead" I bought it at BUY.com It worked for just over 2 months now XP cant recognize it???
Tried it on 2 xp systems same thing...
Lexar did say they would replace it....I just wonder whats wrong that so many are Bad?
Mine was working then it just died. Could it be Windows XP??? From James Farmer, January 20, 2005
"Doesn't like switching between WinXP and WinME" I purchased my Jumpdrive in Oct 2003 and it works no problem at all with WinXP. However, as soon as i plug it into my laptop running WinME it becomes unstable. In my opinion it is Microsoft that should be blamed for the problems expressed here not LEXAR. If upgrade to WinXP as i will for my laptop and your problems may well be over. From CWAREHAM, January 16, 2005
We're currently upgrading our user review system; so we won't be accepting new reviews for now. JumpDrive 2.0 Pro Specs
Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, MacOS 9.1, MacOS X
Dimensions
3" x 1.06" x 0.43"
Capacity
256MB
Read performance Average substained rate
6MB/s
Write performance Average substained rate
4.5MB/s
Data protection method
None
Software
--
Additional media compatibility
None
Accessories
--
Extra function(s)
--
Material of casing
--
Power source
Bus-powered
Warranty
One year
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.
